APPA Board Representation
GUC’s General Manager/CEO Tony Cannon was re-elected to serve another three-year term on the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Board of Directors. APPA is a national organization that provides a range of services and representation for publicly-owned electric utilities. He has also previously served as Chair of the APPA Economic Development Committee and Chair of the Customer Connections Conference Committee.
American Pubic Gas Association SOAR Award
Gas Systems Engineer Durk Tyson accepting SOAR Award on behalf of GUC's Gas Department.
GUC's Gas Department was presented with the American Public Gas Association (APGA) System Operational Achievement Recognition (SOAR) Award. SOAR recognizes a utility’s demonstrated commitment to excellence in four areas required to safely deliver natural gas to its customers: system integrity, system improvement, employee safety, and workforce development. Out of approximately 750 APGA members, Greenville Utilities was one of eighteen SOAR recipients recognized this year. We originally received this award back in 2015.
Finance Department Awards
Finance Department staff with recent awards. GUC received three awards from the Government Finance Officers' Association (GFOA). The Distinguished Budget Presentation is for the in-depth reporting of our budget. This is the second year we received this award. The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence is Financial Reporting is given in recognition of our Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). Organizations prepare a CAFR as a review of the previous fiscal year. We were also recognized for our Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), a document designed to make the CAFR easier to understand for those without a finance or accounting background. This is the third consecutive year we received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Financial Reporting. For the seventh year in a row, GUC's Finance Department received the Sustained Professional Purchasing Award from the Carolinas Association of Governmental Purchasing (CAGP).
AMWA Gold Award
Anthony Whitehead, Water Quality Manager, receiving award.
Greenville Utilities received one of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies’ (AMWA) most prestigious awards -- the 2018 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance. AMWA recognized GUC for its strategic plan and goals, employee workforce development, financial stability, water supply sustainability, exceptional customer service, water quality and environmental leadership, and infrastructure investment and management. Also noted was GUC’s commitment to exceeding Environmental Protection Agency regulations and achieving higher levels of water quality. GUC is one of 14 public water systems nationally, and the only one in North Carolina, to be recognized with the AMWA’s top utility management awards.
Onslow Water and Sewer Authority Thanks
ONWASA's CEO, Jeffery L. Hudson, presents ceremonial oar to Rebecca Blount, GUC Board chair, and Randy Emory, GUC's Director of Water Resources.
Photo courtesy of The Daily Reflector
Jeffrey L. Hudson, the CEO of Onslow Water and Sewer Authority (ONWASA) attended GUC's September Board of Commissioners meeting to thank Greenville Utilities for sending an 11-member team to replace broken water mains and make repairs at the authority's water and wastewater treatment plants following Hurricane Florence. He presented GUC with a ceremonial canoe paddle with a handle wrapped in a flag motif and a plaque that stated "for assistance following Hurricane Florence."
Communicator of the Year Award
Steve Hawley, Communications Manager / Public Information Officer
Steve Hawley, Communications Manager/Public Information Officer (PIO), was named 2019 Communicator of the Year by the North Carolina City & County Communicators (NC3C). The award is named in honor and memory of Chris Coulson, a founding member of NC3C, and is presented to a member who demonstrates a passion for making a difference in the profession and in the lives of citizens. Steve was recognized not only for his work with Greenville Utilities, but also his success as PIO for the City of Greenville.
American Gas Association Safety Achievement Award
Gas Distribution Engineers Carl Smith (center) and Durk Tyson (right) receiving the award.
Greenville Utilities’ Gas Department was awarded the 2018 American Gas Association (AGA) Safety Achievement Award for excellence in employee safety. Award recipients are determined based on the lowest incident rate for the number of restricted or transferred days away from work. Companies are placed into different categories based on their size and type. GUC was recognized as one of the best in the Small Local Distribution Company category. “GUC is grateful to the AGA for the recognition of this significant safety achievement,” said Anthony Miller, Director of Gas Systems. “We are proud of this accomplishment because safety is our top priority.”
NC Area Wide Optimization Award
Water Treatment Plant staff GUC's Water Treatment Plant received the prestigious North Carolina Area Wide Optimization Award for the fourth year in a row. The NC Division of Water Resources included Greenville Utilities among the 57 out of 149 water treatment plants in the state honored for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards in 2018. The award recognition is a state effort to enhance the performance of existing surface water treatment facilities.
In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed new regulations to reduce the risk of biological contamination. EPA then partnered with states to form the Area Wide Optimization Program (AWOP). This program introduced more stringent water quality goals and helps water systems meet those goals. North Carolina has participated in AWOP since 2000 and is one of 23 states to participate.
Backhoe Rodeo Challenge
Water Resources employees Derek Averill, Michael Silverthorne, Bennie Pittman, Josh Setzer, and Dean Roberson (left to right)
A team of Water Resources employees competed in the Eastern Water and Wastewater Network Backhoe Rodeo at the Bell Arthur Water Corporation Operations Center on October 11th. This annual event gives equipment operators from Eastern North Carolina the opportunity to show off their talents in operating a variety of excavating equipment like rubber tire backhoes and small trackhoes. It’s also a great way for operators to test their ability in performing tasks safely and quickly. Six different events took place, and scoring was based on the time taken to complete each one. Penalties were added to the time if the operator dropped a ball or pipe, touched or knocked over a cone, spilled too much water out of the bucket, etc. Representing GUC this year were Water Resources Equipment Operators Michael Silverthorne, Dean Roberson, Derek Averill, Bennie Pittman, and Water Resources Systems Maintenance Crew Leader Josh Setzer. Congratulations to Josh on placing second in the Slam Dunk Event and Michael on placing second in the Ball & Cone Event.
APGA Safety Award
Greenville Utilities’ Gas Department was one of 32 gas systems from across the country awarded the 2018 American Public Gas Association (APGA) Safety Award for an outstanding safety record. This makes the 9th year that our Gas Department staff has exemplified worker safety at a national level. APGA’s safety award winners are determined by their overall incident (lost work time) rates in a calendar year. Public gas systems are divided into six groups based on the annual number of man-hours worked. GUC falls within Group E with 70,001 or more man-hours.