Students Driven to Succeed

Contents
On the cover: Hundreds of students, teachers, parents and others have been impacted by Power Drive.

2 4 6

Engineering Model FCS Receives CAL from NRC

Technical savvy and people skills define Tom Burton, the OPPD Society of Engineers Engineer of the Year. Serving as another milestone in the road to restart and recovery at Fort Calhoun Station, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a Confirmatory Action Letter to OPPD on June 11.

Driven to Success Rebuilding the Past Running Wild in Warrior Dash Graduate Section

For 13 years, the Power Drive program has given students an outlet to showcase their ingenuity and creativity.

10 12 15 12 23

In retirement, Dick Varner continues in his role as a caretaker for the land and structures of southeastern Nebraska. A group of OPPD employees were among the 20,000-plus individuals who participated in Nebraskas a first-ever Warrior Dash. An impressive number of OPPD employees and their families made fashion statements in caps and gowns at commencement exercises this summer.

People

Anniversaries, retirements, deaths, sympathies and club notes. Back cover Flood of Memories The one-year anniversary of the Missouri River flood of 2011 served as a reminder of all the hard work by employees.

Vol. 92, No. 4, July/August 2012

Published bimonthly by the Corporate Communications Division, Flash magazine provides OPPD employees and retirees with strategic industry- and job-related news, and human-interest articles about associates and their families. Flash is one of several tools that comprise our communication strategy. Employees and retirees can access timely OPPD news weekdays via OPPD News online. Flash Editor .................................... Chris Cobbs Creative Director..........................Joe Comstock To contact the Flash editor: phone.............. 402-636-3757 email .............. [email protected] address ............ OPPD, Flash, 3E/EP1 444 S. 16th St. Omaha, NE 68102-2247

Contributing Staff
DJ Clarke Django Greenblatt-Seay Jeff Hanson Jeni Hoffman Sharon Jefferson Mike Jones Paula Lukowski Lisa Olson Althea Pietsch Laurie Zagurski Terry Zank

Senior Management
W. Gary Gates ........................................President Dave Bannister ................................Vice President Timothy J. Burke ..............................Vice President Mohamad Doghman .......................Vice President Edward Easterlin ..............................Vice President Jon Hansen ......................................Vice President Sherrye Hutcherson .........................Vice President

Reporters
Randy Alsman Tim Ash Kim Barnes Sara Biodrowski Karma Boone Joanne Brown Cec Christensen Jeannie Corey Sharon Dickman Neal Faltys Kelly Fleming Anne Forslund Natalie Ging Nancy Goddard Barbara Gullie Jill Hanover Margine Henry Ed Howell Traci Hug Sharon Jefferson Debbie Jensen Terri Kelly Shelley Kendrick Melinda Kenton Suzanne Krajicek Becky Kruger Doug Mickells Jamie Moore Shawn Moore Shelly Mruz Beth Nagel Rick Perrigo Trudy Prather Pam Price Lana Pulverenti Heather Rawlings Kathy Royal Terri Salado Peter Schiltz Jim Shipman Jammie Snyder Jennifer St. Clair Kathy Stolinski Clint Sweet Vince Timmerman Dennis Vanek Dawn Varner

Board of Directors
N.P. Dodge Jr.....................Chairman of the Board John R. Thompson. .... Vice Chairman of the Board Michael J. Cavanaugh ............................. Treasurer Anne L. McGuire ....................................Secretary John K. Green ................................Board Member Lloyd Scheve .................................Board Member Fred J. Ulrich..................................Board Member Del D. Weber .................................Board Member

