Angie Luna
Director of Power and Public Works
What is your main responsibility?
Leading the efficient and effective provision of public works, power, stormwater and sanitation services
for the city.
Describe your team and its responsibilities.
Our team is split into several divisions, ultimately made up of about 44 employees. Our administrative team manages projects and required reporting for the city. Our streets maintenance team manages maintenance of our roads, sidewalks and street signage. Our stormwater team manages stormwater compliance and reporting, infrastructure and management of our responsibilities as a local issue authority. Our sanitation division manages all residential and downtown garbage pickup services. We also have our own power utility, and we are responsible for keeping the lights on and outages low for the city of Acworth.
When were you hired, and what is your background?
I was hired in January of 2019, after serving for several years at the Fort Valley Utility Commission and city of Norcross. I also spent several years working in a project management capacity in the private construction industry, including a national asphalt and paving company. I graduated from Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) with my bachelor’s degree in business management/administration, and plan to achieve my master’s of business administration from GSW in December.
What do you like most about your job?
The opportunities that I have to serve the community and my team. The city of Acworth team is a very service-oriented organization, and there are endless opportunities to serve others, which I consider one of my strengths, and my passion.
What has been the biggest surprise to you about your job?
The biggest surprise was the closeness of the members of the community to each other, as well as the city. Additionally, the various opportunities for working with our faith-based community to improve quality of life for our community. I love having so many varied opportunities to serve!
What kinds of growth/changes have you seen with the department?
The department has really grown its culture and integration with the other departments of the city. We have really worked on bringing a strong sense of identity and positive culture to the department, and it shows. Additionally, we have put a big emphasis on engaging our residents through various community outreach events and opportunities.
How has COVID-19 impacted the day-to-day job for you and your team?
Up until May 18, we split the staff into teams that worked every other day, enabling us to operate with some social distancing and give us some redundancy in the event that one of our staff members was infected with COVID-19. By splitting teams and working in shifts, we were able to continue to provide essential services in the event that it became necessary for one of our teams to self-quarantine. As of May 18, we have been working longer days and have staff working full-time. This allows us to return to a “new normal” and continue to provide efficient and essential quality-of-life services to the city.
What can residents expect to see from the department?
Residents should see continued maintenance of our streets and sidewalks, with continuous improvement projects, as well as a more defined rating system for our streets and sidewalks. Additionally, we will continue to develop projects to improve and maintain our stormwater and power infrastructure.
What are your goals?
My main focus is to continue to develop my leadership abilities and mentor others to grow, while planning for succession in the department. Additionally, I desire to continue to strengthen our department and increase our ability to serve our community as effectively as possible.
Tell us about your family and hobbies.
My family consists of my husband, Alberto, who operates a small business as a low-voltage contractor, Analyzed Low Voltage, and my two sons, Alberto Jr., 10, and Aiden, 8, as well as our two dogs Troy (shih tzu, 14) and Bingo (cocker spaniel, 1). My hobbies include reading, road-tripping with my family around the country, sewing/crafting and party-planning.
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