NCDOL Safety Awards
Water Quality Manager Anthony Whitehead accepts award from Cherie Berry, NC Commissioner of Labor
The NC Department of Labor (NCDOL) and the Greenville-Pitt Chamber of Commerce recognized GUC’s efforts to work safely. For some of GUC’s departments, this was the eleventh consecutive year earning awards. In all, GUC was honored with 17 safety awards during the NCDOL annual safety banquet.
Outstanding Service Awards
Troy Perkins, Water Resources Systems Superintendent Water Resources Systems Superintendent Troy Perkins received several national and state honors on November 14th from the North Carolina American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Association (NC AWWA-WEA). Troy was inducted into the nationally recognized NC Chapter of Five S Society, which honors those in the wastewater field who have made a particular contribution to the industry. Only a few members are selected each year for membership in this prestigious group. He also received the Donald Francisco Educator of the Year Award and the Arthur Sidney Bedell Award for extraordinary personal service to a member association.
HR Excellence Award
GUC’s Human Resources Department received the Agency Award for Excellence from the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR). This award was established to recognize the overall quality, accomplishments, and contributions of a human resources program that exceeds the normal operation of a good government human resources program.
Cigna Carolina’s Well-Being Award
The wellness program at Greenville Utilities and the City of Greenville was selected as the Cigna Carolina’s 2017 Well-Being Award recipient. GUC was chosen for its commitment to building a culture of well-being.
Finance Award
The Government Finance Officers’ Association (GFOA) presented Greenville Utilities three awards related to how the Finance Department communicates financial information -- Distinguished Budget Presentation, the Certificate of Excellence for CAFR, and the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting for PAFR.
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.
Project Excellence
GUC received the prestigious Expanding Excellence Finalist Award under the category of Best Customer Information System Implementation from CS Week, an international customer service conference organization serving electric, gas, water, and wastewater utility professionals. This award is designed to acknowledge excellence in utility customer service and serves as recognition for a highly successful CIS project implementation. Nominated projects are evaluated on adherence to budget and schedule, operational efficiency after go-live, innovation, and improved service levels.
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.