Meritorious Service Awards

Recognizing honorable actions


MEA bestows the Meritorious Service Award to recognize industry employees who have performed actions in the service of another that are considered above and beyond.

Questions? Contact John Gann at (651) 289-9600 x105.

2023 Honorees

  • Alliant Energy

    Gas

    • Thomas (TJ) Brittain, lead field technician
      Goes above and beyond to problem solve a business customer’s CO exposure – it wasn’t at work, but at home.
    • Ricky Stephen (Steve) Scheffel, gas meter regulator technician apprentice
      Assists injured utility worker who had fallen on ice.
  • Liberty Utilities

    Electric & Gas

    • Terry Beckner, relief meter reader
      Assists at the scene of a roll-over accident.
    • Cobey Johnson, gas serviceman
      Saves a passerby from a dog attack.
    • Trace Johnson, line foreman & Scott West, line foreman
      Secures an accident scene and assists victim.
  • Service Electric Co., working for CenterPoint Energy

    Electric

    • Crew Members: Ricky Russelburg, Grayson Jones, Dustin Logan, and Jacob Jones
      Discover and assist a gunshot wound victim.
  • WEC Energy Group

    Gas & Electric

    Minnesota Energy Resources (Gas)

    • Nolan McGowan, field technician II
      Field technician helps young girl in distress.

    We Energies (Electric)

    • Jeb Loth, senior operations supervisor; Nic Streich, leading line mechanic (South); Jerimiah (JJ) Blosmore; Matthew (Matt) Mecikalski, line mechanic (South); Jonathan (Jon) Benish, line mechanic (South); James (Jim) Voith, line mechanic (South); Jacob (Jake) Grintjes, line mechanic (South); Quintin Bradford, line mechanic (South); Kurt Fredenberg, line crew leader (South)
      Returning We Energies crews help save a woman’s life.

2022 Honorees

  • Ameren

    Electric

    • Joseph Rister, line troubleman
      Assists a child in medical distress with finding her medicine.
  • ComEd

    Electric

    • Gordon McElhone, underground mechanic
      Assisted an elderly man with first aid.
    • Michael Beall, Chicago north construction supervisor
      Provided assistance at a crash site.
    • Chris Ziccarelli, sr. engineering tech
      Stopped an assault in progress by drawing attention and calling 911.
    • George Anderson, sr supervisor – customer field operations
      Prevented someone from running into a low hanging power line.
    • Levon Lawrence, construction crew leader; Doug Ford, construction crew leader; Matt Czerwinski, electric mechanic; Percy Adu-Asah, electric mechanic; Shawn White, electric mechanic; and Marcell Jennings, electric mechanic
      Found a young lost child and stayed with her until her father arrived.
    • Steven Martin, sr energy tech and Jermaine Burton, energy tech
      Aided an elderly woman in distress.

2021 Honorees

  • ComEd

    Electric

    • Ryan Pondinas, overhead electrician
      Blocks a serious road accident from oncoming traffic.
    • Victor Beltran, crew leader
      Keeps an individual from coming in contact with energized lines after an accident.
    • Jeff Marmo, senior maintenance inspector
      Notified a family and 911 about a garage fire.
    • Jonathan Slavik, construction supervisor
      Finds a missing elderly man and waits with him until help arrives.
    • Jeffrey Martinez, senior engineering tech
      Secures an accident scene and provides first aid to the wounded driver.
    • Demetrius Mack, overhead electrical specialist
      Provides first aid at an accident scene.
  • Miller Pipeline

    Gas

    • Paul Dalton, foreman
      Assists a man suffering from an epileptic seizure.
    • Brett Baker, foreman; Cole Mathews, laborer; Brock Hendrix, laborer; and Justice Woods, laborer
      Assists with traffic control and give aid to the wounded at an accident scene.
    • Ben Barnhart, foreman
      Calls 911 for a driver suffering from diabetic shock.
    • Chris DeGrande, operator foreman; Darrel White, laborer; Cody Bloink, fuser; and Brad Depalma, laborer
      Save a boy from dog attack.
    • Tommy Youngs, operator;  Austin Raney, laborer; Chad Peters, foreman; and Michael Cundiff, laborer
      Save a woman and her two dogs from another dog.
    • Nathan Leath, sewer tractor lead
      Extinguishes an out of control fire and provides fire safety training to neighborhood kids.
    • Trevor Hunt, sewer tractor lead and Caleb Scott, sewer laborer
      Block traffic for an elderly man who fell of a bike and provide first aid.
    • Ryshen Dow, laborer and Mitchell Lyons, laborer
      Prevent an escaping toddler from running into a bell hole.
    • David Shirley, regional safety manager
      Donates his recreational vehicle for use by medical personnel during isolation.
    • Mark Edwards, traffic control
      Prevents a colleague from being pulled into a manhole.
    • Joe Carey, foreman
      Finds autistic child playing near the road and brings him back to his family.
    • Tyler Owen, foreman; Travis Russell, operator; Alexander Roland, foreman; Brad Russell, plumber; and Dustin Delozier, foreman
      Help an elderly woman get her car out of the ditch.
    • Augusto Ribau, laborer
      Uses his vehicle to protect a car and its driver after an accident.
  • Minnesota Limited

