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October 22 - October 24

Region 7 Meeting

San Antonio, TX

Register Now

Region 7 Meeting

This is your connection to local utility technology professionals and events. By interacting with UTC Regions, you can:

✨Meet other professionals in the industry.
✨Find educational opportunities for you, your colleagues, and your staff.
✨Get involved in local technology issues that affect us all.
✨Learn about UTC Committees and other member benefits.
✨Hear directly from UTC Leadership and get your burning questions answered

Don’t wait any longer!  Register today!
To become a UTC member, contact Karnel Thomas.

Registration Rates and Information

Utility Registration
  • $300 for the first registrant and $90 for each additional registrant.
  • Once the first registration for $300 has been processed please contact support@utc.org for instructions on how to register additional attendees at the discounted rate.
  • **If your company is a member of UTC and you are not seeing the member rates on the registration site please contact support@utc.org for assistance.
Vendor/Associate Rate**
  • $450 – Members
  • $695 – Non-Members
  • **These rates are for non-sponsoring vendor companies. See below for sponsor registration instructions.
Speakers:
  • All speakers will be registered complimentary by UTC staff.
Sponsors & Exhibitors:
Sponsors:
  • Sponsors may receive complimentary or discounted rates depending on their level of participation.
  • Before registering through the website please click here to email and confirm any applicable comps or discounts.
Cancellation Policy:
  • Cancellations received on or before September 30 will receive a refund less a 25% administrative fee. There will be no refunds after September 30; however, substitutions may be made without penalty. Cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing to support@utc.org
Questions? Please email UTC support for assistance by clicking here.

Sponsorship Information

Sponsorship Contract – Click here

Exhibit Hall is SOLD OUTclick here to be added to the waitlist

Sponsor Information:
Kristi Middlebrooks | Director, Conference Exhibit and Sponsorship
Direct: +1.202.833.6838 |
Email:  kristi.middlebrooks@utc.org

Conference / Registration Information
E: support@utc.org

Already a Sponsor

For questions contact support@utc.org or call 202.833.6812

Click here for assistance with hotel reservations

Embassy Suites Riverwalk Hotel

125 E. Houston Street, San Antonio, TX, 78205

Click here for assistance with hotel reservations

About Region 7

Region 7 includes:

  • Texas
  • Louisiana
  • Arkansas

Have any questions or are interested in hearing more about how UTC can play a role in your company?   Contact our Region 7 officers:

SPEAKERS

Rusty Williams
Rusty Williams
President and CEO, Utilities Technology Council

Jimmy R. (Rusty) Williams is President and CEO of the Utilities Technology Council (UTC.) UTC is a DC-based global trade association that represents electric, gas, and water utilities on their mission-critical information and communications technologies.

Williams, a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Alabama, has more than three decades of extensive utilities industry experience. He worked at LightRiver Technologies for seven years, where he served as Vice President, Sales. Before LightRiver, Williams worked for nearly four years as Director of Business Development at AFL Telecommunications. He also worked for more than 25 years at Southern Company, where he held various telecommunications and IT management positions.
Williams, a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Alabama, has more than three decades of extensive utilities industry experience. He worked at LightRiver Technologies for seven years, where he served as Vice President, Sales. Before LightRiver, Williams worked for nearly four years as Director of Business Development at AFL Telecommunications. He also worked for more than 25 years at Southern Company, where he held various telecommunications and IT management positions.
As President and CEO, Williams will lead UTC’s staff as the association continues to be a trusted advocate and thought leader on regulatory issues and emerging technology, as well as a valued training source in the utility telecommunications and networking space.
Williams earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
When not working for UTC, Rusty enjoys his family which includes his wife Ivette, 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren.  He also enjoys playing golf and hunting.  Rusty also serves his church as a leader and teacher.
Bruce Albright
Bruce Albright
PLTE Business Segment Manager, Burns & McDonnell
James Boston
James Boston
Director, Communication Services, CPS Energy

 

 

Spencer Burks
Spencer Burks
Director, Private LTE Program, Lower Colorado River Authority
Dr. Rhiannon Gainor Sanchez, PhD
Dr. Rhiannon Gainor Sanchez, PhD
Director of Data Governance, Lower Colorado River Authority
Rudy Garza
Rudy Garza
President & CEO, CPS Energy

Rudy D. Garza is the President & CEO of CPS Energy, the nation’s largest municipally owned electric and natural gas utility. He is the first Hispanic leader to hold the position. Rudy has more than 25 years of experience as a leader in the utility industry and has served in both the public and private sectors over the course of his career.

To deliver on CPS Energy’s mission to serve our community and in collaboration with his Board of Trustees, Rudy developed a strategic plan called Vision 2027, a roadmap to guide CPS Energy through the rapid transformation of the utility industry. As part of Vision 2027, Rudy and his leadership team increased the capacity of our power generation portfolio by 1,710 megawatts with the acquisition of natural gas plants in South Texas. This milestone acquisition marks CPS Energy’s growing role as a regional energy utility.