Line Items
The federal courthouse, located at 111 S. 18th Plaza in downtown Omaha, has 356,873-square-feet of space. GSA This spring, OPPD officials recognized the General personnel worked with OPPD, as well as Services Administration Region 6 for its commitment to specialized subcontractors Bes-Tech and efficient energy management at the Roman L. Hruska Engineered Controls Inc. on improvements U.S. Courthouse. in the buildings energy systems. GSAs opOPPD Vice President Sherrye Hutcherson presented erations and maintenance contractor LB&B a check for $48,800 to Mary Kosmicki, Director, GSA also played a critical role in the project Nebraska Office. The check represents energy savings that because of their knowledge of the building. the GSA realized at the facility as a result of several energy By taking these steps, the GSA reduced commissioning and optimization projects. Built in 2000, annual HVAC chilled water consumption by the six-story building has become a model for how to get 33.5 percent, steam consumption by 24.4 the most from energy management systems. percent, electricity consumption by 13.6 GSA will see an actual utility cost savings of $173,670 percent and electricity demand by 17.7 annually at the courthouse, based on 12 months of utility percent, based on 12 months of utility data. data, said Sherrye. The results speak for themselves, but Roman L. Hruska U.S. Courthouse. The building has achieved ENERGY STAR OPPD applauds the GSA for its good stewardship of reducing energy status with a rating of 87 percent. This the fourth consecutive ENERGY demand and cutting its energy bill, thus saving taxpayer dollars. The STAR award for the courthouse. project serves as a successful example to others.

General Services Administration Recognized for Energy Savings

OPPD Team to Carry United Way Torch

OPPDs 2012 United Way campaign, with a theme linked to the Olympic Games in London, is scheduled to run from Monday, Sept. 10, through Friday, Sept. 21. A kick-off breakfast is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 6, featuring this years chairman Bill Lenagh, division manager of Customer Sales & Service, and others on the United Way team. The OPPD goal for 2012 is $355,000, with a stretch goal of $360,000. Last years goal was $350,000 with a stretch goal of $355,000. As usual, anyone contributing to the campaign will be eligible for raffle prizes, including gift cards for area entertainment and restaurants. Prizes are being donated. Thanks for all your support in the past, it will be needed again to reach our goal and help make our community a better place, said Bill. The team that is working on this will do all we can to carry the torch of the United Way spirit in our 2012 campaign.

Oh, my, this ceremony is flying by. They're already on the "C's" and it's only been a week.
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EnginEEring ModEl
Technical savvy and people skills define Tom Burton, the OPPD Society of Engineers Engineer of the Year for 2012. He is regarded as a role model for younger employees and a beacon of excellence among OPPDs 430 engineers.
Tom Burtons involvement with the North Omaha Station Coal-Handling Upgrade Project in 2000 illustrates many of the qualities that led to his selection as the OPPD Society of Engineeers Engineer of the Year for 2012. His contribution to that project also contains the DNA of his current work on proposed federal air quality regulations at fossil plants. For the coal-handling project, Tom served as project manager on a $10 million overhaul that included upgrading all coal belts, chutes and drive motors, replacing the stockout structure and rail car thawing equipment, changing to computerized controls and making changes to the rail tracks to accommodate longer trains on site. Even while working to develop the technical solution for an aging plant, Tom also was listening to concerns of plant operators and maintenance staff to make certain he had a grasp of their concerns. Equal emphasis on both the technical and subjective sides of engineering are at the core of Toms approach, and have been since he came to OPPD in 1980. It was an important modification that modernized the system and gave us the ability to move coal faster, said Jon Hansen, vice president, Energy Production & Marketing, who served as operations manager during the North Omaha project. Despite all the work involved, it didnt affect production or operation of any units. In the midst of the massive project, Tom still found time for volunteering two nights a month at the Stephen Center homeless shelter, a role in which he continues to serve. Above all, he 2 Flash July/August 2012 was and is a devoted father to three sons and a daughter (Ben, Christopher, Peter and Angela), with an extended family that now includes six grandchildren. Tom also is a deacon at Holy Cross Catholic Church. Tom is a highly committed, high-integrity, common-sense engineer, said Jon. All of that, in one neat package. Hes a great role model for others at OPPD. Modest in the extreme, Tom jokingly said, What were they thinking? of his selection as Engineer of the Year. In a serious vein, he also said he was deeply honored and flattered by the award. The OPPD Society of Engineers Board and a selection committee of five engineers involving different areas of the company selected Tom from a field of eight nominees, said Mike Herzog, senior transmission planning engineer and chairperson of the OPPD Society of Engineers. Following are some of the criteria used in the selection process: Significant achievement in the engineering field Behaviors that create and support the OPPD ideal culture Innovative solution to solve a technical problem where attributes of the ideal utility are displayed Community involvement Continuing competence Tom has demonstrated he is a go-to engineer, said Mike. There is no doubt he will get the job done. He is also very good at working with young engineers. There are 430 engineers at OPPD, and we wanted to recognize someone for others in the company to emulate. In addition to Tom, the following individuals were nominated for the OSE Engineer of the Year award: Joel Haskins, Senior Design Engineer, T&D Operations

