January 5, 2022
Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill has been named to a three-year term on the American Public Power Association’s Policy Makers Council by its board of directors. APPA serves as the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide, including Starkville Utilities.
“Accessible and affordable public power continues playing an essential role in Starkville’s growth and quality of life,” said Spruill. “I look forward to working with the Policy Makers Council to promote legislation that helps public utilities thrive and ensure that Starkville Utilities and other providers have a voice in issues of national importance.”
The Policy Makers Council comprises 45 members (40 regular members and five officers) who either serve on utility boards or are elected officials in public power communities. Four members are appointed to the council from each of the 10 geographic regions recognized by APPA.
Spruill represents the East South Central Region encompassing Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. In addition to advocating for beneficial legislation, council members provide advice on key issues for APPA, which advocates and advises on electricity policy, technology, trends, training and operations.
“The APPA supports Starkville Utilities’ mission by providing resources that help us better serve our customers and prepare for the future,” said Terry Kemp, general manager of Starkville Utilities. “Through her service on the Policy Makers Council, Mayor Spruill will ensure that APPA stays engaged with its members and stakeholders and makes decisions that are in our communities’ best interests.”
Council members meet at least twice a year and participate in meetings with elected representatives and congressional staff to advocate for APPA’s national legislative agenda. The association represents public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the over 49 million customers that public power utilities serve and the 93,000 people they employ.
Spruill was elected mayor of Starkville in 2017 after serving as the city’s chief administrative officer from 2005 to 2013. One of her primary focus areas has been improving Starkville’s public utility services.
Under her leadership, Starkville Utilities launched a $25 million, five-year capital improvement plan to replace aging portions of the city’s water and sewer services and update critical components at its wastewater treatment plant. The forward-thinking approach to modernize utility services earned statewide recognition from the Mississippi Municipal League in 2021.
Spruill’s awards and honors for public service include Mississippi Main Street Hero 2021, Starkville Main Street 2020 Steve Langston Downtown Revitalization Award and 50 Top Business Women in Mississippi (2005).
“For decades, APPA has been an active partner with Starkville Utilities and provided services that have benefited our customers,” Kemp said. “We’re fortunate to have Mayor Spruill on the Public Policy Council and know that she will be an effective advocate for public utilities throughout our state and region.”
Starkville Utilities is a municipally owned and operated electric and water utility, serving more than 14,000 residences, businesses and industries in Starkville as well as the state’s largest institution of higher learning, Mississippi State University.