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The outside of the Independence Utilities Center on a bright sunny day. The sun is reflecting off the glass doors

Independence Power & Light Director James Nail has retired. His last day with the City of Independence was Tuesday, January 9th.

Nail served the City of Independence for nearly 20 years. He first joined the City in 2004 and worked in various roles in the department until accepting the position of Director in 2020.

“Over the years, Jim Nail has shown true leadership through his dedication to the Independence Power & Light team,” City Manager Zach Walker said. “Under Jim’s tenure, IPL earned several important awards for reliability, staff safety, workforce development and energy efficiency. We cannot thank him enough for his commitment to our community and wish him well in retirement.”  

Joseph Hegendeffer, previously the department's Deputy Director, has been selected to succeed Nail and has already begun serving in the role.

“This is a critical time in the history of IPL and I am extremely confident that Joe will navigate these uncertainties with the highest level of integrity and expertise,” Walker said.

Power and Light
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Announcements, Personnel