Vice President, Human Resources & Chief Diversity Officer
Mike Strohl
Senior Vice President, Chief Customer Officer
John Lucas
Vice President, Information Technology
Curtis Popp
Vice President, Customer Operations
COMPANY VISION:
Enhance the well-being of our customers, communities, and employees by providing unparalleled service now and for generations to come.
COMPANY MISSION:
We fulfill the Promise of the Trust to provide essential utility services for our customers and communities, maintain the lowest possible rates with sound financial management, and create the greatest long-term benefit through a unique business structure.
ENGAUGE
Engauge is published by Citizens Energy Group, Corporate and Public Affairs Department, under the direction of Shannon Stahley, Director of Corporate and Public Affairs. It is distributed to the company’s employees and retirees, and to other interested parties upon request. The Corporate and Public Affairs Department welcomes any ideas, comments, or suggestions from readers on how this publication might better serve you. Please email the Corporate and Public Affairs Department at alowe@citizensenergygroup.com or call 317.927.4336.
Editor: Adam Lowe
Contributors:
Ben Easley
Alex Haberfield
Susan Harris
Terri Zaichek
Graphic Arts:
Joel Bustamante
Wayne Stohs
Citizens Employees Serve at Horseshoe Helpings
Thirty Citizens Energy Group employees visited Lucas Oil Stadium on November 26 to serve meals to thousands of families in need. Ande Sadtler with the Indianapolis Colts shared “On behalf of the Colts Community Impact team, I wanted to send a very big thank you to every single person who contributed to making this event a success yesterday! We were able to serve over 2,000 families, and leftover meals are still being distributed.”
Horseshoe Helpings is hosted annually by the Indianapolis Colts, US Foods, Citizens Energy Group, Hensley Legal Group, Lucas Oil Products, Meijer, and UPS to provide Thanksgiving dinners to families. Colts players, cheerleaders, and local volunteers help pack and distribute food through both drive-thru and walk-up stations at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“Horseshoe Helpings’ Thanksgiving event is one of my favorite giving-back opportunities and a wonderful start to the holiday season,” said Dear SchrammSatayathum, Senior Legal Counsel. “With life getting in the way, Horseshoe Helpings is a great equalizer for me to stop, think about our community needs, and take action to continually help others. It never ceases to amaze me how much our local businesses contribute to Indianapolis and surrounding communities. Plus, it’s a great way to spend time with my fellow Citizens peeps who I do not normally get to see.”
Volunteering with Citizens extends far beyond the holiday season, with dozens of opportunities available year-round. Citizens employees can volunteer at sponsored events like Horseshoe Helpings, at community events like Sharing the Dream, or at community organizations of their choice. Employees are invited to visit the Citizens for Good Volunteer Portal on iTrust to learn about the wide variety of opportunities available.
More than 200 Citizens employees worked tirelessly January 15, 16, and 17 at Municipal Gardens to update the facility, honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event marked Citizens 17th annual service project celebrating Dr. King’s legacy.
COOLING CONNECTIONS
How NIFS and Citizens Partnered for Efficiency and Sustainability
The National Institute for Fitness and Sport, popularly known as NIFS, is a 65,000-square-foot fitness center and the home of the IU Indianapolis athletics department. Originally opened in 1988, all 18 of IU Indianapolis’ teams train at the facility, and it hosts a membership of more than 3,000 Central Indiana residents pursuing their fitness and wellness goals. From NIFS: “The National Institute for Fitness and Sport is dedicated to enhancing human health, physical fitness, and athletic performance through research, education, and service for people of all ages and abilities. The NIFS mission is carried out through a variety of departments, including Athletic Performance, Corporate and Senior Fitness Management Services, Educational Services, and our public Fitness Center located in downtown Indianapolis.”
NIFS has been a Thermal customer since it opened, using CItizens steam services. But because the building was constructed prior to Citizens district cooling system (i.e. chilled water) being available, it was cooled using its own chillers. More than 35 years later, with that system nearing the end of its life, the IU Indianapolis team reached out to Citizens to inquire about the possibility of connecting the NIFS building to Citizens district cooling system. The Market Development team, in collaboration with Thermal’s engineering team, worked with IU Indianapolis' facilities team to negotiate an agreement to run roughly 600 trench-feet of 6-inch ductile iron supply and return lines to get chilled water service to the building.
