Beckham named CEO of Lakeland Electric

LAKELAND, Florida (October 17, 2022) | City Manager Shawn Sherrouse is pleased to announce that Mike Beckham will be CEO of Lakeland Electric, effective Sunday, October 16, 2022. Beckham had served as interim CEO since April 2022, when the former CEO of Lakeland Electric, Joel Ivy, has accepted a position with Lubbock Power. & Light.

Sherrouse said, “For the past several months, Mike has served as interim general manager and we are very pleased to remove the interim from his title and make him the official general manager of Lakeland Electric. He is very familiar with the responsibilities of the position and as a temp he has proven he is more than capable of leading utility into the future. »

Beckham said, “I am very pleased to have been selected as Managing Director of Lakeland Electric. Over the past six months, our team has faced several challenges ranging from high fuel costs to a hurricane. I knew we had a great group, but I understood and appreciated their abilities even more during this time. I appreciate the confidence that city management has shown in me by selecting me for the permanent position, and I am very excited to lead the Lakeland Electric team in the rapidly changing world of electric utilities.

As general manager, Beckham will report directly to the city manager and receive an annual salary of $245,000. Beckham was initially hired on June 8, 2015 as assistant general manager. Beckham holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a Registered Professional Engineer.

Prior to working for Lakeland Electric, Beckham worked at First Energy in Ohio where he served as plant manager. He also served as Director of Consolidated Coal Power Plants for First Energy, where he was responsible for the commercial aspects of over 2,000 megawatts of generation. Beckham has also held executive positions in power generation at Tennessee Valley Authority, Mirant, and Southern Company.

Lakeland Electric is the third largest municipal electric utility in Florida and the 24th in the United States. Lakeland Electric serves 137,000 customers through its transmission and distribution facilities from the utility’s power generation fueled by natural gas, oil and solar power.

Contact

Kevin Cook
Communications Director
Town of Lakeland
863.834.6264
Kevin.Cook@LakelandGov.net

About Lakeland

The city of Lakeland was incorporated in January 1885 and became one of the largest inland communities in Florida. With a current population of over 100,000, Lakeland continues to grow. It has been designated a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area by the US Census Bureau for over 30 years. With tourist attractions and Gulf beaches just an hour’s drive away, Lakeland continues to capitalize on its convenient central Florida location along the I-4 corridor. The city owns and operates Lakeland Electric, Florida’s third largest utility and was one of the first to bring electricity to the Sunshine State more than 115 years ago.

For more information on the City of Lakeland, please visit www.lakelandgov.net. Citizens are also invited to follow the City on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, Snapchat and Nextdoor. Citizens can find the City of Lakeland on these social media platforms by searching lakelandgov.

For more information on the town of Lakeland, please explore LakelandGov.net.
Citizens are also invited to follow the City on social networks.