N E W S LINE A group of UIL employees headed to Mohegan Sun casino earlier this month, not to try their luck at the slots but to connect with military veterans who may be interested in working at UIL. The group participated in the Vets Rock! event , held on Veterans Day at the casino. Hundreds of veterans attended and took part in a career fair, resume workshop and even yoga sessions, along with a veterans art show and auction. The day was capped off by a concert at the Mohegan Sun Arena by country star Trace Adkins. Adkins is a spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project and regularly performs on USO tours. The Boston-based rock band Dropkick Murphys was also on the bill. The UIL group set up a recruitment table at the career fair and also participated in the Contractor Diversity Summit, where minority- and veteran- owned businesses are offered assistance on growing their businesses and making business connections. UIL Manager of Organizational Talent Cerise Garrett brought two UIL veterans to the event: UI Manager of Logistics Damon Hall (above left center )and UIL Business Development Professional Seneca Todd (right). Hall is a Navy veteran who served on a nuclear submarine; Todd, a Marine, led a platoon during the Iraq War. “It’s important that veterans understand that UIL is committed to hiring veterans. The best way to do that is have them meet some of the veterans who work at UIL and let them all talk to each other,” Garrett said. UI Director of Supply Chain Brian Ewing (left) and UI Senior Buyer Megan Murphy (right center) staffed the Contractor Diversity Summit. NOVEMBER 25, 2015 Top left to right: @UnitedIllum and @UILHoldings facebook.com/UILHoldings uilpipesandpoles.com youtube.com/uilholdings Like, Share and Follow Connect with Us! Veterans Recruitment Effort Goes on the Road by Mike Foley If you’ve caught a prime-time show or watched a sports game lately, chances are good you’ve seen UIL’s new television commercial. The 30-second spot, called “Kicking Gas,” features edgy music and footage of SCG, CNG and Berkshire Gas employees at work. It’s currently airing on cable and network TV, as well as digital platforms. The advertisement puts a spotlight on UIL’s investments in its natural gas infrastructure, from expansion projects to system improvements. Besides television, the ad was also featured on UIL digital signage and can be found on operating company websites, YouTube and various other social media and digital platforms. The comedian Kevin James described Thanksgiving as “not a good day to be my pants.” Many of us, like James, are fortunate to have a savory feast set before us in a warm home. So as we travel to see loved ones, or welcome them into our homes, it is a time to reflect on our lives and ask: What are we thankful for? In this special Thanksgiving edition of Newsline, a sampling of UIL employees share their thoughts. Their sentiments are expressed on the inside and back pages of this edition. Please enjoy the holiday and if you need to impress the guests around the table with a blessing, avoid James and go with Ralph Waldo Emerson: For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends. ON THE AIR New TV Ad Highlights Gas Investments In This Issue: Giving Thanks NOVEMBER 20 CLOSE: $48.10 52-WEEK RANGE: $39.10 to $52.50 the stock market
Transcript
NEWSLINEA group of UIL employees headed to Mohegan Sun casino earlier this month, not to try their luck at the slots but to connect with military veterans who may be interested in working at UIL.
The group participated in the Vets Rock! event , held on Veterans Day at the casino. Hundreds of veterans attended and took part in a career fair, resume workshop and even yoga sessions, along with a veterans art show and auction.
The day was capped off by a concert at the Mohegan Sun Arena by country star Trace Adkins. Adkins is a spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project and regularly performs on USO tours. The Boston-based rock band Dropkick Murphys was also on the bill.
The UIL group set up a recruitment table at the career fair and also participated in the Contractor Diversity Summit, where minority- and veteran-
owned businesses are offered assistance on growing their businesses and making business connections.
UIL Manager of Organizational Talent Cerise Garrett brought two UIL veterans to the event: UI Manager of Logistics Damon Hall (above left center )and UIL Business Development Professional Seneca Todd (right). Hall is a Navy veteran who served on a nuclear submarine; Todd, a Marine, led a platoon during the Iraq War.
“It’s important that veterans understand that UIL is committed to hiring veterans. The best way to do that is have them meet some of the veterans who work at UIL and let them all talk to each other,” Garrett said.
UI Director of Supply Chain Brian Ewing (left) and UI Senior Buyer Megan Murphy (right center) staffed the Contractor Diversity Summit.
NOVEMBER 25, 2015
Top left to right:@UnitedIllum and @UILHoldingsfacebook.com/UILHoldings uilpipesandpoles.comyoutube.com/uilholdings
Like, Share and FollowConnect with Us!
Veterans Recruitment Effort Goes on the Road by Mike Foley
If you’ve caught a prime-time show or watched a sports game lately, chances are good you’ve seen UIL’s new television commercial.
The 30-second spot, called “Kicking Gas,” features edgy music and footage of SCG, CNG and Berkshire Gas employees at work. It’s currently airing on cable and network TV, as well as digital platforms.
