Mark Bramfitt - Utilities & IT

Return From A Lengthy Hiatus...

Just a personal note saying I am back to full concentration on my consulting practice after a four-month stint as Interim General Manager at the Valley of the Moon Water District. I served on the board of directors there for a dozen years and stepped down in November to pinch hit while the District sought a new GM.

While there are obviously direct parallels between running a water agency and an energy utility, I don't have any key insights to offer that relate to IT and data centers - though there is a nexus with smart metering that is becoming more common for water system operators.

I may slip in a review or two on some books I am reading that relate to our looming issues with water management, and I'll do my best to link everything back to the central topic of this blog and my consulting work.

On Politics: Campaign Noted in Local Press

While I will continue to focus my blog postings on my professional consultancy, I will occasionally provide updates on my incipient campaign for First District Supervisor in Sonoma County.

With a mention in a story in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat this morning, I would have to say that we've at least "soft-launched" an announcement regarding my interest in running. 

The primary election of course is more than a year away (June 2012), but stay tuned for updates here, as well as an announcement of my campaign site.

All wishes of good luck are welcome!

With Great Sadness

My heartfelt condolences go out to Olivier Sanche's family as I learned just now that he passed away last week from an untimely heart attack.

I knew Olivier from his days at EBay and most recently at Apple, and was always impressed by his sanguine temperament, professionalism, and dedication to environmental responsibility.

The data center industry has lost a leading light, and our community will be the poorer for it.