MGE’s Charles Warner
Helping people save on energy
Helping people save on energy
Charles Warner is biracial. He was
born in Hawaii with a Filipino and
Irish-German parents.
born in Hawaii with a Filipino and
Irish-German parents.
I was very close to him, and then we moved away from such a large part of my family (in Hawaii) to Wisconsin where I didn’t have any family. After leaving
school ... I didn’t get into trouble or anything like that, but I certainly had no idea what I wanted to do.”
Warner found a job at a local nonprofit organization, Energy Services Inc., doing computer support. “I played on my ‘high school strength,’” he said, referring
to his good grades in tech subjects. “ESI is an organization that helps low income families with utility assistance, bill assistance, and ... access to other
community organizations.”
This first taste at community service inspired Warner to do more. “I really, really liked it, so I begged and pleaded my director, ‘I cannot work with computers; I
need human interaction,’” he recalled. “Thankfully, he granted me that and I became a case worker there. I was there for six years, and that’s where I really
developed my passion for non-profit work and helping people who really can’t help themselves. I left ESI as a program services manager.”
The transition to his present job at Madison Gas & Electric (MG&E) was smooth, nonetheless, because he had worked extensively with MG&E on many
collaborative efforts. “That desire to help people really blossomed during my time at ESI; and due to my various partnerships and projects with MG&E at that
time, we got to ‘know’ each other very well. I guess they liked what they saw because in August (2007) I was hired by MG&E.”
MG&E
“One of the reasons I was even interested in coming here to work at MG&E was that this company does a really, really good job of working with the
community, working with community-support organizations, and with a variety of clientele,” Warner said proudly.
Warner does a little bit of what he did at ESI, but his primarily role at MG&E is to work specifically with the multifamily sector in Madison. “That means
working with tenants, landlords, and activity coordinators to promote energy efficiency and our services,” he explained. “ I do act as a conduit, if you will,
between us (MG&E) and the community. I work with tenants, either on-site or we do workshop fairs, and I will talk about ways to save energy. That’s my main role.
In addition, I’m also sort of the ‘lighting expert’ in our marketing department. We have a home energy line which is a toll-free number that our customers, or really
anyone, can call and ask advice from our energy experts about insulation, cost of appliances, anything that’s related to energy, anything that’s related to use of it
within the home, or anything related to MG&E. Some callers can even ask us, ‘Should I buy this appliance over another one?’ This line is free and people call in
and they ask specific questions. Our home energy line is 252-7117, and that’s for anyone who has any energy-related question.”
Warner described a specific program he is involved with at MG&E, called “community resource fairs.” “This is a one-stop shop for low- to moderate-income
families to come access information through MG&E on energy conservation, set up bill payment plans and access related energy services,” he said. “This
community energy resource fair is actually a partnership that we do with various support agencies — Joining Forces for Families, Community Action Coalition,
Tenant Resource Center, and other organizations that are out in the community. For some reason or another, folks in the community have not been able to get a
hold of that information. So what the community energy resource fairs try to do, and I think do a really good job of it, is establish a one-stop shop for folks to
come and learn about not just their energy bill, but also the other resources that are available. It’s a really fun and vibrant setting.”
These workshops are usually conducted in March or April every year, at different sites in Madison, where they’re easily accessible to targeted community
members. Warner credited colleague Annette Miller for creating these workshops a few years back. “They’ve been so successful that there’s been a couple of
offshoots from it: a Latino Resource Fair which is geared more toward the Latino population in Madison, and a ‘Train the Trainor’ fair where we actually invite
social workers and other professionals in the community who work directly with these families, and we teach them, so they can impart the information to them.”
Warner said that he and Miller acknowledge the fact that the Madison community is growing and that they will need to also target other groups such as Asian
Americans who also fall under the category of low- and moderate-income families. “We are currently working on that,” he admitted, further explaining that they
have been conducting substantial dialogues with various community leaders to try to identify these families in need. “We have a wealth of information but it’s all
in English, so there are barriers that we have to knock down. We’re looking at ways to make our information acceptable, easy to understand and in a form that is
relevant, and give that information to folks who need them.”
Marketing MG&E to the community seems to be a perfect fit for Warner, not only because he is able to help people, but also because he is able to satisfy his
creativity. “I develop campaigns and different outlets where we should be,” Warner beamed. “I work with various demographics, including UW seniors. So I have a
very cross-generational job! And it’s really very very nice, because it’s something that I can adapt to pretty well. I just like having dialogues with younger and
older adults.”
The good thing about working for MG&E, Warner said, is that he is able to bring to fruition concepts that were more difficult to realize in the nonprofit world.