Engineer of the Year

Landy Jacobson, Manager of T&D Projects, Substation Operations John Mayhan, Principal Transmission Planning Engineer, System Planning & Cost Management Tom Mayhan, Principal EMS Engineer, System Planning & Cost Management Ron McIvor, Principal Protection Engineer, Substation Operations Terry Pirruccello, Manager of Records and Standards, T&D Operations Randy Veik, Superintendent Technical, Production Operations Toms selection as Engineer of the Year was

OPPD ideal culture. As a manager, my role is to make sure people can learn to do my job someday to help keep the company going, Tom said. I try to guide others through the path of using their technical skills within OPPDs parameters of doing business. Along with his work on the North Omaha project, evidence of Toms continuing competence can be found in his contribution to the 1993 rail spur to Nebraska City Station project and the 1997 Nebraska City Station Upgrade Project (new HP/IP turbine) and a number of other smaller projects along the way. Now on his agenda is involvement along with senior managers and many others with responding to the challenge of proposed Environ-

All In The Family

Engineering is in the blood of Tom Burton and his family. Selected by the OPPD Society of Engineers as Engineer of the Year for 2012, Tom is the son of an electrical engineer (1920-2005) who worked his entire life for the telephone company. And two of Toms four children are in the field: Oldest Child: Angela graduated from Creighton, married to another Creighton graduate and stays home with her 3 sons 2nd Oldest: Ben, graduated from University of Nebraska Omaha; works as a CPA in town (married with 3 sons) 3rd oldest: Chris, graduated from University of Nebraska Lincoln; works as a Mechanical Engineer in Lincoln (Cleaver-Brooks); getting married this summer Youngest: Peter, one year left in engineering (mechanical) at the University of Tulsa, currently working a summer internship at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Mich.

Tom Burton and his extended family

influenced in part by his community involvement, centered on his volunteer work at the Stephen Center homeless shelter for the past 21 years. Two nights a month, he sleeps over at the center, which houses about 60 homeless individuals. I sleep with one eye open, so I can help if someone has issues, Tom said. The programs function is to help them understand why they are homeless and how to stop being homeless. Additionally, his selection reflects his work with young engineers and efforts to support the

mental Protection Agency air quality regulations. We have been tracking this issue since well before 2000, and its one of the biggest challenges the fossil generating stations have ever faced, Tom said. I am not the lead, but I am providing input. Were looking for a balance between low-cost energy for our customers and responding to government regulations. Its a very difficult balance, and the challenge could result in the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars. By Chris Cobbs July/August 2012 Flash 3

Serving as another milestone in the road to restart and recovery for Fort Calhoun Station (FCS), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) to OPPD on June 11. The CAL, which includes a restart checklist, documents the actions OPPD has committed to taking before restarting FCS. The plant has been safely shut down since April 9, 2011, for the start of a planned refueling and maintenance outage. The CAL confirms that we are working on the appropriate issues in our FCS Integrated Performance Improvement Plan, which we released publicly in February, noted Gary Gates, president and CEO. The CAL also formalizes commitments OPPD has previously made to address all of the issues that prompted the NRC to place FCS into InspecDan Montez, Lisa Olson, Jeff Hanson tion Manual Chapter 0350, a special category and Judy Sunde were among those calling for additional NRC oversight for plants in representing OPPD at the open house. extended shutdown. As recent conversations between OPPD and the NRC have indicated, we have made substantial progress in recovering FCS and returning the station to a high level of performance, Gary said. 4 Flash July/August 2012

Fort Calhoun Station Receives CAL from NRC

I appreciate the hard work of everyone on site and all the support FCS has received companywide in pursuing those goals, Gary emphasized. While some things remain unknown, such as the scheduling of upcoming NRC inspections and any additional items that may arise during discovery, we continue to work the plan. Employees can access the CAL by visiting the FCS button on the intranet home page.