This type of installation job has typically been bid out to contractors, but for this work, a crew from Citizens Water Production & Distribution division—temporarily between projects—was utilized to perform the installation. This allowed Thermal to leverage the availability of internal skills and equipment, provided an opportunity for a Water division crew to learn about chilled water system piping and communications, and maximized the efficient use of Citizens resources. Collaboration of this type makes sense for more than just Citizens. For NIFS, it means the ability to continue cooling their building without incurring major capital replacement costs, eliminate ongoing equipment maintenance costs, reduce the load on IU Indianapolis’ internal electrical grid, and even free up space and reduce noise in high-traffic areas of the facility.
A special thanks to the team that led the installation of this project: Jim Allen, Distribution Maintenance Manager for Water Production & Distribution; Phillip Searcy, Engineer IV, Steam; Doug Sponsel, Distribution Supervisor C&M, Water Production & Distribution; Chris Brumfield, Construction Specialist IV, Capital Programs & Engineering; as well as the Water Production & Distribution crew of Randy Scott, Crew Leader Construction; Eric Scott, Machine Operator Excavator; David Marion, Hauler; Truman Hardiman, Hauler; and Chris Hunter, Machine Operator Loader.
with Municipal Gardens Family Center
Citizens Energy Group, supported by partnering vendors and powered by more than 200 employees, worked to renovate, clean, and organize Municipal Gardens Family Center on January 15, 16, and 17 as part of Citizens 17th annual Sharing the Dream project. Sharing the Dream is a multi-day community service project that gives Citizens employees a chance to serve Central Indiana and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 2025, the event was expanded to span the course of three days.
“Citizens has always been organized as a Public Charitable Trust, expressly focused on benefit for our customers and the community we serve,” remarked Jeffrey Harrison, President & CEO. “That means we think of everyone in our service area as being beneficiaries of our company, and this ethos is very similar to the idea of public parks, which exist to serve everyone.”
“When employees come to work for Citizens, they can count on a culture of giving back—we talk about this openly in our job listings and our interview processes. That’s because we want to be known as an employer of choice, focused on the whole of the community and the whole of our individual employees. We want our work providing critical utility services to be understood as part of the larger effort to connect with neighborhoods and partners in earnest service to the Central Indiana community.”
Employee volunteers collectively donated hundreds of hours of their time during the three-day event, and Citizens and roughly 30 partners contributed $450,000, either monetarily or in-kind, to upgrade the facility’s buildings and equipment.
The family center upgrades involved extensive renovations and enhancements, including in the lobby, hallways, stairs, elevators, gym, concession stand, locker rooms, offices, storage areas, fitness center, restrooms, pantry kitchen and ballroom. Specific work included cleaning and painting all spaces; scoping, cleaning, and repairing all sewer lines leaving the building; servicing all HVAC equipment; organizing major storage areas; servicing all doors and locks; servicing all water faucets and flush valves; replacing light fixtures; installing new room signage; and adding more internal and external security cameras.
QUALITY COMPLETES 6S PROJECTS
Part of the Sharing the Dream improvements consisted of several 6S projects completed by the Quality team, including Tim Gerardot (team lead), Staci Turner, Erin O’Leary, and Susan Harris, assisted by Shannon Frederick and Kenya McMillin of Corporate and Public Affairs. Municipal Gardens had multiple rooms containing office supplies, cleaning supplies, sports equipment, games, and uniforms all mixed together. The team cleaned, sorted, and labeled these as part of the 6S process (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain, Safety). They also made proper use of designated storage areas in the art room, director’s office, facility room, game room, kitchen closet, and office. Trophies were organized, and uniforms were sorted, folded, and labeled for teams to enjoy. The facility now has clean and orderly storage that makes the most of the available space. Take a look at these before and after shots!
“We commend the employees of Citizens Energy Group and their partners for rolling up their sleeves and leveraging their skills to revitalize important spaces like those within the Indy Parks system” — MAYOR JOE HOGSETT.
MUNICIPAL GARDENS: HISTORY ON THE WATER
Situated along the White River, the site began in the early 1900s as the Indianapolis Canoe Club for Indy’s upper class. In 1920, it became the Casino Gardens Jazz Club, and later, a private canoe and yacht club, dance hall, and music venue. Notable performers included jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke and Hoosier musician Hoagy Carmichael. In 1958, Municipal Gardens established a youth basketball program that would go on to win nine national championships and has produced NBA greats including Eric Gordon and George Hill.
