2024 APGA Award Winners

Each year APGA presents awards to recognize individuals within our organization who have gone above and beyond to represent the interests of APGA and public gas. To learn more about our awards or submit a nomination, please go to www.apga.org/awards.


Our 2024 APGA Award Winners will be announced during the 2024 APGA Annual Conference:

  • J. Hardie Johnston Service Award
  • Harry M. Cooke Personal Service Award
  • Personal Achievement Award
  • Next Generation Employee Achievement Award
  • Community Service Award
  • Excellence In Environmental Stewardship Award
  • Distinguished Service Award
  • APGA Research Foundation (RF) Distinguished Service Award
  • Communications & Marketing Awards
  • Safety Management Excellence Award
  • System Operational Achievement Recognition (SOAR) Award Winners
  • Safety Contest Winners
  • New! Public Gas System Good Samaritan Award

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING AWARD


This award recognizes APGA public gas system members who have worked hard over the past year to 
communicate to their customers and market natural gas in their communities. Congratulations to... 

  • 1st Place: Riviera Utilities for TikTok Strategy  
  • 2nd Place: York County Natural Gas Authority for Gas Gourmet Culinary Workshop
  • 3rd Place: Owatonna Public Utilities for Hidden Gems

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COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD


The award recognizes is an APGA public gas system member on an annual basis in recognition of the accomplishments of the gas system and its employees to improving and enhancing the quality of life of the community it serves.

Congratulations to... City of Tallahassee, FL

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD


This award is given to individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty for APGA, their community and the natural gas industry, and have a long record of such commitment.

Congratulations to... Chris Latch, Corinth Water & Gas, MS

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EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD


This award recognizes an APGA public gas system member that demonstrates excellence in their commitment to environmental stewardship.

Congratulations to... City of Tallahassee, FL

HARRY M. COOKE PERSONAL SERVICE AWARD


This award is given to individuals who have made substantial contributions toward the goals of APGA and the natural gas industry, and who are employees of an APGA associate or joint action agency member.

Congratulations to... Kim Weaver, Magnolia River
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J. HARDIE JOHNSTON SERVICE AWARD

This recognition is given to individuals who are retiring after serving at least 25 years in the natural gas industry and have been active as an APGA public gas system member representative.

Congratulations to... Glen Boatwright, York County Natural Gas Authority, SC, Gary Gibson, City Utilities of Springfield, MO, & John Lunde, Watertown Municipal Utilities, SD
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NEXT GENERATION EMPLOYEE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD


This award recognizes an individual under 35 years or younger and has made substantial contributions toward the goals of their utility, APGA, and the natural gas industry.  

Congratulations to...  Ben Carey, Knoxville Utilities Board, TN

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD


This award is given to individuals who have made substantial contributions toward the goals of APGA and the natural gas industry, and who are employees of an APGA public gas system member.

Congratulations to... Jocelyn McInturff, Knoxville Utilities Board, TN
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PUBLIC GAS SYSTEM ACHIEVEMENT AWARD


The recipient is an APGA public gas system member whose performance is widely recognized in the public gas industry, has made substantial contributions to the community, other utilities and the goals of APGA. 

Congratulations to... Interior Gas Utility, AK
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PUBLIC GAS SYSTEM GOOD SAMARITAN AWARD


The recipient of this award will recognize an employee(s) from an APGA member public gas system whose service to the community goes above and beyond their job duties by positively impacting lives during an emergency.

Congratulations to... City of Ellensburg, WA
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APGA RESEARCH FOUNDATION DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD


This award is in recognition of outstanding public service, devotion to duty, contribution to the natural gas industry, and exemplifying the highest ideals in the promotion and administration of natural gas research, development, and commercialization among and for publicly owned natural gas systems

Congratulations to... Todd Gentle, Huntsville Utilities, AL

SAFETY MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE AWARD


This award is given to an APGA member system that consistently operates at the highest safety levels, clearly establishing the system as an achiever of excellence in the field of Safety Management.