NRC and OPPD Hold Open Houses

To give the public a chance to talk informally with NRC regional representatives on the status of FCS, the NRC hosted an open house at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Omaha on May 31. In addition to members of the public, media representatives from all the local TV stations and a few radio stations attended. In a break from its series of formal public meetings, the NRC answered questions from visitors one-on-one. Questions revolved around NRC policies, how those policies pertain to FCS, how the agency was going to ensure the safety of the public, and when the plant would return to operation.

OPPD simultaneously hosted an open house, giving the public a chance to ask questions of OPPD at various stations set up in another room. Employees staffed informational tables on the Integrated Performance Improvement Plan, plant status and Nuclear Power 101. OPPD also had informational tables on renewable energy, environmental stewardship and energy efficiency.

Plant Work in Full Swing, Fukushima Project Getting Started

The pace of outage-related activities picked up in early June, as FCS workers tackled a number of maintenance tasks and modifications at the plant. We will not sacrifice safety or quality for production, but we have a passion for fixing the plant and completing this outage, said Deb Matthews, manager Outage. Putting passion into your work is a strong expectation of Plant Manager Mike Prospero. We are committed to avoiding anyone getting hurt, and focusing on the things we can control on the job, with passion and a sense of urgency, Mike said. From an industry-wide perspective, FCS has started a long-term project to comply with orders and information requests from the NRC related to the incident at the Fukushima nuclear facility, which was caused by an earthquake and resulting tsunami in 2011. The NRC orders focus mainly on being able to safely deal with conditions caused by an event that exceeds what the

plant was designed to withstand. The specifics include installing a system to remotely monitor spent fuel pool levels and reevaluating potential flooding and earthquake hazards. The Fukushima response project is being designed to minimize its impact on the plantrestart effort and day-today plant operations. The NRC has issued a detailed schedule for providing the industry additional guidance on this topic over at least the next five years. By Terry Zank

Above, employees at various information booths talk with customers who attended the event. At left, Channel 3s Fatima Rahmatullah interviews Jeff Hanson.

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Driven to Success

Kids Building Cars, Program Building Leaders

The Elkhorn team celebrates its 2012 Power Drive championship. Ayrton Kuzela is holding a trophy at his side.

Ayrton Kuzela grew up around the Power Drive Program. He capped his senior year with a big victory for Elkhorn High and by winning the Paul High Memorial Scholarship. he 2001 snapshot shows an impressionable first grader, mugging for the camera at the Power Drive championship course at OPPDs Elkhorn Service Center. Dressed in his Little League baseball uniform, that was the beginning of something very special for Ayrton Kuzela, son of John Kuzela, senior operations engineer at Fort Calhoun Station and a long-time Power Drive volunteer. We went to our first Power Drive championship in 2000, and we were both hooked, said John. Ayrton loved the cars, they were more his size. We both counted laps and knew we would be back volunteering.

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And return they did, year after year. That eventually led to Ayrton competing on Elkhorns Electric Vehicle Team (EEVT) all four years of high school. The Kuzelas did a lot of lap counting initially, but as time went on, they got more and more involved with other duties, such as judging maneuverability and braking. One year, when the championships were held at the Qwest Center, Ayrton was assigned directly to Steve Anderson (Power Drive coordinator) as his runner and to help enter the event data into Steves laptop. He absolutely was beaming, especially when it turned very cold and rainy, and he got to stay in the warm van with Steve, John said. It was so cool, said Ayrton of tagging along during the early years of the program. I couldnt wait to participate. Ayrton and I would draw pictures of what his

For 13 years, the Power Drive program has given students an outlet to showcase their ingenuity and creativity. Hundreds of students and countless teachers, parents and others have been impacted by the program, which debuted in the 1998-1999 school year. Power Drive encourages student interest in energy- and automotiverelated industries by bringing a practical focus to students' math, science and/or vocational education. They work in teams, under the direction of instructors who have been trained at Power Drive workshops. Instructors report the

program boosts academics, school spirit and community interest and support. The vehicles and talent have really improved over the years, said OPPD President Gary Gates. But this program goes beyond technical skills, also giving the kids organizational and leadership skills. The Power Drive championship was held May 5. Prior to the championship, five rallies were held at various sites across the state. Power Drive is currently cosponsored by Omaha Public Power District, Nebraska Public Power District, the Nebraska Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities Program.