The Indiana Album: Evan Finch Collection
“We commend the employees of Citizens Energy Group and their partners for rolling up their sleeves and leveraging their skills to revitalize important spaces like those within the Indy Parks system,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Municipal Gardens is a beloved space for the Indianapolis community on the northwest side, and these improvements mean it can keep shining for years to come.”
ABOUT SHARING THE DREAM
Sharing the Dream is an annual service project to honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Including 2025, its 17th year of the program, Citizens and its partners have donated more than $4.25 million for improvements to various Indy Parks facilities, including Watkins Park Family Center; Frederick Douglass Park Family Center, golf course clubhouse, and pool house; Brookside Park Family Center; Martin Luther King, Jr. Park pool and bathhouse; Pride Park Community Center; Municipal Gardens (in 2011); Eagle Creek Hide-A-Way; Perry Park’s Ice Arena; Thatcher Park; Krannert Park; Garfield Park; Riverside Park; Ellenberger Park; and—most recently in 2024—Stanley Strader Park.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO THIS YEAR’S
PARTNERS
Citizens Energy Group thanks its many partners for their efforts to make Sharing the Dream a successful event, especially The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis, Mitsch Design, Peine Engineering, and Powers & Sons Construction Company. Other partners include: AAA Roofing; A.G. Maas; All Star Garage Door; Bowen Engineering; Brush Piano Service; Chisholm Lumber & Millwork; Commercial Trade Source, Inc.; Connor Fine Painting; CVR; Denney Companies; Energy Plus Credit Union; Grainger; Greene’s Auto & Truck Service; Indiana Reclamation Excavating; Indy Soft Water; MacAllister Machinery & Rentals; McGath Concrete; Mainscape, Inc.; Martin Restoration; Miller Pipeline; Mitsch Design; Mohawk Group; Peine Engineering; Penhall Company; Powers & Sons Construction Company; Protection Plus; Pulse Electric; Refined Restoration; Solace Risk Management; SSI Services; Superior Carpet Installers; Tayco Office Furnishings; and Wagner Signs.
CITIZENS FOR GOOD: VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Our volunteer spotlight is a chance to meet a Citizens Energy Group employee who is making a big impact in the community outside of their job. Citizens employees are encouraged to volunteer at Citizens-sponsored events, or at community organizations of their choice.
Meet Ben Easley, Corporate and Public Affairs Coordinator
Ben Easley has served as the Corporate and Public Affairs Coordinator for Citizens since January 2023. Prior to joining Citizens, Ben worked for the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW), where he most recently served as Chief Communications Officer. In addition to working for Indy DPW, Ben also has worked for the Indiana Association of Cities & Towns and as a freelance graphic designer. Ben has leveraged his experience adjacent to the transportation industry and in public service to help develop Southside United for Indianapolis Trails (SUIT).
Tell us a little about your role within the organization.
I work within the Corporate & Public Affairs team at Citizens, focused mostly on external communications. My day-to-day work includes preparing key messages and press releases regarding different programs within the Trust; answering questions from news media; and organizing other communications that support our strategic plans. It’s a lot of writing! Why is it important to you to volunteer?
Volunteerism is a way to stay in touch with one’s community. It exposes us to many different viewpoints, and it forces us into—potentially—uncomfortable but ultimately enriching experiences with our neighbors. We’re stronger as a society when we build strong ties to each other. Tell us about Southside United for Indianapolis Trails (SUIT) and how it started.
I worked to set up Southside United for Indianapolis Trails (SUIT) this past year, after conversations with multiple key folks who I knew could help formalize our coalition. Since my time working for the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, I’ve noted how sparse trail and greenway coverage is on the Southside of Indianapolis. And I’m also interested in how infrastructure projects get funded and built— particularly those like greenways or pedestrian projects which are often less likely to receive funding. It’s a complex process that takes all types of creative solutions—creative budgeting, creative grant writing, creative advocacy, creative partnerships. I perceived that the Southside needed a centralized team of neighbors focused on finding those solutions for our side of town.
What has been your most rewarding experience starting SUIT?
Even just getting SUIT off the ground in the past year has been very exciting, and I’m continually grateful for the speakers we’re able to attract to our monthly meetings to talk about their work on the Indianapolis trail system. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the reaction to our group’s creation—organizations like the Central Indiana Community Foundation as well as neighbors from all over the Southside have expressed interest and showed up to participate.
