Statesville’s Cody Leis Receives Public Power Rising Star Award

The City of Statesville is proud to announce that Cody Leis, Director of Statesville Public Power (SPP), has been honored with the Public Power Rising Star Award by ElectriCities of North Carolina. Leis received the award earlier this month at the ElectriCities Annual Conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and was recognized again during the August 18th Statesville City Council meeting.

The Rising Star Award celebrates up-and-coming leaders with less than 10 years of experience who have made significant and sustained contributions to the electric utility industry and to public power specifically.

Pictured from left to right: SPP Asst. Director Jared Wiles, City Manager Ron Smith, SPP Director Cody Leis, Mayor Costi Kutteh, Councilwoman Amy Lawton, Asst. City Manager Scott Harrell *Photo by David Bruno Event Photography

Leis joined Statesville Public Power in October 2023 as Assistant Director and was promoted to Director in April 2024. In less than two years, he has made an immediate and lasting impact by modernizing operations, strengthening community connections, and positioning the department for long-term success. His accomplishments include standardizing equipment specifications to improve reliability and efficiency, implementing a new line extension policy that shifts major infrastructure costs to developers, converting four 4kV circuits to advance system modernization, and deploying technologies such as Safegrid predictive fault detection and an Outage Management System to improve service reliability and response times. He also led a department-wide rebranding effort to raise public awareness and strengthen trust in Statesville’s locally owned utility.

Leis said the award is a reflection of the entire team at Statesville Public Power and their commitment to reliable service. “It’s an honor to receive this award, but it truly reflects the dedication of our entire team,” he explained. “Statesville Public Power is committed to delivering reliable, responsive service, and I’m excited about the progress we’re making together.”

Mayor Costi Kutteh praised Leis’ leadership and vision, noting that “Cody has shown tremendous innovation in a short amount of time. His efforts are not only improving our utility today but ensuring Statesville Public Power remains strong for years to come. This recognition is well-deserved, and we are fortunate to have him leading this department.”

For more information about Statesville Public Power, visit www.statesvillenc.net.