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March 11, 2010 | Ronnie Faries honored as New Madrid Power Plant Safety Person of the YearContact : Nancy Southworth 417.885.9246 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (Associated) has recognized Joseph “Ronnie” Faries, instrumentation technician specialist, Lilbourn, as New Madrid Power Plant Safety Person of the Year for 2009. Employees are nominated by peers for the honor. He was honored for 31 years without a safety incident. As his nominators said, “Ronnie continues to set the highest standard for his safety and environmental activities. … He does not hesitate to make safety suggestions on any work activity or topic. He sets a safety example for all of the New Madrid Power Plant employees to emulate.” On the midnight shift, Faries works closely with operations to troubleshoot and correct instrumentation problems. He started at the plant as a guard, then moved into operations and progressed to control room operator, a position he held for nearly nine years. Then he moved into instrumentation, progressing through the journeyman ranks to specialist. He volunteers for the plant’s fire, confined spaces and IDLH (immediate danger to life and health) teams. Faries makes a point of faithfully practicing a safety checklist every day and training less experienced journeymen to do the same. Safety, he said, is about family. “This is kind of like my extra home, my extended family. You’re here as much as with your real family, and you come to care about them. To me when I come into work, I’m coming to see my friends. When we get here, we do the work and watch out after each other so we all go home safe. Keeping me and my family as safe as I can is one of my jobs,” he said. Note: Photos of award recipients available electronically. Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. is owned by and provides wholesale power to six regional and 51 local electric cooperative systems in Missouri, southeast Iowa and northeast Oklahoma that serve more than 875,000 customers. AECI’s mission is to provide an economical and reliable power supply and support services to its members, including its “Take Control & Save“ energy efficiency program, www.TakeControlAndSave.coop. AECI is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V Released: 11 March 2010 |
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