Why do you feel volunteerism is important at Citizens Energy Group?
Similar to my feelings about volunteerism generally, engaging with the community while wearing my Citizens hat adds a lot of important perspective to my daily work. And it allows me to get to know coworkers I otherwise may not have met—That’s invaluable! You’ve volunteered for Citizens-sponsored events. What has been your favorite?
Doing anything for Alex Haberfield, our Public Outreach Coordinator, on the H2O to Go water wagon is a blast. People get a big kick out of it.
Southside United for Indianapolis Trails is working to lift the quality of life across the Southside of Indianapolis through the realization of a broad network of trails and pedestrian infrastructure, safely connecting non-motorists to places of importance in area neighborhoods. This group of neighbors provides support for the local transportation agencies who can implement critical trail and pedestrian infrastructure; they are also actively involved in public engagement at community meetings; grant writing and fundraising; data collection; the implementation of tactical urbanism projects; advocacy to elected officials; and generally telling the story of what the Southside can be with greater pedestrian connectivity. SUIT needs more representation from local neighborhoods across the Southside of Indianapolis (self-defined as Marion County, south of Raymond Street). Soon, volunteers will be needed to coordinate engagement meetings regarding the rollout of Indy’s 2025 Greenways Plan update—to make sure representative feedback is captured for the Southside. If you have a passion for the Southside and a bent toward grant writing, fundraising, project implementation, data collection, community engagement, advocacy or communications, there are opportunities for you.
Employees Enjoy Citizens Days at Eiteljorg
Fishing Tournament Proceeds Presented to Riley Hospital
In October, participants from Citizens Energy Group’s semi-annual fishing tournaments presented a check for $1,000 to Riley Hospital for Children. Each year, employees host two bass fishing tournaments–one in the spring, one in the fall–and half of the overall proceeds are donated to Riley Hospital.
The fishing tournament is a tradition harkening to 1985 and the days of Indianapolis Water. When Citizens purchased the utility, Larry Cox, Kevin Crossley, and Bob Streib had a conversation with company leadership about maintaining the tournaments, and the rest is history. Citizens purchases trophies and covers ramp fees for each event, and Riley Hospital for Children was chosen as the beneficiary of proceeds from the events.
The Spring 2025 tournament will be held Saturday, April 19 at West Boggs Lake. Tournament fees of $60 per boat are due no later than April 17. For more information, contact Larry Cox at 317.445.6279, Chris Barron at 317.750.5019 or Douglas Buffington at 812.583.5439.
Employees were invited to cap off 2024 with a free visit to the Eiteljorg Museum of Native and Western Art during Citizens Employee Days on December 28 and 29. Employees and guests enjoyed free admission and museum store discounts, with access to all of the museum’s exhibits, including the popular Jingle Rails and the new Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight exhibit, sponsored by Citizens.
Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight features works from internationally acclaimed artist Preston Singletary (Tlingit American, born 1963). It tells the story of Raven, who in Tlingit culture transformed the world— bringing light to people via the stars, moon, and sun. Citizens sponsors The Nass River portion of the exhibit.
This portion represents a key moment in the Tlingit story of Raven’s transformative journey. In this segment, Raven arrives at the Nass River, where he cleverly transforms himself into a hemlock needle and floats into the water supply of the Keeper of the Box of Daylight’s daughter. She unknowingly drinks the needle, becomes pregnant, and gives birth to Raven in human form. This moment is significant because it sets the stage for Raven’s access to the Keeper’s sacred boxes containing the sun, moon, and stars. Visitors are transported to this lush, mythological landscape through Singletary’s stunning glass installations. The river comes to life through intricate designs that reflect Tlingit art and storytelling traditions, grounding the narrative in the natural world while celebrating the connection between myth, family, and the power of creation.
The powerful exhibit runs through March 9, 2025.
Citizens Will Expand Water Supply Infrastructure to Provide Service to Lebanon Utilities
In December 2024, Citizens Energy Group finalized a financing agreement to provide up to 25 million gallons of water per day (MGD) through a wholesale agreement with Lebanon Utilities in Boone County. For some time now, news media and members of the community have closely followed the plans for the 9,000-acre LEAP Research and Innovation District, also in Boone County. Since 2022, Citizens has collaborated with numerous stakeholders including Lebanon Utilities regarding the possibility of Citizens providing additional water supply to support regional growth. Citizens already serves portions of Boone County, providing retail water service to Zionsville and wholesale water service to Whitestown, and this new partnership was a natural fit for many reasons.
