Leadership Missouri class learns about Ameren Missouri operations

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 30th Leadership Missouri class recently toured Ameren Missouri's Dorsett Training Facility. The Leadership Missouri program aims to identify current and emerging leaders throughout the state, enhance their leadership skills, and deepen their knowledge of the state’s opportunities and challenges.  

Leadership Missouri participants were provided a tour of Ameren Missouri’s training facility on June 17, where they were given an overview of new smart grid technology and projects intended to strengthen infrastructure and support reliable service for customers. This tour was hosted by Jim Huss, director, operations excellence; Andrea Stecher, manager, project management; and Gaye Suggett, manager, regulatory affairs.

"It is so important to show Missouri leaders what we do to serve our customers," said Suggett. "Electricity is foundational to our way of life, yet many people do not understand how it works; they just expect it to work when they need it. By inviting these leaders to tour one of our facilities, we are able to help them better understand the process of providing safe, reliable and affordable service to our customers. They are able to tour the actual facility, the equipment and the material it takes, and gain a better understanding of how we provide energy to serve them. These leaders then go back to their communities throughout Missouri and help others understand." 

Aubrey Krcmar, regulatory liaison at Ameren Missouri, is among this year's 30 participants and received positive feedback from classmates regarding the tour.

"Despite it being one of the hottest days of the year, my fellow Leadership Missouri classmates appreciated the hospitality received at Dorsett, along with the education provided," said Krcmar. "Several mentioned that they really enjoyed the high-level overview of system distribution during the switchgear systems walk-through; comparing a substation to household terms for those without a working knowledge of electrical distribution made it easy to understand and share with others." 

Since its inception in 1990, Leadership Missouri has helped hundreds of Missourians to become better leaders. The program consists of seven monthly, two-day sessions held in different regions of the state. While traveling to several Missouri communities and networking with the state’s top government, business, and non-profit leaders, participants gain a better understanding of the diverse industries and people that make up Missouri’s economy. The first of seven monthly sessions for the 2021 class kicked off in St. Louis, and participants will travel over the following months to Kansas City, Joplin, Jefferson City, Cape Girardeau, and Chillicothe before concluding in Osage Beach.