On May 21, at the Northwest Public Power Association’s 86th Annual Conference and Membership Meeting in Spokane, Washington, NWPPA presented awards to nine individuals and one member utility.
Life Member Awards
Recognizes policymakers and managers who have retired or will soon retire from NWPPA member utilities and have made notable contributions to the association and public power.
Randy Howard, general manager of the Northern California Power Agency, plans to retire this year after 40 years in the public power industry and over a decade leading the agency. Before joining NCPA, he worked for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for nearly 30 years. As NCPA general manager, Howard led several major strategic initiatives to pursue new services and support opportunities. He has been involved in several industry groups and represented public power and NCPA before local, state, and federal agencies on issues of importance to utilities, frequently serving as an expert witness.
Frank Lawson, general manager of the Eugene Water & Electric Board, retired this spring after more than a decade leading the utility. Among other achievements at EWEB, he helped develop local mutual aid agreements; led the utility through a complex and publicly sensitive decision to decommission a legacy hydroelectric project; guided the utility through multiple major emergency events; and developed a strategic plan to prepare EWEB for a changing energy landscape. Lawson was also instrumental in the launch of the Western Resource Adequacy Program and active in regional industry organizations.
Allen Martinell retired from the Vigilante Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees this year after 45 years of service, making him the longest-tenured trustee in the cooperative’s history. Since being elected in 1981, Martinell has been president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer of the board. He represented Vigilante Electric on the Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association Board of Directors, serving on MECA’s safety and loss control and education and training standing committees. He was also an active member of the Vigilante Electric safety committee and always prioritized employee well-being.
Steve Taylor retired from Okanogan County PUD last October after a 31-year career in public power. Taylor’s career in the electrical industry began with the U.S. Navy in the late 1980s. After serving in the Navy, he earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology from Central Washington University. He worked in engineering roles at Lower Valley Power and Light in Jackson, Wyoming; Franklin County PUD in Pasco, Washington; and Powder River Energy in Sundance, Wyoming. He became general manager of Mason County PUD No. 1 in 2007 and took on the general manager position for Okanogan County PUD in 2018. He was the 2017-2018 NWPPA board president and active in numerous other industry associations.
Paul J. Raver Community Service Award
Honors an individual or organization for leadership in enhancing the role of electric systems in achieving community betterment of a city, county, state, or region.
Annette Creekpaum has led Mason PUD 3 for the past decade, guiding the utility with a community-first approach. Under her direction, Mason PUD 3 expanded access to essential services, including the growth of an open-access broadband network and major electric infrastructure investments. Creekpaum actively encourages employee engagement beyond the workplace, supporting and modeling volunteerism and charitable giving. At the regional and state levels, she has helped address issues such as resource adequacy, broadband expansion, rate planning, and financial stewardship. Her efforts have supported equitable, long-term solutions that strengthen the Northwest public power system.
Will Hart is the executive director and sole employee of the Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association. In 2024, ICUA member utilities entrusted Hart with developing and advancing the Idaho Wildfire Standard of Care Act. Hart helped champion Senate Bill 1183, a critical measure designed to rebalance wildfire liability for Idaho’s electric utilities and provide stronger ratepayer protections. During multiple rounds of negotiations and several failed votes, Hart remained principled, composed, and unwavering in his commitment to Idaho communities. Through this dedicated effort, the bill was signed into law on April 3, 2025.
Truckee Donner PUD’s Charging Futures Forward youth engagement initiative is a comprehensive program supporting students at every stage of their education. Through hands on field trips, classroom visits, career exploration, and technology programs, the initiative connects local youth to the real world impact of public power. The initiative also invests directly in the community’s future workforce through scholarships for college bound seniors and students pursuing trade and vocational careers, creating pathways for local talent to learn, grow, and give back.
William “Bill” McCrorie Distinguished Service Awards
Celebrates individuals who have served the interests of public power and NWPPA in an outstanding manner.
Dave Peterson has dedicated over four decades to public power, starting his career at Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative in 1985. For the past 18 years, he has served as Fall River Electric’s manager of engineering. Throughout his career, Peterson has provided steady leadership and technical expertise both at his own utility and within the region. He served on the NWPPA Engineering & Operations Conference Planning Committee for many years and chaired the 2003 E&O in Spokane, Washington, and 2004 E&O in Boise, Idaho. He has also been active with Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association.
Tom Tankersley served on the McMinnville Water & Light Commission for 35 years, including 33 years as commission chair. He retired Dec. 31, 2025, as the utility’s second-longest-serving commissioner. Tankersley spearheaded some of McMinnville Water & Light’s most significant events, including the 2008 Bonneville Power Administration Regional Dialogue contract; construction of the new Gormley Substation; expansion of the Walnut City and Baker Creek substations; the 2011 Cascade Steel power sales agreement; and the 2025 BPA Provider of Choice contract. He has also been involved with multiple boards and committees, and served on the NWPPA Board of Trustees from 2022 through 2025.
Homer T. Bone Award
Presented to honor an elected official serving and representing constituents in the NWPPA service territory that have demonstrated sustained and remarkable work on behalf of public power.
Idaho State Sen. James “Jim” Woodward is a longtime supporter of public power. In addition to his role as a senator, he has served on the Northern Lights, Inc. Board of Directors since 2014 and on the Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association Board of Directors since 2016. Last year, he sponsored the most important legislation ICUA has put forward in over a decade, Senate Bill 1183, the Wildfire Standard of Care Act. The bill took overwhelming effort to pass, and Woodward helped shepherd it to the governor’s desk. Now, the legislation provides critical wildfire liability protections for Idaho utilities with approved wildfire mitigation plans.
NWPPA is a not-for-profit regional association representing and serving more than 150 customer-owned, locally controlled utilities in the Western U.S. and Canada. The association also serves around 400 associate members across the U.S. and Canada that are allied with the electric utility industry.