With the financing agreement in place, Citizens is proceeding with construction planning to bring our water treatment capacity up to nearly 300 million gallons per day. To accomplish this, Citizens will build out two of our current surface water treatment plants, extend our water mains to connect with the City of Lebanon, upgrade several booster stations, and add water storage tanks. Throughout the process, Citizens has been committed to protecting customers from bearing any costs associated with the program. The finalized financial agreement provides that Citizens customers will not be responsible for the debt service related to this program. In other words, Citizens customers will not pay for the infrastructure upgrades required to serve Lebanon Utilities.
Citizens President & CEO Jeffrey Harrison said, “From day one, Citizens has had two main priorities. One—Citizens customers will not be impacted by the cost of the Citizens-Lebanon Water Supply Program; and two—the Central Indiana region will continue to be well positioned in terms of water supply because of this work, both now and for the future. And we’re excited to have created a program with Lebanon that fulfills both priorities.”
Learn more about the Citizens-Lebanon Water Supply Program, including what is FACT and what is FALSE.
FALSE: Citizens is selling water directly to the LEAP Research and Innovation District.
FACT: Citizens will provide up to 25 million gallons per day to Lebanon Utilities through a wholesale water service agreement. Lebanon Utilities will join other wholesale communities served by Citizens in Central Indiana—including neighboring Whitestown. Lebanon Utilities will then administer water service to their retail customers.
FALSE: Citizens customers will be fully or partially on the hook for the costs associated with construction work.
FACT: In coordination with the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA), the expansion of Citizens current water production and distribution infrastructure will be funded through loans from the Indiana Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Citizens customers will not be responsible for the debt service related to this program.
FALSE: The expansion of Citizens water facilities may negatively impact water supply to current Central Indiana customers.
FACT: Regional water supply is one of our highest priorities; Citizens studies this topic very closely. Annually, Citizens reviews and updates our strategic water resource plan summary to project how much water Central Indiana will need in normal and drought conditions within a rolling 50-year outlook into the future. And we’ve pioneered the process of partnering with surrounding communities in a “regional collaborative” model to examine our common water needs in Central Indiana. That said, we are confident in the availability of our water sources—both surface water and groundwater—to provide for customers now and in the future, in all kinds of weather conditions.
WATER SUPPLY TIMELINE
YEAR 1
2 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY
2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5 YEAR 6 10 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY 25 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY
Construction is forecasted to last approximately six years, with interim water-delivery milestones along the way.
CITIZENS - LEBANON WATER SUPPLY PROGRAM
DID YOU KNOW?
Over the past 10 years, we have added more than 3 billion gallons of water storage capacity, 50+ million gallons daily (MGD) of water supply, and 100+ MGD of water transfer capacity. This process has enabled Citizens to design and maintain a robust regional water system that can provide water to communities in Central Indiana that are limited in water resources, allowing the communities to thrive and grow.
One example of this added capacity is Citizens Reservoir, a creative re-use of a former limestone quarry which became operational in late 2020. Citizens Reservoir is deep enough to hold approximately half of the water of the entire Geist Reservoir at a fraction of the surface footprint. We have a great video recapping the substantial project on our YouTube channel. Check it out!
Within Central Indiana, Citizens provides retail water service to more than 350,000 retail customers and wholesale water service to nearly ten different communities. The City of Lebanon will be the newest wholesale community.
Our water system is unique when compared to other water systems in Indiana in that most of our water comes from surface water sources instead of groundwater. The robust Citizens water system is composed of 10 treatment plants along with water resources including the White River; Fall Creek; four reservoirs (Eagle Creek, Geist, Citizens, and Morse); and groundwater wells. Want to stay up to date on the program? Citizens will routinely update information at: info.citizensenergygroup.com/CLWS.
To increase its treatment capacity to nearly 300 MGD, Citizens will expand two of our surface water treatment plants, extend water mains to connect with the City of Lebanon, upgrade several booster stations, and add water storage tanks.
