Garland, Texas -- The wall message board on the right as you enter Glen Smith's office offers significant messages.
First, there is a list of priority customers he feels he must contact as soon as possible. Second, he has indicated the appointments he scheduled for his initial week on the job at Garland Power & Light as Key Accounts Manager. Finally, there are special notations such as his interview and other meetings.
It is obvious from the bulletin board that Glen Smith, who assumed his new position June 1st, has hit the ground running. He has identified the primary industrial customers of GP&L and his plans call for meeting all 20-plus as quickly as possible.
"My primary function is to work closely with the industrial customers," he points out. "My first week I met with seven of the 10 largest users of our electrical power. My agenda is to see all of these major accounts. My description could be industrial community relations."
Smith will address any problems or needs of these electric power users. He considers himself as their "point of contact...for any outages, service, upgrades."
One of his most urgent projects is to assist the Garland Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership in working with future industrial clients. "I want to work with their plant managers, energy director or head of the company...anyone connected with electric facilities," he stresses.
Smith brings vast experience in this area, having spent seven years in Greenville in a similar capacity. Actually, Smith covered a variety of responsibilities in Greenville as consumer service manager for the electric utility system.
"Actually," he explains, "my responsibilities spread over many areas. Originally, I was head of public information materials for the Greenville Electric Utility. I assisted the utility general manager and was called upon for industrial relations, represented the utility in TMPA ( Texas Municipal Power Agency) matters and supervised utility consumer services.
Greenville is Smith's hometown. His family left there when Smith was 10, and he graduated from Farmerville, LA high school. He entered the US. Navy, was assigned to the Naval Security Group, serving 12 years on assignments from California to Washington to Panama and Scotland. "I worked on every carrier in the Pacific," he recalls, "and became an expert in high frequency direction finding. My last assignment was as naval instructor of communications."
After his discharge in 1982, Smith became a cameraman for KVCT-TV Channel 19 in Victoria, TX. During his six years in TV, he progressed from cameraman to reporter to news anchor to news director. Smith points with pride to plaques which his news team earned:
- 1985 United Press International Broadcaster of Texas
- 1987 Texas Mental Health Association Media Award
Smith decided to abandon his TV work to run for the state legislature. When he lost the election, Smith left Victoria for Waco to become director of public relations for Paul Quinn College. The school moved to Dallas in 1991, where Smith spent much of his time working with the Dallas media and large corporations, from whom he sought contributions for the school.
Three years later, he returned to Greenville when the city created a position for him in the newly-formed electric utility system. Although he wore several hats in Greenville, his assignments placed him in contact with many Garland officials through the Texas Public Power association - Bill Dollar, Jim Harder, Joe Espinosa in particular. He was brought to Garland as key accounts manager.
Smith comments firmly, "I am clear about my mission here and how to get there. I must provide communication between other departments and our large customers. We must address their needs and maintenance agreements. My job is to make it easier to facilitate electric service to meet those needs."
Meanwhile, he has lost no time in launching his mission. As noted earlier, he has met with seven of the top 10 electric customers and has more on his appointment list. "My objective is to meet the top 20 in the first month," he says, adding, "the initial contact is to get feedback on our services and build on that information." Smith reports directly to Art Martinez, who is assistant director of electric utility.
The silver-haired Smith lives on a 20-acre plot in Greenville with his wife, Deborah (Debi), with whom he has four children and three grandchildren. Two daughters live in Bellingham, WA, and two others, Lisa 23, who works at Southwestern Bell in Greenville, and Will 19, who attends Texas State Technical Institute in Waco. His hobby is raising his seven paint horses.
He laughs and confesses that "we have three dogs, a parrot and several gold fish. I guess you could call our place another Green Acres." One of the paints is a quarter horse and four are APHA competitors which he shows at halter shows. They have competed in the Fort Worth American Paint Horse Association world event in Fort Worth.
Relax?? of course, he takes time to ease the pressure of business by picking on one of his four guitars. "I pluck a guitar while I sit on the back porch and watch the sun go down."
