Each year at the ElectriCities Annual Conference, we recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions to public power.
At the 2025 conference:
- Cody Leis from Statesville received the Rising Star Award.
- Bill Stockman from Lexington received the Distinguished Service Award.
- Grant Goings from Wilson received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Let’s meet the 2025 Public Power Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Grant Goings.
The Public Power Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes sustained long-term outstanding leadership, public power service, innovation, and creativity.
For more than 33 years, Grant has been leading municipalities in North Carolina. He served in Shelby, Elkin, and Bethel, before putting down roots in Wilson in 2005.
Wilson looks a lot different after two decades under Grant’s steady, visionary leadership. We don’t use the word “visionary” lightly.
People who have worked with Grant will attest: He’s a big picture thinker. He has vision when nobody else does, and he can translate that vision and paint the picture for everyone else.
Whether talking to his staff or City Council, Grant encourages everyone to think big—or as he likes to say to “fight above our weight class.”
He was instrumental in deploying Greenlight, Wilson’s municipally owned fiber-optic network—one of the first of its kind in the U.S., delivering high-speed internet access to residents and businesses and bridging the digital divide.
In 2020, Wilson was the first city in the country to replace its fixed-route bus system with an on-demand microtransit service.
Grant’s vision and “think big” mentality really shine when it comes to economic development.
He fully supported the community’s development of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park. He knew that one key place in the heart of Downtown Wilson could be the catalyst for everything else. He was right.
During Grant’s tenure as Wilson’s City Manager, private investment in Downtown Wilson skyrocketed from under $1 million annually in the mid-2000s to $262 million in the last five years.
Downtown Wilson has a new YMCA and new apartments, and a new baseball stadium is in the works. Grant was instrumental in relocating the Carolina Mudcats minor league baseball team from Zebulon to Wilson, where the team will be playing as the Wilson Warbirds starting next year.
Under Grant’s leadership, Wilson developed a large manufacturing base that provides employment to a lot of eastern North Carolina. And Grant was the driving force behind GigEast, securing the funding to create Wilson’s thriving innovation initiative and coworking space.
Rebecca Agner, Communications and Marketing Director for the City of Wilson, said, “The amount of investment and the energy in Downtown Wilson is undeniable.”
She said leaders from communities around the country visit Wilson to learn about the City’s innovations, large and small. And Grant was the catalyst for all that.
Grant has also been a big supporter of public power. He was on the ElectriCities Board of Directors for six years, including serving as Chairman in 2016, and he served on NCEMPA’s Board of Commissioners from 2011 until he retired earlier this year.
He served a crucial role in the NCEMPA asset sale in 2015 that led to a nearly 20% decrease in Wilson Energy’s wholesale electric rates and helped set up the Power Agency and its members for long-term success.
Wilson’s City Council recently applauded Grant for continuing to implement competitive rate strategy and long-range planning, which has positioned Wilson Energy as a key asset for attracting further economic development in the city.
Along with being a natural leader, Grant is a mentor and educator, serving as a guest lecturer at Appalachian State University and a leader in programs like Lead for North Carolina, which introduces young professionals to careers in local government.
Grant has served on many local boards, including co-founding Wilson Forward and serving as the Board Chair of the United Way of Wilson County for several years.
As yet another testament to his dedication to the Wilson community, although he officially retired from the City in January, he didn’t leave immediately. He stayed a bit to wrap up some special projects and help newly appointed City Manager Rodger Lentz through the transition.
Through vision, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to community, Grant has left an indelible mark on Wilson’s progress and inspired those around him to think big and pursue bold, transformative change.
Grant, thank you for all you’ve done for Wilson and for public power. Congratulations on receiving this year’s Public Power Lifetime Achievement Award.
Learn about Cody Leis, recipient of the 2025 Public Power Rising Star Award, and Bill Stockman, recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award.