Q&A Meet Wayne Stohs, Graphic and Multimedia Designer
Wayne Stohs joined Citizens Energy Group in March 2022 as a Graphic and Multimedia Designer. Before joining Citizens, Wayne worked as Graphic Designer and Print Shop Manager for PrintWorksIndiana, where he conducted a complete brand redesign and developed digital and print media, including website and social media graphics, logos, T-shirts, brochures, banners, business cards, and floor and vehicle graphics. He also has served in graphic design roles for UniFirst and Paxton Media Group.
1. What attracted you to Citizens?
I was drawn to Citizens because of its unique structure as a Public Charitable Trust. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself; I wanted to work at a place where I could add value and feel good about working—a place that contributed to the success of the community it served. Citizens checked all those boxes.
2. Tell us about your team/department, and what you are responsible for at Citizens.
I work with a fantastic team in Corporate and Public Affairs as a Graphic and Multimedia Designer. I assist with developing, implementing, and advancing Citizens creative strategy and branding across the Trust. I create designs for various communications platforms, including printed materials, digital signage, social media, and PowerPoint presentations. I am also responsible for taking headshots, event photography, and some videography. This year, I transitioned into the CLASS Ambassador role in the department, where I will work with Quality to achieve the department’s Continuous Improvement goals.
3. What do you enjoy about your job?
I’m extremely fortunate to do what I love. I enjoy creative problemsolving and being a visual storyteller. There is something incredibly satisfying to me about capturing a photo or video that tells the story of an event or being able to turn written copy into an engaging design that captures someone’s attention and that they want to read. Working with others from all over the Trust and learning about what they do is one of the joys I find in my job. I take pride in being a guardian of the Citizens brand, protecting it by ensuring it is used appropriately, and developing content for internal and external customers in new and exciting ways. Being a part of creative solutions and seeing the impact on others is one of the most fulfilling parts of my job.
4. What do you appreciate about working at Citizens?
I appreciate the culture at Citizens. I’ve worked in several places over the years, but never somewhere where I instantly felt a sense of belonging and where I felt connected and valued. I also appreciate the opportunities at Citizens. I was recently on a Strategic Pillar Team for Performance Excellence. It was a great experience working with individuals from across the Trust. I got to hear perspectives from different business units that helped me connect the dots of the organization. The team brainstormed, created a SWOT analysis and SMART goals, and generated actionable plans that could best support the strategic objectives of Citizens. This experience broadened my understanding of the company and allowed me to contribute to its success. Ultimately, I was one of several people responsible for presenting our findings to the officers.
5. How do you spend your time outside of work?
Outside of work, my days usually involve trying to keep up with my two little boys or spending time with my family. When not doing that, I volunteer at my church and help coach my son’s basketball team. I also enjoy reading, photography, being in nature, and traveling to any warm place where I can get sunshine on my face and dig my toes into some sugary, soft sand.
Benefits Corner
We are thrilled to introduce our new leave request process! Employees can now easily take control of their leave requests by logging into self-service and submitting their request at any time—day or night, 24/7.
Here’s how it works:
• Log into self-service and select FMLA Absence Management.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
• Submit a leave request.
• Once a leave request is submitted, eligible employees will receive the necessary paperwork within minutes.
• If the employee is not eligible for FMLA, they will be directed to HR to explore alternative leave options.
This new program is designed to make the leave request process quicker and more efficient, taking just minutes to complete. We’re confident this enhancement will streamline the experience for everyone.
If you have any questions about the new process, please reach out to Rachel Hubble at citizensleaverequests@citizensenergygroup.com.
STAY UP TO DATE
Employees and spouses can stay up to date on benefit changes, deadlines and more with Citizens Connect. Scan the QR code to create your own account. Go to settings to add your phone number or email address to get started.
Lively – Key Dates for HSA Bulk Transfer Process
If you plan to participate in the HSA bulk transfer process from Chard Snyder to Lively, see the key dates below. As a reminder, you will need to authorize the transfer on your Lively dashboard by the deadline. Please refer to the HSA & FSA Transition Guide that was mailed to your home or access it from the Human Resources iTrust page for more information.
KEY DATES FOR THE HSA BULK TRANSFER PROCESS
• February 21 – Deadline to Authorize Bulk Transfer from Chard Snyder
• February 28 – Deadline to use Chard Snyder Debit Card
• March 1 – Chard Snyder Blackout Period Begins
• March 27 – Chard Snyder HSA Accounts Closed
• March 31 – Chard Snyder Blackout Period Ends
• April 1 – Bulk Transfer Complete. Chard Snyder Funds Available at Lively.