“Now, I have funding; now I have the resources to actually carry out ideas,” he said. “Before, when I was working in a nonprofit, you were constantly trying to raise
money, you worried about how to actualize your plans, you were really restricted by certain barriers, such as budgets. At MG&E, because they knew and liked
what I did at ESI, they liked my ideas. They’ve been able to facilitate actualizing those ideas not only with finances, but also with support. What I wanted to do
for the community fits really well with what MG&E is already doing in the community. So it’s a perfect combination, for us just tailoring our goals to specific
demographics.”
The number of MG&E customers who need help is unquestionably substantial, according to Warner. “Our customer base is about 136,000 electric customers
and 140,000 natural gas customers,” he said. “The percentage of that — that would be sort of struggling, or not able to meet their energy needs … I don’t know if
I feel comfortable giving a number … but it certainly is substantial enough where we have a department in our customer service center manned by two full-time
people working with these customers. They do the program called ‘CARES.’” This ‘substantial’ number of needy Madison residents also warrants what Warner and
Miller do. “We reach out to communities of color, to communities with new residents who have no idea what the city is all about and what resources are
available to them. We’re in a position where we serve as sort of facilitators, getting people together and, while we don’t try to steer the boat, we try to make sure
that the boat stays afloat, so to speak, with these organizations. We work with them and they help us identify what the issues are and how MG&E can best respond
to those issues.”
Job satisfaction
Warner feels very fortunate to hold this job at MG&E because he knows he is making a difference in the community. “Or at least, I feel that I’m trying to make
a difference,” he said. “It’s also a feeling of satisfaction, because being in marketing, I am able to create my own ideas and projects, and you know how satisfying
it is about authorship and having that played out. On top of that, even more satisfying than this idea-creation is that your idea is actually serving a purpose, not
just generating sales. It’s generating aid and it’s putting people in contact with resources that they need to be in contact with. So, the fact that I’m able to do that
is a win-win situation. Honestly, I have been here since August and there hasn’t been a day where I’ve said, ‘Ahh, I don’t want to work today.’ It’s more like ‘Yeah, I
gotta work today!’ It’s an amazing feeling and I have such a great director and such a great support system around me. It’s wonderful!”
At MATC and future plans
Warner has just completed an accelerated Marketing Program at the Madison Area Technical College, making it on the Dean’s List! He will enroll at the
University of Wisconsin in the fall. He described this MATC program as nothing less than ‘exciting.’ “Each class was 18 weeks rolled into six weeks, so it was really
intense,” Warner said. “But it was very satisfying because the students of the program are in similar situations. They are already in the field and already have
experience, so they brought all their experiences to the classes. Although the classes had instructors (who are also in the industries), they were not instructor-led;
they were more generated by class discussions and class experience. We’re learning from each other.
“The good thing about MATC — and especially their marketing program — is that aside from getting some pretty direct interaction, they offer a more real-
world relevant education versus academic stuff. I mean, we touch upon academic stuff, but I could tell you, after being in the workforce for six years, a lot of that
gives you a little bit of a foundation, but it’s not relevant in day-to-day exchange. So the Fast Track Program at MATC has been wonderful and it’s intense and
exhausting, but it’s because it’s so stimulating. The environment that they’ve been able to create through this program, with people with years of experience, you’
re there and you realize you don’t have to bring your homework every night. But the conversations … you just want to get into these conversations and talk and
share your experiences with everyone.”
Warner acknowledged that he has, at last, put an end to his “at times stagnant journey,” and now he’s happy with his work and what he has accomplished so
far. He is now on his way to a new and beautiful beginning. He recently became engaged to a beautiful architect from Romania who has spent the last five years
working as an interior designer in Paris. They met … and fell in love … in San Francisco, but apparently will be carrying their hearts with them to Wisconsin.
We’re happy for you, Charles Warner!
school ... I didn’t get into trouble or anything like that, but I certainly had no idea what I wanted to do.”
Warner found a job at a local nonprofit organization, Energy Services Inc., doing computer support. “I played on my ‘high school strength,’” he said, referring
to his good grades in tech subjects. “ESI is an organization that helps low income families with utility assistance, bill assistance, and ... access to other
community organizations.”
This first taste at community service inspired Warner to do more. “I really, really liked it, so I begged and pleaded my director, ‘I cannot work with computers; I
need human interaction,’” he recalled. “Thankfully, he granted me that and I became a case worker there. I was there for six years, and that’s where I really
developed my passion for non-profit work and helping people who really can’t help themselves. I left ESI as a program services manager.”
The transition to his present job at Madison Gas & Electric (MG&E) was smooth, nonetheless, because he had worked extensively with MG&E on many
collaborative efforts. “That desire to help people really blossomed during my time at ESI; and due to my various partnerships and projects with MG&E at that
time, we got to ‘know’ each other very well. I guess they liked what they saw because in August (2007) I was hired by MG&E.”
