Barry Moline

As the CEO of BJM Solutions, my focus is on helping organizations and people reach their potential. I have 29 years of experience as a CEO in the electric utility and water agency industries, and have a deep understanding of how infrastructure organizations operate and what drives them. I am also an expert in association management and operations, having worked for 34 years with trade associations.

I retired in 2024 from the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA). As the CEO, I represented more than 80 public agencies that provide essential energy and water services to millions of Californians. For eight years, I led a team of professionals who advocated for the interests of electric and water utilities and their customers before the state government and regulators, and provided them with information and connections to enhance their performance and sustainability. Prior to CMUA, I led the Florida Municipal Electric Association for 21 years, where I also led the statewide group's disaster response operation - important in hurricane-prone Florida.

Today, I am a Cialdini® Institute Licensed Trainer - one of just a handful in the world - and a founding member of the Cialdini Institute. What that means is I have extensive training and experience in influence and persuasion. I leverage my decades of experience and expertise in associations and the energy and water industries to deliver keynote speeches and workshops on topics such as leadership, teamwork, influence and persuasion, negotiation, and strategy. My goal is to empower others to develop their skills and talents, and to share the best practices and lessons learned from my career and the best practices leaders everywhere. I am passionate about building great teams, developing leaders at every level, and making a positive impact in the world.

I wrote the book CONNECT! HOW TO QUICKLY COLLABORATE FOR SUCCESS IN BUSINESS AND LIFE. Before writing CONNECT! I thought I knew how best to bring people together. In the process of writing it, however, I learned that my approach - the leader leading meetings - was not the most effective way. Leaders need to help people get to know each other in a variety of ways, like and respect each other, and enjoy working together. In this way, people will more easily choose to work together, because they want to do a good job - for each other.