Bud Para Elected President-Elect of FMEA Board of Directors

2013-08-01

Jacksonville, FL - Members of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) have elected Bud Para, chief public affairs officer for JEA, as president-elect of the organization’s board of directors. 

“Board members participate in regular meetings held across the state and are charged with setting the overall direction of the organization,” said Barry Moline, FMEA’s executive director. “Bud has established himself as a strong leader on utility issues not only in Jacksonville, but throughout the state of Florida. We’re honored to have him serve as our president-elect.” 

“I am honored to be chosen to serve as president-elect of FMEA’s board,” said Para. “This organization is helping our state’s electric industry stay at the forefront of the nation by keeping its members informed on legislative issues and providing safety, training and customer service resources.” 

He added, “Vince Lombardi once said, ‘Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.’ FMEA has brought together utilities from across the state and that group effort is assuring that our work remains focused on the consumer.” 

Para has been with JEA for more than 30 years. He represents JEA on the American Public Power Association’s Legislative and Resolutions Committee, and the Large Public Power Council, where he chairs the government relations task force. He is a registered professional engineer in Florida and earned his Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Florida. 

Other officers appointed to the FMEA board include President Barbara Quiñones of Homestead; Vice President Mike New of Alachua; and Secretary-Treasurer Nona Jones of Gainesville. 

The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) represents the unified interests of 34 public power communities across the state, which provides electricity to more than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business consumers. 

JEA is the seventh-largest community-owned electric utility in the United States and one of the largest water and sewer utilities in the nation providing electric, water and sewer service to residents and businesses in northeast Florida.

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• board
• corporate
• electric