John and his wife, Power Drive car would Dawn, are among the look like and debate the many parents who value pros and cons of various what Power Drive has designs, added John. given to their son. As His exposure to Power important is the comDrive in these early mitment by the particiyears let him see how pating schools that allow the competition was the instructors to share judged. Before he ever their time and talents joined the EEVT, he had with the EV teams. a strong understanding The EEVT met every of the technology, rules, Tuesday and Thursday safety, driving skills and from the beginning of what made an electric Ayrton Kuzela stands at the lap-counter table the school year until the car fast, said John. at the 2003 Power Drive championships. end, and its the only I watched the skill program that allows a levels improve. Cars student to earn a letter in Power Drive. This year, used to go fewer laps and there were more acJoe Lee, a math teacher at Elkhorn South, served cidents, said Ayrton, who will attend South as the school representative. Craig Vinopal held Dakota State University in the fall and work toward a degree in electrical engineering. I gained valuable experience in Power Drive, said Ayrton. I have done a lot of fabrication, problem-solving and documentation. We went through three different steering prototypes. We worked as a team and shared a lot of ideas. Plus, racing was a blast, he said. Its not like driving a normal car, added Ayrton. You have to really know the car and the track. You have to plan, watching the amps and making turns as smooth as possible, Ayrtons 2012 lucky shoes were retired coasting in the right places. and hung in the EEVT shop after the finals.

Power Drive events competed with Ayrtons baseball, but the family made efforts to do both. Sometimes it was Power Drive events in the morning and baseball practice or games later that day. Lower left, Ayrton is at the 2001 Power Drive championships, ready for a ballgame.

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Power Drive showcases both individual skill and teamwork.

that role Ayrtons first three years. Both men were aided by three experienced parent volunteers: Tom Scott, a professional auto body technician; Steve Fluer, an electrician; and Jim Morrow, a software engineer. Ayrton and the EEVT learned from the previous years, and they made a whole-out effort to dominate this year, John said. Not everything went perfect, but the minor setbacks they encountered were approached with the teams casual approach and resolved in a scientific manner.

Their determination paid off big. Elkhorns S01 car won the standard class, with 1153.1 points, and the teams exhibition and advanced cars finished in the top five of their respective classes. This year, all three EEVT cars (S01, E05 and A51) ran every event, the entire 1-hour rally without one on-the-track failure, said John. We had never seen this type of consistent high performance in the Power Drive. The information on car characteristics, battery performance, driving experience and confidence in the team played a big role in the EEVTs success this year. Fittingly, Ayrton was awarded the Paul High Memorial Scholarship at the championship award ceremony. Paul, a long-time OPPD transportation employee, was instrumental in the early years of Power Drive.

By Paula Lukowski

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Kids Rally Together at Power Drive Championships

Those who attended the Power Drive Finals at Werner Park on May 5 were treated to an impressive show. On display were light electric vehicles designed and built by students from high schools across Nebraska and Iowa, plus another one from Watertown High School in Wisconsin. Lining the course, spectators settled in for the day with chairs, shade umbrellas and stocked coolers. Teams transformed the parking lot into a series of pit areas, where kids made last-minute tweaks to cars and teams finalized their strategies. A steady buzzing of battery chargers overtook the silent countryside surrounding the ball field. In all, more than 50 cars from 40 high schools participated in the championships. Dozens of OPPD and Nebraska Public Power District employees and retirees ran the event. We hear over and over again how much the students, teachers and parents appreciate the event and the effort that all of the volunteers put into the Power Drive Program, said OPPD retiree Steve Anderson, who oversees the program. The Watertown Wisconsin team traveled more than eight hours to attend. The endurance runs at Power Drive are a higher caliber because there are a lot more teams, said Jesse Domer, who teaches engineering and welding at Watertown High. We have a couple of events in Wisconsin that attract about 25 electric cars. The top five finishers by class, with car numbers and total points, include:

Standard Class
Elkhorn, car S01, 1153.1 Bancroft Rosalie, car S20, 1053.1
Power Drive finals were held at Werner Park, with spectators lining the course.

