Senior Staff

Mrs. Lynne E. Tejeda, General Manager & CEO, has been employed by the utility since January 1989, most recently as Assistant General Manager & COO, prior to being appointed General Manager & CEO in December 2005. Mrs. Tejeda is responsible for the day-to-day management of the utility, implementing the decisions of the Utility Board with respect to utility operations, and keeping the Board informed of the status of the utility. Mrs. Tejeda is active in the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) serving as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Secretary of the Board of Directors. She is also active with the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), where she is a Past President. Mrs. Tejeda participates in the American Public Power Association where she is a past Board of Directors member. Mrs. Tejeda holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Journalism, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Mrs. Tejeda is a Certified Public Manager and a graduate of the Berkeley Executive Leadership Program. Mrs. Tejeda is currently serving on the Board of the Key West Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. John ‘Jack’ Wetzler, Assistant General Manager & CFO, has been employed by the utility since April 1992, most recently as Director of Finance and CFO, prior to being appointed Assistant General Manager & CFO in December 2005. Mr. Wetzler is responsible for Finance, Information Technology, Fleets, Facilities, Purchasing and the Warehouse. He is active in the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) serving on the Planning & Budget Committee. Mr. Wetzler has been employed as the Vice President of Finance for several New York-based firms, including Caswell Massey, Ltd., D.F. Sanders & Company, and Concord Limousine Services. He began his career with Coopers & Lybrand, CPA’s (currently known as PricewaterhouseCoopers). Mr. Wetzler holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Hofstra University. Mr. Wetzler serves as an Extra-Ordinary Eucharistic Minister and Lector for The Basilica of Saint Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church.

Mr. Nick Batty, Director of Legal and Regulatory Services, has been employed by the utility since January 2019. He is responsible for coordinating all legal activities within KEYS and serving as the principal legal officer and key adviser to the CEO and other senior management members. Mr. Batty holds a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in Journalism, and a Juris Doctor, both from the University of Florida.

Mr. Fred Culpepper, Director of Transmission & Distribution, has been employed by the utility since September 1990, most recently as Power System Control Supervisor, prior to being appointed to Director of Transmission & Distribution in December 2015. Mr. Culpepper is responsible for all personnel in the Line and the Electrical sections as well as all electrical facilities and substations. Mr. Culpepper is a Certified Public Manager through Florida State University.

Mr. Dan Sabino, Director of Engineering, has been employed by the utility since January 2006. In his tenure at KEYS, Mr. Sabino has held various positions in the Engineering, Transmission and Distribution, and Generation Departments. Prior to working for KEYS, Mr. Sabino was a Principal Engineer for Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Mr. Sabino is responsible for both the Engineering Section (oversees the design/maintenance of the utility’s electrical T&D infrastructure) and the System Control Center (24-hour a day manned control center for the monitoring of the utility’s electrical grid, and the dispatching of system trouble calls). Mr. Sabino holds both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Mr. Julio J. Torrado, Director of Human Resources & Communications‘ has been employed by the utility since October 2003, most recently as Communications/Marketing Coordinator, prior to being appointed Director of Human Resources & Communications in December 2015. Mr. Torrado is responsible for overseeing KEYS’ human resources administration, coordinating communication and marketing strategies for KEYS’ customers, and overseeing internal communications for KEYS’ employees. Mr. Torrado holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication – with a double-major in Public Relations and International Studies and a minor in Marketing – from the University of Miami, and a Master of Business Administration degree, with a concentration in Human Resources Management, from Saint Leo University. He is active with the American Public Power Association, having served as Chair of Customer Connections Conference and its Customer Communications Committee, and has helped KEYS win numerous awards and accolades over the years for excellence in communications and marketing strategies, including the prestigious Bronze Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America. Mr. Torrado currently serves on the Board of Wesley House Family Services and the Harry S. Truman Little White House Auxiliary. In recognition of his dedication to local volunteerism, former Florida Governor Charlie Crist named him as a “Point of Light” in 2009.

Mr. Joe Weldon, Director of Generation, has been employed by the utility since March 2018. Mr. Weldon has over 30 years’ experience in engineering, operations, maintenance and testing within the defense, oil & gas, telecommunication, and power generation utility industries. His current responsibilities include the management of KEYS’ generation facility. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Maritime College, and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Mrs. Erica Zarate, Director of Customer Services, has been employed by the utility since July 2005, most recently as Collections Supervisor, prior to being appointed to Director of Customer Services on October 2014. Mrs. Zarate is responsible for Collections, Customer Services, Customer Programs, and Meter Services. Mrs. Zarate holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration degree, both from St. Leo University. Mrs. Zarate also completed the Penn Foster Meterman apprenticeship.