Need help? Call Lively Customer Support at 1-888-576-4837 or email them at support@livelyme.com.
Quality Corner
CLASS Belt Certifications
YELLOW BELT
Citizens Gas Gas Cost Adjustment 40-day Analysis
• Project Leader: David Wade (Regulatory Affairs)
• Team Members: John Lamb, Carly Senak, Sadetina Waddles
• In the wake of new guidelines from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), David’s project evaluated the current process of Gas Cost Adjustment (GCA) filings; this work would determine the range of movement in the market price of gas between the initial GCA filing and the potential updated supplemental filing date (a date 20 days later where Regulatory would not need to file and be relatively certain that the Monthly Price Updates would not be capped).
• Benefits: A standard analysis and a threshold to determine if a supplemental filing is necessary. After looking at the NYMEX pricing for GCA 164 supplemental filing, it was determined that the change was less than the trigger of $1; this thereby saved Regulatory Affairs approximately five hours each to prepare, review and QA/QC—as well as six hours to prepare the physical copies and deliver them to the IURC.
ADVANCED YELLOW BELT
Water/Wastewater Operator License CEUs
• Project Leader: Scott Griffith (Health, Safety & Security)
• Scott’s project developed a method for employees who have a Drinking Water Operator Certification and/or Wastewaster Operator Certification to obtain the necessary general credit CEUs (Continuing Education Units) required to get their license renewed every three years. In December 2023, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) approved nine safety training videos housed in Citizens CSA. A licensed Water or Wastewater Operator can access the training to obtain the necessary general credit CEUs.
• Benefits: Each CEU typically costs appoximately $20/credit. This new opportunity gives each employee who needs the CEUs the ability to obtain nine general credit hours toward the required 30 total CEUs.
Recently Completed Just Do It Projects
Just Do It projects are a great way to continuously improve something where the solution is already known. This doesn’t mean it necessarily has to be a quick or simple project, it just doesn’t go through the DMAIC process. Just Do It projects can make a big impact in efficiency and savings. All completed Just Do It projects can be found on Quality’s CI Activities and Completed Projects page.
• White River Operator Training – Doug Payton (Water Production)
• Reduce Off-Hour Call-Ins for Warehouse – Don Roach (Wastewater Operations)
FY25 STIP Metrics and Levels of Quality
The FY25 STIP metric for Performance Excellence consists of the CLASS Project Points (Just Do It projects = 1 point and CLASS Belt projects = 2 points). For FY25, the Threshold and Target levels remain unchanged from FY24 at 80 and 90 project points, respectively. The Outstanding level has increased to 105 project points.
Each year the criteria for the Levels of Quality are modified as the organization matures in its skills with Continuous Improvement (CI). This year, the Levels of Quality goals are structured to support success for the FY25 STIP metric for CLASS Project Points along with other CI Activities. The Levels of Quality, or “Stars” are the following for FY25:
• Trust achieves the STIP Metric Target of 90 CLASS Project Points
• Department leadership conduct an initial CI planning session with Quality to establish a CI Action Plan by December 20, 2024 with a mid-year check-in in calendar year 2025.
• CLASS Projects (2 stars available, 2 points/per star)
◦ Just Do It (JDI) = 1 point
◦ Belt Project = 2 points
• The remaining 2 stars can be earned with any combination of points from the below activities (2 points/per star):
◦ CLASS Belt Sponsor Training = 1 point
◦ CLASS Belt Project Team Participation = 0.5 point
◦ Idea Generation = 1 point
◦ After Action Reviews = 0.5 point
◦ Just Do It project = 1 point
◦ CLASS Belt project (Yellow Belt, AYB, GB, BB) = 2 points
Details supporting these criteria can be found in the LoQ Quick Reference Guide on Quality’s iTrust site or by reaching out to a member of Quality or your CLASS Ambassador.
Scott Griffith
Joe Sutherland and David Wade
SERVICE AWARDS
January
February
Veronica Luvene
Abigail Kirsch
J.P. Ghio
Kyle Hall
Danny
Corbin Knight
Gregory
Curtis
Michael Bartone
2020 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
In Memoriam
We are saddened to report the recent passing of one retiree. Lowell Gladish on January 14, 2025. Lowell retired on April 1, 1991, after 30 years of service.