MG&E
“One of the reasons I was even interested in coming here to work at MG&E was that this company does a really, really good job of working with the
community, working with community-support organizations, and with a variety of clientele,” Warner said proudly.
Warner does a little bit of what he did at ESI, but his primarily role at MG&E is to work specifically with the multifamily sector in Madison. “That means
working with tenants, landlords, and activity coordinators to promote energy efficiency and our services,” he explained. “ I do act as a conduit, if you will,
between us (MG&E) and the community. I work with tenants, either on-site or we do workshop fairs, and I will talk about ways to save energy. That’s my main role.
In addition, I’m also sort of the ‘lighting expert’ in our marketing department. We have a home energy line which is a toll-free number that our customers, or really
anyone, can call and ask advice from our energy experts about insulation, cost of appliances, anything that’s related to energy, anything that’s related to use of it
within the home, or anything related to MG&E. Some callers can even ask us, ‘Should I buy this appliance over another one?’ This line is free and people call in
and they ask specific questions. Our home energy line is 252-7117, and that’s for anyone who has any energy-related question.”
Warner described a specific program he is involved with at MG&E, called “community resource fairs.” “This is a one-stop shop for low- to moderate-income
families to come access information through MG&E on energy conservation, set up bill payment plans and access related energy services,” he said. “This
community energy resource fair is actually a partnership that we do with various support agencies — Joining Forces for Families, Community Action Coalition,
Tenant Resource Center, and other organizations that are out in the community. For some reason or another, folks in the community have not been able to get a
hold of that information. So what the community energy resource fairs try to do, and I think do a really good job of it, is establish a one-stop shop for folks to
come and learn about not just their energy bill, but also the other resources that are available. It’s a really fun and vibrant setting.”
These workshops are usually conducted in March or April every year, at different sites in Madison, where they’re easily accessible to targeted community
members. Warner credited colleague Annette Miller for creating these workshops a few years back. “They’ve been so successful that there’s been a couple of
offshoots from it: a Latino Resource Fair which is geared more toward the Latino population in Madison, and a ‘Train the Trainor’ fair where we actually invite
social workers and other professionals in the community who work directly with these families, and we teach them, so they can impart the information to them.”
Warner said that he and Miller acknowledge the fact that the Madison community is growing and that they will need to also target other groups such as Asian
Americans who also fall under the category of low- and moderate-income families. “We are currently working on that,” he admitted, further explaining that they
have been conducting substantial dialogues with various community leaders to try to identify these families in need. “We have a wealth of information but it’s all
in English, so there are barriers that we have to knock down. We’re looking at ways to make our information acceptable, easy to understand and in a form that is
relevant, and give that information to folks who need them.”
Marketing MG&E to the community seems to be a perfect fit for Warner, not only because he is able to help people, but also because he is able to satisfy his
creativity. “I develop campaigns and different outlets where we should be,” Warner beamed. “I work with various demographics, including UW seniors. So I have a
very cross-generational job! And it’s really very very nice, because it’s something that I can adapt to pretty well. I just like having dialogues with younger and
older adults.”
The good thing about working for MG&E, Warner said, is that he is able to bring to fruition concepts that were more difficult to realize in the nonprofit world.
“Now, I have funding; now I have the resources to actually carry out ideas,” he said. “Before, when I was working in a nonprofit, you were constantly trying to raise
money, you worried about how to actualize your plans, you were really restricted by certain barriers, such as budgets. At MG&E, because they knew and liked
what I did at ESI, they liked my ideas. They’ve been able to facilitate actualizing those ideas not only with finances, but also with support. What I wanted to do
for the community fits really well with what MG&E is already doing in the community. So it’s a perfect combination, for us just tailoring our goals to specific
demographics.”
The number of MG&E customers who need help is unquestionably substantial, according to Warner. “Our customer base is about 136,000 electric customers
and 140,000 natural gas customers,” he said. “The percentage of that — that would be sort of struggling, or not able to meet their energy needs … I don’t know if
I feel comfortable giving a number … but it certainly is substantial enough where we have a department in our customer service center manned by two full-time
people working with these customers. They do the program called ‘CARES.’” This ‘substantial’ number of needy Madison residents also warrants what Warner and
Miller do. “We reach out to communities of color, to communities with new residents who have no idea what the city is all about and what resources are
available to them. We’re in a position where we serve as sort of facilitators, getting people together and, while we don’t try to steer the boat, we try to make sure
that the boat stays afloat, so to speak, with these organizations. We work with them and they help us identify what the issues are and how MG&E can best respond
to those issues.”
