Hugo Hodge Named Executive Vice President Of Tantalus Systems Corp.

ST. THOMAS — Tantalus Systems on Tuesday announced that its board of directors had approved the addition of former W.A.P.A. Executive Director and CEO Hugo V. Hodge, Jr. to the company’s senior leadership team as executive vice president and general manager of the Caribbean basin. The news comes just over two months after Mr. Hodge was abruptly fired from the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority by its board of directors.

Tantalus Systems — a well established firm founded in 1989 that provides a multi-purpose smart grid solutions platform for advanced metering, demand response, and distribution automation among other services — described Mr. Hodge as “an accomplished utility veteran with more than 25 years’ experience in power distribution, engineering and utility marketing leadership roles.”

“Tantalus is uniquely positioned as one of the fastest growing smart grid companies in the municipal and cooperative utility space,” said Peter Londa, President & CEO of Tantalus. “With our expanding portfolio of value-driven applications, we’re proud to add a proven leader like Hugo to accelerate our expansion in the Caribbean. His wealth of knowledge makes him ideally suited to lead our strategic international growth.”

Marketing and Communications Director Laura Wright told The Consortium that Tantalus is a mid-sized company that services North America, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.

“I am honored to join the dynamic team at Tantalus, a company that has proven its commitment to helping municipal and cooperative utilities address critical operational challenges,” Mr. Hodge said. “I have experienced firsthand the impact that applying the right smart grid technology can have on day-to-day utility operations. I am excited about the prospect of helping more Caribbean communities adopt technology that will lead to a more sustainable energy future.”

Mr. Hodge had expressed disappointed in W.A.P.A.’s decision to terminate him, telling The Consortium in January that leading a utility firm in his homeland was a dream come true and what he’d studied to become.

“I love the Virgin Islands, and I love the Water and Power Authority. This is my dream job, it’s what I wanted to do since I was age 11,” Mr. Hodge said. He added the 598 employees at W.A.P.A. would attest to his dedication in changing the culture at the semiautonomous entity — owned by the Government of the Virgin Islands — for the better.

“They went above and beyond. They gave up sleep and family to help make sure that residents were taken care of,” he said. Mr. Hodge said while some may not understand what transpired at W.A.P.A. during his tenure, the employees knew his dedication. He said he received calls from friends, federal partners and W.A.P.A. employees — all saddened by the news — making the reality even harder to take in.

But today’s news stands a testament to Mr. Hodge’s respect and reputation in the energy industry. In 2015, he was selected to serve on the board of directors of the American Public Power Association (APPA), a first for a W.A.P.A. director. Mr. Hodge also sat on the board of Electric Cities of Georgia. The release says Mr. Hodge will leverage his technical experience in system sustainability and efficiency projects, coupled with his deep understanding of regional utility drivers to contribute to Tantalus product roadmap planning.