The advertisement puts a spotlight on UIL’s investments in its natural gas infrastructure, from expansion projects to system improvements. Besides television, the ad was also featured on UIL digital signage and can be found on operating company websites, YouTube and various other social media and digital platforms.
The comedian Kevin James described Thanksgiving as “not a good day to be my pants.”
Many of us, like James, are fortunate to have a savory feast set before us in a warm home. So as we travel to see loved ones, or welcome them into our homes, it is a time to reflect on our lives and ask: What are we thankful for?
In this special Thanksgiving edition of Newsline, a sampling of UIL employees share their thoughts.
Their sentiments are expressed on the inside and back pages of this edition.
Please enjoy the holiday and if you need to impress the guests around the table with a blessing, avoid James and go with Ralph Waldo Emerson:
For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.
ON THE AIR
New TV Ad Highlights Gas Investments
In This Issue: Giving Thanks
NOVEMBER 20 CLOSE:$48.10
52-WEEK RANGE: $39.10 to $52.50
the stock market
upcoming eventsNOV. 18-DEC. 16: Take a tag. Give a gift. Look for the Holiday Giving Tree at your UIL work location.
NOV. 20-JAN. 6, 2016: Easter Seals Goodwill Fantasy of Lights. Lighthouse Park, New Haven. Visit eastersealsgoodwill.org/event/fantasy-of-lights for info.
NOV. 26-27: Thanksgiving Holiday
DEC. 6-DEC. 14: Hanukkah
MONDAY, DEC. 7: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
TUESDAY, DEC. 22: Winter begins
FRIDAY, DEC. 25: Christmas
4 Outlook Tips and TricksEver feel like you’re buried in electronic clutter? You’re not alone. Studies show that managing email accounts for an increasing — and often unproductive — share of a typical office worker’s time. Outlook and similar email platforms offer a variety of tools to help you deal with the daily deluge.
HERE ARE A FEW TIPS Use ‘Rules’ to thin out your inbox. You can instruct Outlook to intercept specified emails and have them bypass your inbox, landing instead in a folder you’ve created for the purpose. Just right-click the message and choose “create rule.” You can set up rules to reroute emails from certain individuals, or based on keywords in the subject. And don’t forget to flag junk mail messages so you don’t receive them again!
Learn keyboard shortcuts. Just like other popular applications, Outlook provides key combinations to carry out certain common tasks. Use Ctrl+R to reply to an email, or Ctrl+Alt+R to “reply all.” Alt+W forwards an email, and Alt+S is the shortcut for “send.”
Turn off desktop alerts. Do you really need a visual and auditory interruption every time someone sends a message? You can disable desktop alerts and silence the accompanying chime. In Outlook’s “File” tab, click “Options” and select “Mail.” Look for options under “Message Arrival.” HINT: Set it to show an envelope icon in the task bar when there’s new mail so you can see when you have a message without interrupting your work flow.
Write now, send later. That’s right: You can schedule delivery of an email for a future time instead of firing it off the moment you hit “send.” Write your email, then click the “Options” tab and look for the “Delay Delivery” option. It will remain in your outbox, where you can edit or delete it, until the scheduled delivery time. HINT: If you have to write an angry email, delay delivery for an hour or two. That way, you have time to pull it back if you cool down and have second thoughts.
communications
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trending CT RANKED AMONG LEAST BIZ-FRIENDLY STATES: An annual ranking of state tax burdens on businesses released by the Tax Foundation ranked Connecticut in the bottom tier of business-friendly states. The State Business Tax Climate Index ranked Connecticut No. 44 out of 50 states. Connecticut’s ranking was particularly dragged down by its high property taxes, which ranked second worst in the nation behind New Jersey. Wyoming earned the top spot for the sixth year in a row. The index rewards states that do not levy one or more of the following taxes — sales, corporate, and individual income. Wyoming does not have the latter two taxes, the report said. The foundation ranked Connecticut 42nd two years ago and 44th last year. — Hartford Business Journal
GET READY FOR EL NIÑO: The El Niño weather pattern, a phenomenon associated with extreme droughts, storms and floods, is expected to become one of the strongest on record, the U.N. weather agency said. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said this El Niño was the biggest in more than 15 years. The phenomenon, driven by warm surface water in the eastern Pacific Ocean, could lead to hotter and more frequent heat waves in some areas, severe flooding in others, and an increased frequency of severe storms, a top agency official said. El Niño conditions normally reach maximum strength between October and January, then persist through much of the first quarter. — REUTERS
Berkshire Gas Director of Gas Field Operations Tom Pleasant recounted a family experience that should make everyone thankful for their families, friends and caring community members.