Rudy joined CPS Energy in 2012 and previously served as Chief Customer & Stakeholder Engagement Officer and as Senior Vice President of Distribution Service & Operations, where he oversaw the maintenance and construction activity of the electric distribution system. He also served the company in the role of Vice President of External Relations.

Rudy has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Texas. He continues to serve his Austin alma mater as an Engineering Advisory Board member for the Cockrell School of Engineering.

Rudy is dedicated to public service and is actively engaged in his community through multiple board roles, including the Brooks Development Authority, greater: SATX, and the Large Public Power Council. Additionally, he and his wife Emily are Co-Chairs of the 2025 United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County Community Campaign.

David Hattey
David Hattey
Senior Associate Consultant, Lockard & White, Inc.

David Hattey is a seasoned strategic leader with thirty-plus years of successful executive assignments across IT, telecom, wireless, cloud services, and networking companies serving the Utility, Public Service, and Enterprise spaces. He is currently a consultant providing technology and strategy support through Lockard & White. David has held contributing and leadership positions in every area of business while working for companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100. He was awarded BS Electrical Engineering and BS Computer Engineering degrees from the University of Michigan, both Magna Cum Laude, as well as an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business where he was named a Fuqua Scholar. David is a named inventor on 11 US patents.

Brett Kilbourne
Brett Kilbourne
Senior Vice President of Policy and General Counsel, UTC
Michael Klein
Michael Klein
Managing Director, Private Wireless Networks, Bridgewater Consulting Group (BCG)

Michael supports Bridgewater Consulting Group (BCG) as a Managing Director focused on Private Wireless Networks. In this role, he advises utilities as they modernize their communications infrastructure to meet the demands of a more connected, digital grid. 

With over 20 years of experience in the utility sector, Michael spent much of his career at Southern California Edison (SCE), spearheading technology initiatives across critical infrastructure systems. He began his tenure in SCE’s nuclear division, where he supported a major enterprise technology rollout by streamlining key operational processes at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. 

He later transitioned to IT infrastructure, spending more than a decade as the head of SCE’s Wireless Engineering department. There, he led the design and deployment of the utility’s wireless systems that support essential operations such as substation monitoring, grid automation, metering, demand response, air operations, and field crew communications. 

In 2021, Michael took on a leadership role overseeing the launch of SCE’s 5G Field Area Network—an advanced platform designed to support the next generation of grid technologies.  

Outside of work, Michael enjoys spending time with his family—whether watching his daughter perform or caddying for his son on the golf course. 

 

Mike Kopczynski
Mike Kopczynski
Utilities Account Executive leading the Americas, Cisco

Mike Kopczynski is a utilities account executive leading the Americas for Cisco. Mike has over 20 years of experience in the utility industry helping solve challenges across SCADA, distribution automation, AMI and security. He is focused on collaborating with customers to build out their secure, reliable network for enable grid modernization.  

He joined Cisco 13 years ago as a business development manager for the Connected Energy Business Unit. He utilizes Cisco’s IoT portfolio of products, services to deliver relevant solutions tailored to our customer’s line of business. 

Mike holds an MBA from Elon University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

John Pearson
John Pearson
Sales Manager, VIAVI Solutions

John Pearson is a Sales Manager at VIAVI Solutions with over two decades of experience in the telecommunications and network technology industry. He specializes in delivering advanced test and monitoring solutions to utility providers, helping them ensure network reliability, performance, and scalability. Known for his strategic approach and deep industry knowledge, John works closely with clients to address evolving infrastructure demands and implement future-ready solutions.

Eddie Shamp IV
Eddie Shamp IV
Manager of Broadband & Utility, Graybar, Inc.

Eddie Shamp IV is the manager of broadband & utility for Graybar for the Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico markets, leading a team that serves a number of customers, including utilities and electric co-ops in the region.

Eddie has 17 years with Graybar and a diverse background of data center, technology, wireless, and broadband / utility products, solutions, and applications.  A native of Beaumont, TX, Eddie has a passion of helping people and enjoys the unique needs each customer has in metro, suburban, and rural communities, especially when it comes to bridging the digital divide and finding new efficiencies through technology.

Graybar as a company has 280 locations in the US, 155 years in business, with a workforce of 9,400 strong.  Eddie, team, and the rest of Graybar are committed to being a best in class distributor of electrical, communication, wireless, broadband, and utility products, as well as having innovative solutions and services around supply chain and logistics.

Brett Swett
Brett Swett
Technical Sales Engineer, Panduit Corp.
Scott Wales
Scott Wales
Business Development Lead, 4G/5G Wireless Business Line, Burns & McDonnell

Scott Wales is the Business Development lead for Burns & McDonnell’s 4G/5G wireless business line where he is partnering with utilities to help them assess their wireless communication infrastructure and develop a comprehensive communications strategy for the utility of the future. He has more than 30 years of experience in wireless telecommunications systems. Relying on his extensive experience and technical background, he enables his clients to make sound business decisions by providing practical advice on all aspects of projects including total cost of ownership, asset utilization, technology evaluation, throughput for modern utility applications, and long-term operations planning. 

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