Utility Management & Conservation Association (UMCA) holds very successful Annual Meeting

March 18, 2009 - PRLog -- The UMCA (formerly NSUAA) held its first annual meeting after revising its charter and mission, in Austin, Texas on March 4, 2009.  Twenty-four industry leaders attended representing fourteen Multi-Family Utility Submetering, Billing and Meter/AMR Manufacturers that serve the US Multi-Family Industry.  

Additionally, the meeting hosted special guests from the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs and the Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ). Patricia Murphy, Director of Portfolio Management for the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs provided an in-depth and up-to-date briefing and discussion on the controversial issues regarding recent changes to IRS Section 42 regulations relative to utility submetering and billing in tax credit low-income housing.  TCEQ staff was in attendance and appreciated the UMCA’s focus on compliance and desire to work together going forward.  

Service providers and equipment manufacturers in attendance included:  ATI Energy, Elster/AMCO, Energy Billing Systems, Inovonics, Integrated Metering Systems, Master Meter, MeterLogix, Minol, National Exemption Service, Norgas, Sensus Metering Systems, Sierra Utility Billing, Vertex Business Services and Wellspring Wireless.

Falise Platt, whose credentials and reputation are well known throughout the Multi-Family Industry for her outstanding leadership in the ancillary utility programs with direct experience on the property management side at Equity Residential and then with the service provider AUM, Inc. attended as the Key Note Speaker.  Falise has been retained to launch the UMCA’s Shared Regulatory Database project.

Thanya Gonzalez, Executive Director of the UMCA, orchestrated the daylong event and facilitated the meeting throughout the day.  In addition, Thanya presented the near term and long term plans for developing the UMCA into a powerful industry supporter as well as lead legal and regulatory resource.

“The UMCA has brought together three of the four cornerstones necessary to optimize on its mission:   To promote increased conservation and cost management of utilities within the multifamily housing industry;” said Cary Frieden, UMCA Chairman.  “The first of the three cornerstones is the commitment to developing a Shared Regulatory Database, second, a revitalized and growing membership, and third, a dedicated, highly-competent Team.  The fourth cornerstone to be added is a growing membership of Multi-Family Companies.  We have now opened the doors for any and all multi-family companies to join the UMCA, so that we can put this important fourth cornerstone in place.”

“Leading this renewed effort to establish an unbiased forum and resource for all industry participants is the continued pursuit of a dream that I have had for many years,” said Falise Platt.  “The valuable participation, content and discussions that we had on March 4th made me anxious to get more industry leaders involved in the UMCA.”

Contact:  Thanya Gonzalez
               (888) 504-4080
               tgonzalez@utilitymca.org

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To promote increased conservation and cost management of utilities within the multi-family housing industry.