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Region honors Grant PUD employees with two prestigious awards

EPHRATA former Grant PUD executive and the Emergency Response Team at Wanapum Dam have been honored by the Northwest Public Power Association with prestigious awards.

Kevin Marshall, former Chief Operations Officer at Grant PUD with more than 43 years of experience in civil, structural, and in-water engineering, received the 2021 Milton Hunt McGuire Award for excellence in engineering or operations. Marshall is a leader in dam safety and civil engineering in the Northwest and United States.

Marshall recently retired from full-time work at Grant PUD but continues part-time as a project specialist. Read the full NWPPA news release here.

Water rescue 

The Emergency Response Team at Wanapum Dam received NWPPA's 2021 Safety Heroism Award for its quick rescue of two Grant PUD contractors.

On Nov. 13, 2020, a rescue boat carrying two contractors performed safety patrols in the Columbia River to support contractor maintenance of spillgate monitoring devices.

The boat suffered an engine problem and overturned in the Wanapum Dam tailrace, plunging both boatmen into the frigid water. Trained in boat handling and water rescue, dam personnel quickly launched a rescue boat and retrieved the contractors. Others remained on shore to support the boat crew.

Team members include hydro mechanics Steve Gilliland, Brian Saunders, Mike Allen, Travis Havens and Willie Stone; Power Plant Operations Chief David BurkHydro Mechanic Foreman Jeremy Coleman; Foreman Electrician Roy BenschSupervising Foreman Mark RiggsSenior Power Plant Operator Bill Nichols; and Electrician Ty Mertes. Read the full NWPPA news release here.

"These folks do Grant PUD proud," said General Manager and CEO Kevin Nordt. "They embody the values of safety, innovation, service, teamwork and integrity we hold dear at Grant PUD. We thank NWPPA for honoring them – and all of us – with these distinguished awards." 

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