Conexon Welcomes Smart Grid Expert Steve Collier to Lead Business Development

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Conexon, the nation's leader in assisting electric cooperatives to deploy and utilize fiber broadband networks, has announced the addition of renowned smart grid expert Steven E. Collier to its leadership team as vice president, business development.

Collier offers more than 40 years of diverse experience in electric utility strategy, planning, management and operations, with the majority of his career spent leading or supporting cooperatives. Well known for his insight and expertise in the advent of a modern, intelligent electric grid, Collier has long been at the forefront of assisting  electric cooperative executive teams and boards with strategic industry reconnaissance, and technology and business planning. Collier is a sought-after public speaker, instructor and author, as well as an Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Smart Grid Technical Expert and member of IEEE's Smart Grid Operations Committee. He is a long-time instructor for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Management Internship Program (MIP) and has advised and served on the boards of several electric cooperatives.

In his new role, Collier will continue assisting electric cooperatives to realize the benefits of smart grid technologies, especially system monitoring and control via true gigabit fiber broadband for the best possible economy, efficiency, reliability, security, safety and sustainability of electric grid operations.

"Steve has established himself as the 'go-to' resource for smart grid technologies and benefits, and its reliance on broadband," said Jonathan Chambers, partner at Conexon. "His expertise complements that of our current team, and we look forward to his contributions as more electric cooperatives take advantage of the benefits of fiber-to-the-home networks."

"More and more cooperatives are planning or implementing upgrades to their infrastructure through smart grid technologies," added Conexon Partner Randy Klindt. "Steve's expertise in this area is unmatched and we're excited to be able to add that to what Conexon offers our current and future clients."

Collier holds a master's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University as a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow in Engineering and an electrical engineering bachelor's degree as an Honors Student at the University of Houston.

"I could not be happier to be able to continue to work for and with electric cooperatives at Conexon," said Collier. "I have long maintained the necessity and value of true gigabit broadband communications for optimum smart grid operations, and Conexon is helping many cooperatives be best positioned for that."

About Conexon
Conexon works with Rural Electric Cooperatives to bring fiber to the home in rural communities. The company is comprised of professionals who have worked for electric cooperatives and the telecommunications industry, and offer decades of individual experience in business planning, building networks, marketing and selling telecommunications. Conexon offers its electric cooperative clients end-to-end broadband deployment and operations support, from a project's conception all the way through to its long-term sustainability. It works with clients to analyze economic feasibility, secure financing, design the network, manage construction, provide operational support, optimize business performance and determine optimal partnerships. To date, Conexon has assisted nearly 110 electric cooperatives, over 33 of which are constructing fiber networks, with more than 85,000 co-op members connected across the U.S., and has secured more than $200 million in federal and state grants for its clients.

SOURCE Conexon

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