BPA honors 2023 Administrator’s Excellence Award winners

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Bonneville Power Administration has announced the winners of the 2023 Administrator’s Excellence Awards, according to an announcement from the BPA.

The award recognizes federal employees, contract personnel and external partners for their exceptional contributions to BPA’s mission, the electric utility industry and communities of the Pacific Northwest, the announcement said. Nominated by their peers, the 44 awardees and two teams made up the largest class in AEA history and have laid the groundwork for BPA to shape the future of clean energy through its newly released 2024–2028 Strategic Plan. BPA will follow the framework of this plan over the next five years to remain competitive as it enhances reliability, responds to changing customer needs and strengthens resilience in the changing electric utility landscape.

“The wide-ranging accomplishments of this year’s AEA class are truly impressive,” John Hairston, BPA administrator and CEO, wrote in the announcement. “From enabling BPA’s participation in the Western Energy Imbalance Market to driving diversity and inclusion, and achieving shared fish and wildlife goals with our tribal partners – the 2023 awardees all help our agency advance as a clean energy leader. These remarkable people epitomize BPA’s commitment to public service and the prosperity of the Northwest.”

The 2023 AEA winners are:

Employee Development

• Erik Pytlak, supervisory meteorologist, Weather and Streamflow Forecasting

Environmental Sustainability Achievement

• José Rojas, supervisory contract specialist, Strategic Delivery and Oversight

• Aaron Siemers, physical scientist, Technical and Regional Services

• Nancy Wittpenn, environmental protection specialist, Environmental Compliance – Transmission

Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity

• Andy Mooney-Mullis, (posthumous) transportation specialist, Aircraft Services

• Ivy Tyson, supervisory business analyst, Transmission Chief of Staff

Eugene C. Starr Technical Achievement

• Ryan Beck, lead geographer, Geomatics

• Anita Heredia, supervisory electrical engineer, Transmission Long-Term Engineering

• Bart McManus, electrical engineer, Operations Control

• Tom Roseburg, electrical engineer, Protection and Control

Exceptional Public Service

• Jim Webb, president and CEO, Lower Valley Energy

Exceptional Service

• Steve Bellcoff, public utilities specialist, Long-Term Power Planning

• David Dernovsek, public utilities specialist, Trading Floor

• Nancy Parker, public utility specialist, Power Rates

• Kellie Robinson, electrical engineer, Diagnostics, Metrology and Labs

• John Skidmore, supervisory fish and wildlife administrator, Oregon Implementation

• Audrey Stevenson, electrical engineer, Operations Planning

• Kristel Turner, senior policy writer, Communications

Exemplary or Courageous Act

• Richard Hunt, logistics management specialist, The Dalles District

• Dennis Jackson, asset management specialist, Asset Management Business Delivery and Performance

• Taylor Christian Rieff, substation operator, Substation Operations Olympia

• Charles Sweeney, customer account executive, Transmission Sales

George Bell Community Outreach

• Jerry Jackson II, supervisory electrical engineer, Operations Planning

Meritorious Service

• Gary Dodd, supervisory IT cybersecurity specialist, Cybersecurity

• Eric King, electrical engineer, Product Management and Market Analysis

• Ann McManamon, hydrologist, Weather and Streamflow Forecasting

Outstanding Team Achievement

• Jason Burt, Erik Benner, Eric Curtis, Tom Hensley, Landon Howery, Jerry Johnson, John Little, Lance Thornall

• Molly Hatfield, Michelle Colletti, Jeff Maslow

Roy Hunter Sampsel Tribal Achievement

• Sue Ireland, former director, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Natural Resources Program

Safety Excellence

• Josh McEllrath, former supervisory substation operations specialist, Substation Operations

Special Service

• Matthew Armstrong (Actalent), historian, Environmental Compliance – Cultural Resources

• Brian Gutowski (APR Staffing), project manager, Internal Operations

• Tuan Trinh (Solo W-2), technical-professional subject matter expert, Business Operations Support

• Rebecca Woods (ACS Group, Inc.), geographer, Geomatics

• Robert Zerfing (ACS Group, Inc.), business analyst, Transmission Commercial Systems Process and Implementation

Unsung Hero

• Adé Boileau, lead public utilities specialist, Metering Services

• Christina Craig, supervisory contract specialist, Energy Infrastructure Delivery

• Heidi Haserot, realty specialist, Real Property Field Services

• Jeremy Okuda, electrical engineer, Testing and Energization

• Rian Sackett, electrical engineer, Operations Control

• Sharon Savaloja, engineering technician, Remedial Action Scheme Engineering

• Doug Williams, transmission line/fiber maintenance specialist, Asset Reliability and Maintenance

Workplace/Technology Innovation

• Emma Carson, operations research analyst, Market Analysis and CAISO Settlements

• Kelii Haraguchi, public utilities specialist, Market Analysis and Policy

• Marissa Matheson, human resources specialist, HR Systems and Automation

• Andy McDonald, electronics engineer, Remedial Action Scheme Engineering