“Five years ago this Thanksgiving eve, I was working in the woods with my 7-year-old son, Cameron, when he wandered off. I looked for him until dark and then con-
tacted 911. Two hundred public safety responders and local landowners searched the woods. Cameron spent the night in the woods alone with a temperature of 22 degrees. He was found 16 hours later on Thanksgiving morning by a local hunter. Although my family will hold this experience for our lifetime we are thankful each and every day to have our family safe and together but will always hold Thanksgiving as a special day. “
I am thankful for ...
ON THIS DATE Nov. 25 Birthdays
Night Court actor John Larroquette (68 years old); singer/ songwriter Amy Grant (55 years old); actress Christina Applegate (44 years old); and football player/sportscaster Donovan McNabb (39 years old).
Having just completing a protracted period of rehab from orthopedic surgery, Berkshire Gas Financial Accounting Lead Analyst Jill LeMire said, “I am thankful for my family and for my health.”
“I’m thankful for the country we live in, and our free-doms and liberties. Thank God for all we have.”
Joe Ryzewski UI Competency Manager
“I’m thankful for my health and my many friends made here at the gas company.”
Sharon Burns SCG Meter Shop Generalist
“I am grateful for my three daughters Andrea, Alyssa and Ashley who give me inspiration every day.”
Anna Antonucci SCG Technical Support Specialist, Billing
“I’m thankful for my health, the fact that I have a job and the fact that we have reasonable amount of peace. The other day, I was going to CFC in New Haven and driving up in the garage, I heard the French national anthem being played on the radio. It was surreal.”
Charlie Valentin UIL IT Desktop Support Specialist
“I’m thankful for my babies: my daughter, Nacelis, and my fur baby, a boxer named Princess.”
Suanette Galarza UIL Lead Analyst Hardship Program
“I’m thankful for my life. I’m thankful for my job. I’m thankful for my family and friends. I’m thankful for shelter and food. But the greatest thing I’m thankful for is to have a heavenly father who is all in all. For without him, nothing will be possible.”
Laseta Brown CNG Customer Relations Representative
“I’m thankful for my entire extended family.”
Kathleen Wasilnak UI Lead Analyst Collections
NEWSLINENewsline is the biweekly newsletter for employees of UIL Holdings Corporation and its subsidiaries. Newsline strives to communicate valuable information and connect all employees to each other, to the company and to the community.
STAFF Vice President, Corporate Communications: Michael A. West, Jr.Editorial Board: Ed Crowder, Chris Farrell, Mike Foley and Joan Huwiler Creative Director: Lynn Bodetka BurkeSenior Executive Assistant: Bernadette Dorso
Newsline is produced by UIL Corporate Communications. Please send questions, comments, story ideas, and photos to [email protected]
EXPANDING FOOTPRINT: SCG has picked up its second new franchise in as many years. This month, the company announced natural gas is flowing in Deep River through a newly installed 4-mile main from neighbor-ing Essex. SCG added Essex to its service territory map just last year. Meanwhile, CNG recently announced an expansion of its own. In October, it introduced natural gas in East Hampton along a new 11-mile main, one of the largest expansion projects in recent memory.
POWER DRILL: Earlier this month, UI participated in a GridEx III security exercise run by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. The UI team worked with colleagues from across New England to test their ability to respond to simulated digital and physical attacks on the bulk power transmission system. The exercise, which provided a training opportunity for UI and other participants in the ISO-New England grid, involved members of UI’s System Operations, IT, NERC and Security teams.
WINTER RATES: UI residential customers who choose Standard Service generation will see lower rates come Jan. 1, compared with last winter. The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority has approved a new residential Standard Service rate of 10.7358 cents for the Jan. 1-June 30, 2016 winter cycle. That’s almost 20 percent lower than this year’s winter cycle rate. The Standard Service rate represents UI’s cost to procure electricity on customers’ behalf; customers pay no markup.
DEAL CLINCHED: UI recently finalized an agreement with the town of Woodbridge to build a state-of-the-art fuel cell-based microgrid that will generate 2.2 megawatts of clean energy and ensure that municipal facilities have reliable power even when the lights are out elsewhere. The plant will be located at the Amity Regional High School and the co-generated heat from the fuel cell power generation process will be used for heating the high school and providing hot water.
company news
“I am thankful for my good health and the path
that my parents showed me for a good life. I am
also thankful for my family and friends because
whatever happens in my life, I know I am not
alone.”
Deb Lisi SCG Supervisor, Customer Relations Center
“I am most thankful that I live in America, especially
after I watch the evening news. There is so much
unrest in many parts of the world; I try not to take
for granted the freedom and lifestyle I enjoy as a
“I am grateful and blessed for my beautiful family; my son Chris, daughter-in law Shannon and grand kids: Sienna (was 2 yrs. old on 7/3/15), the twins (born 4/13/15), little Christopher and Aria Grace.”