    Gas

    • Michael Olson, laborer; Chad Magoon, operator; and Paul Gatons, operator
      Use their safety training to assist a colleague who had lost consciousness.
    • Lloyd Fondren, safety coordinator
      Helps get trapped woman out of a car after an accident.
    • Duane Carlson, superintendent and John Chapman, foreman
      Assist a client who showed symptoms of a cardiac event.

2020 Honorees

  • ComEd
    • Steven Doen, senior engineering tech specialist
      Searches for and finds car accident woman, calls 911.
    • Kevin Lonkar, electric mechanic
      Prevents a serious accident and keeps a drunk driver from leaving the scene.
    • Gregory Mars, maintenance inspector
      Assists an elderly couple out of a burning building.
    • Richard Martucci, senior commercial compliance investigator
      Successfully puts out a meter fitting fire.
  • Miller Pipeline
    • John Poling, foreman; Kogan Wilerson, Casey Forrester, and Marrisa Morris
      Puts out a car fire and assists the driver to safety
    • James Stapert, foreman
      Assists elderly woman after she suffers a fall.
    • Don Campbell, foreman; Russell Miller, foreman; Joe Santoriella, laborer; Robert Still, laborer; John Adkins, laborer; Nicholas Gilliam, laborer; and Peggy Duncan, laborer.
      Discover a burning home, work to clear the scene and call 911.

2019 Honorees

  • ComEd
    • Jean Paul Meyer, overhead electrician
    • Kevin Powell, overhead electrician
    • Nick Richardson, overhead electrician
    • George Longoria, general service rep
    • Larry Shank, general service rep
    • Joel Rangel, transmission service helper
    • Richard McClelland, supervisor information desk
    • Scott Galasinski, sr engineering tech
    • Kyle Cordone, overhead electrician starter
    • Ryan Brady, overhead electrician
    • Robert Goudie, sr. engineering tech
  • WEC Energy Group - Peoples Gas, Chicago
    • Araceli Cobern, senior customer service associate

2018 Honorees

  • CenterPoint Energy
    • Larry Juday, meter reader
  • City Utilities of Springfield
    • Jeremy Strickland, sr. measurement technician
    • Ray McCrickard, measurement technician
  • ComEd
    • Armando Alcantar, crew leader
    • Lavell Short, crew leader
    • Michael Skrzyniarz, overhead electrician
    • Brian Metzger, crew leader
    • Michael Monaco, overhead electrician
    • Matthew Tinsley, overhead electrician
    • Jeremy Gladkowski, crew leader
    • Roberto Celestino, overhead electrician
    • Adam Bickel, overhead electrician
    • Daniel Cooper, overhead electrician starter
    • Hugo Castaneda, principle engineer
    • Pablo Bonilla, crew leader
  • KS Energy Services
    • Dan Ehlers, contractor
  • WEC Energy Group – Wisconsin Public Service Corp.
    • Terry Thiel, gas utility mechanic

2017 Honorees

  • Ameren Illinois Company
    • Justin Maduena, gas troubleman
    • Jeff Aimone, lineman
    • Mike Rivara, lineman
    • Bob Torres, lineman
    • Michael Snider, gas journeyman
  • CenterPoint Energy
    • Carol Donnellan, gas utility person – meter reader
  • ComEd
    • Timothy Johnson, senior engineering design tech
    • Edwin Pacheco, upgraded meter reader
    • Eddy Zamudio, meter reader
    • Courtney Crenshaw, senior environmental compliance specialist
    • Gregg Sternes, crew leader
    • Timothy Hannon, overhead electrical specialist
    • Kenneth Michaels, overhead electrician
    • Brandon Murphy, overhead electrical starter
    • Russell Wysocki, supervisor
    • Martin Quinn, senior project construction manager
    • Patrick O’Connor, engineering design tech
    • Ethan Hannasch, district rep combination
  • Nicor Gas
    • Clarence Flower, distribution technician
    • Forchin Garrett, distribution mechanic