Congratulations to...
Huntsville Utilities, AL

2024 SOAR WINNERS

SOAR applicants are awarded a rating based on a total cumulative score of points achieved from criteria in the areas of system integrity, system improvement, employee safety, and workforce development. There are three SOAR recognition levels: Bronze (80-89% of possible points), Silver (90-96% of possible points), and Gold (97-100% of possible points). SOAR status continues for three years. Congratulations to…

Gold

  • City of Covington, GA
  • City of Rocky Mount, NC
  • Greenville Utilities Commission, NC
  • Knoxville Utilities Board, TN
  • Watertown Municipal Utilities, SD

Silver

  • Austin Utilities, MN
  • City of Palo Alto, CA
  • Decatur Utilities, AL
  • JCE Co-Op, IL
  • Memphis Light Gas & Water, TN
  • Middle Tennessee Natural Gas, TN
  • Midwest Energy Inc., KS
  • ORUD Natural Gas, TN
  • Scottsboro Water, Sewer & Gas Board, AL
  • Southeast Gas, AL

Bronze

  • Chester County Natural Gas Authority, SC
  • City of Monroe, NC
  • City of Tifton, GA
  • City of Warner Robins, GA
  • CPS Energy, TX
  • Greenwood Commissioners of Public Works, SC
  • Kennett Municipal Gas System, MO
  • Long Beach Utilities, CA
  • Perry Natural Gas System, GA
  • West Tennessee Public Utility District, TN

SAFETY CONTEST AWARD WINNERS

Congratulations to all 43 winners of the 2024 APGA Safety Contest! These gas systems highlight the dedication of APGA members in maintaining the highest safety standards within their system, their communities, and in the natural gas industry.

Among the winning systems, Decatur Utilities, AL, Orange City Municipal Utilities, IA, Jefferson-Cocke County Utility District, TN, and City of Ellensburg, WA will be receiving an award for meeting the criteria to win the safety contest five years in a row. The City of Lawrenceville, GA will be receiving an award for meeting the criteria 10 years in a row. Chester County Natural Gas Authority, SC and Paris-Henry County Public Utility District, TN will be receiving  an award for meeting the criteria 15 years in a row. In addition, the City Utilities of Springfield, MO will be receiving an award for meeting the criteria 20 years in a row! These are remarkable achievements and serve the entire industry by exemplifying what it means to set and maintain high performance and safety standards. Congratulations to…

2024 GROUP A WINNING SYSTEMS (≤ 8,000 HOURS)
  • Town of Rangely Gas, CO
  • City of Quitman, GA
2024 GROUP B WINNING SYSTEMS (8,001 – 18,000 HOURS)
  • City of Vernon Public Utilities, CA
  • City of Fort Morgan, CO
  • City of Americus Natural Gas Department, GA
  • City of Tifton, GA
  • Fort Valley Utility Commission, GA
  • Perry Natural Gas System, GA
  • City of Sioux Center, IA
  • Orange City Municipal Utilities, IA
  • Nebraska City Utilities, NE 
2024 GROUP C WINNING SYSTEMS (18,001 – 38,000 HOURS)
  • Scottsboro Water, Sewer & Gas Board, AL
  • City of Covington, GA
  • City of Warner Robins, GA
  • Coon Rapids Municipal Utilities, IA
  • Owatonna Public Utilities, MN
  • Borough of Chambersburg, PA
  • Paris-Henry County Public Utility District, TN
  • City of Ellensburg, WA
2024 GROUP D WINNING SYSTEMS (38,001 – 70,000 HOURS)
  • Decatur Utilities, AL
  • Hartselle Utilities, AL
  • Westfield Gas + Electric, MA 
  • Kennett Municipal Gas System, MO
  • City of Wilson - Wilson Energy, NC
  • Chester County Natural Gas Authority, SC
  • Laurens Commission of Public Works, SC
  • City of Boerne Utilities, TX
2024 GROUP E WINNING SYSTEMS (OVER 70,001 HOURS)
  • Huntsville Utilities, AL
  • City of Mesa, AZ
  • City of Tallahassee Gas Utility, FL
  • Lake Apopka Natural Gas District, FL
  • City of Lawrenceville, GA
  • Midwest Energy Inc., KS
  • Corinth Gas & Water Dept., MS
  • City Utilities of Springfield, MO
  • City of Hamilton, OH
  • Lancaster County Natural Gas Authority, SC
  • York County Natural Gas Authority, SC
  • Jackson Energy Authority, TN
  • Jefferson-Cocke County Utility District, TN
  • Knoxville Utilities Board, TN
  • ORUD Natural Gas, TN
  • CPS Energy, TX