Job satisfaction
Warner feels very fortunate to hold this job at MG&E because he knows he is making a difference in the community. “Or at least, I feel that I’m trying to make
a difference,” he said. “It’s also a feeling of satisfaction, because being in marketing, I am able to create my own ideas and projects, and you know how satisfying
it is about authorship and having that played out. On top of that, even more satisfying than this idea-creation is that your idea is actually serving a purpose, not
just generating sales. It’s generating aid and it’s putting people in contact with resources that they need to be in contact with. So, the fact that I’m able to do that
is a win-win situation. Honestly, I have been here since August and there hasn’t been a day where I’ve said, ‘Ahh, I don’t want to work today.’ It’s more like ‘Yeah, I
gotta work today!’ It’s an amazing feeling and I have such a great director and such a great support system around me. It’s wonderful!”
At MATC and future plans
Warner has just completed an accelerated Marketing Program at the Madison Area Technical College, making it on the Dean’s List! He will enroll at the
University of Wisconsin in the fall. He described this MATC program as nothing less than ‘exciting.’ “Each class was 18 weeks rolled into six weeks, so it was really
intense,” Warner said. “But it was very satisfying because the students of the program are in similar situations. They are already in the field and already have
experience, so they brought all their experiences to the classes. Although the classes had instructors (who are also in the industries), they were not instructor-led;
they were more generated by class discussions and class experience. We’re learning from each other.
“The good thing about MATC — and especially their marketing program — is that aside from getting some pretty direct interaction, they offer a more real-
world relevant education versus academic stuff. I mean, we touch upon academic stuff, but I could tell you, after being in the workforce for six years, a lot of that
gives you a little bit of a foundation, but it’s not relevant in day-to-day exchange. So the Fast Track Program at MATC has been wonderful and it’s intense and
exhausting, but it’s because it’s so stimulating. The environment that they’ve been able to create through this program, with people with years of experience, you’
re there and you realize you don’t have to bring your homework every night. But the conversations … you just want to get into these conversations and talk and
share your experiences with everyone.”
Warner acknowledged that he has, at last, put an end to his “at times stagnant journey,” and now he’s happy with his work and what he has accomplished so
far. He is now on his way to a new and beautiful beginning. He recently became engaged to a beautiful architect from Romania who has spent the last five years
working as an interior designer in Paris. They met … and fell in love … in San Francisco, but apparently will be carrying their hearts with them to Wisconsin.
We’re happy for you, Charles Warner!
| Charles Warner at work |
Part 2 of 2
By Heidi M. Pascual
Charles Warner, a residential services specialist at Madison Gas &
Electric, welcomes the challenges of helping Madison families save on
energy and make their homes safe and comfortable. Only in his late
20s, Warner is no stranger to this job, having worked for six years at
Energy Services Inc. (ESI), on Madison’s south side. The first part of
this story introduced Warner to our readers. He was born in Hawaii of
mixed-race parents. Warner is proud of his Filipino parentage,
although his mom, Donna, was also born in Hawaii. He was raised in
the Filipino tradition with family values that emphasize discipline,
industriousness, and respect for elders and others. This last
installment will highlight Warner’s work as it impacts the Madison
community, and his journey towards completing his marketing degree.
After high school, Charles Warner decided not to pursue his passion
— cinema — due to the trend in film-making that went against his
values and negative prospects for it in the Midwest. He entered UW-
Oshkosh with no particular course in mind. “I had two years of college
at Oshkosh, but after two years, I dropped out of school,” Warner
recalled, adding that the death of his grandfather to whom he was very
close, was probably one of the reasons he decided to put his life on
hold. “It was difficult, because
By Heidi M. Pascual
Charles Warner, a residential services specialist at Madison Gas &
Electric, welcomes the challenges of helping Madison families save on
energy and make their homes safe and comfortable. Only in his late
20s, Warner is no stranger to this job, having worked for six years at
Energy Services Inc. (ESI), on Madison’s south side. The first part of
this story introduced Warner to our readers. He was born in Hawaii of
mixed-race parents. Warner is proud of his Filipino parentage,
although his mom, Donna, was also born in Hawaii. He was raised in
the Filipino tradition with family values that emphasize discipline,
industriousness, and respect for elders and others. This last
installment will highlight Warner’s work as it impacts the Madison
community, and his journey towards completing his marketing degree.
After high school, Charles Warner decided not to pursue his passion
— cinema — due to the trend in film-making that went against his
values and negative prospects for it in the Midwest. He entered UW-
Oshkosh with no particular course in mind. “I had two years of college
at Oshkosh, but after two years, I dropped out of school,” Warner
recalled, adding that the death of his grandfather to whom he was very
close, was probably one of the reasons he decided to put his life on
hold. “It was difficult, because