Awards given at NEPPA Annual Conference

NEPPA recognized several organizations and individuals with awards at the Annual Conference banquet held in Providence, R.I. on Aug. 16.

Barbara Grimes of the Burlington (Vt.) Electric Department presented the Commissioner Service Awards, which are presented annually to Commissioners and Directors of public power utilities who have served their systems with distinction for at least 10 years. The recipients were Thomas J. Reynolds from the Braintree Electric Light Department, Earl Hansen from the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative and John A. Stoddard Jr. from the Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant. Pat Mageau accepted a posthumous award for her husband, William Mageau from the Pascoag Utility District, who passed away earlier this year after a long and distinguished career as both an employee and a commissioner.

Grimes also presented the Century Award, which recognizes NEPPA members celebrating 100 years of service as a public power system. Three systems celebrated a century of service. Linda Soucy, general manager of the Rowley Municipal Lighting Plant accepted the award on behalf of her utility. Soucy also was general manager of Merrimac Light Department during its centennial. Two other systems celebrating their centennial this year are the Sterling Municipal Light Department and the West Boylston Municipal Lighting Plant.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service to their public power systems and their communities. This year it was awarded to Frank Hadley, who retired after 55 years of service to the Reading Municipal Light Department, serving most recently as general line foreman, along with many other positions during his tenure. It is reported that he is the longest-serving employee of a public power system in NEPPA’s history. The award was presented to Hadley by Vincent Cameron, general manager of Reading Municipal Light Department.

The NEPPA Service Award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the association. This year’s recipient was George Lague, who plans to retire this year as Village Manager of Swanton, Vt., where he is responsible for the village electric department as well as all other municipal services. In addition to his responsibilities at Swanton, Lague has been a public power leader in his state through his service on the Board of Directors of the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, and in New England, as Director and former President of NEPPA.

"Many of us have served together with George on the NEPPA Board for a long time, and have come to respect his judgment and candor as well as his practical approach to problem-solving," said Gary Babin, who presented the award. "We have also come to appreciate his sense of humor and his enthusiasm for travel, good stories and spirited debate."

Barbara Grimes presents a commissioners award to Tom Reynolds with the help of Braintree General Manager Bill Bottiggi.