Advanced Class
Wayne, car A39, 1060.5 Columbus Lakeview, car A104, 1051.1 Elkhorn, car A51, 890.9 Raymond Central, car A57, 844.9 Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Ia., car A40, 751.1

Raymond Central, car S55, 1031.3 Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Iowa, car S50, 962.5 Winside, car S80, 896.8

Exhibition Class
Bancroft Rosalie, car E21 A special thank you to the following photographers, who provided Power Drive photos: Sue Baxter, Dhruba Chakravarti, Don Cross, Rich Fiddelke, Retiree George Sinos and Employee John Kuzela. Raymond Central, car E118 Wayne, car E107 Elkhorn, car E5 Friend, car E87

July/August 2012 Flash

Rebuilding the Past

Dick Varner plans to restore a farmhouse thats been in the family for more than a century.

In retirement, Dick Varner continues in his role as a caretaker for the land and structures of southeastern Nebraska.
Dick Varner has devoted nearly 25 years to making OPPD a safer, more environmentallyfriendly place all across its service territory. His focus wont wander far with his Sept. 1 retirement. Using flooring, trim and windows from another old home destined to be torn down, Dick plans to restore a tumbledown farmhouse thats been in his family since the late 1800s. Along with redoing the 1.5-story farmhouse, he also will nurture the 160-acre spread on which it stands, planting native grasses to provide feed and shelter for area wildlife. Dick, supervisor Environmental Health and Safety, has been at OPPD since 1988, following 14 years with the Nebraska Department of Environmental Control. For his departure, he has assembled a transition plan covering PCB management, electrical equipment spills, respiratory fit tests and sundry other tasks. In addition, he will provide

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some hands-on guidance for his replacement, who is to be hired before Dicks retirement. The biggest handoff will be PCBs, which is an acronym for polychlorinated biphenyls, Dick said. PCBs were banned by Congress in 1979, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was given delegated authority to establish specific-use authorizations and restrictions for products containing PCBs. PCBs are a man-made chemical that was manufactured and used in various applications because of its stability and fire resistance. For this reason, PCBs were a natural fit as a fluid insulator for various electrical equipment, such as transformers, capacitors and regulators. Although classified as a toxic substance, the EPA still allows utilities to use equipment containing PCBs to the extent the equipment fluid (oil) remains contained inside the equipment. If spilled into the environment, there are specific cleanup requirements in addition to the record-keeping of all PCBs that are disposed of

The place is nearly as old as Nebraska annually. Spills to a customers property as confirmed by an abstract that docuand possessions can result in extensive ments family ownership of the quartercleanups and can be expensive. section of land going back to 1873. For With the amount of older electrical equipment still in service, OPPD will have nearly a half century, the chief inhabitants of the land have been deer, raccoons to contend with PCBs for some time to and turkeys, but Dick will make it home come. The EPA is looking at tightening to quail and pheasants, grasses and other the regulations on PCBs and may set a favorable habitats. defined schedule for finding and removIn order to make the farmhouse new ing regulated equipment from service. again, Dick will have to first gut it. Then This too will be costly. he will repurpose flooring, trim and Along with managing PCBs, Dick windows given to him by his son-in-law. devotes a big chunk of his time to mediDick will build and install new cabinets. cal monitoring, respirator physicals, resJust about the only element from the old pirator fit tests and audiograms. He also place will be the plank pine on the upper coordinates some workplace sampling level. Dick also plans to fill the house areas for dangerous substances dating with the antiques he has passionately colback to the 1950s, including lead, asbeslected over the years. tos and hexavalent chromium. And so the past will live on for perhaps One of the things Dick enjoys most about his work is the time he spends out- another century or so. doors. In fact, he is out of the office so By Chris Cobbs often, he usually wears jeans rather than business attire when he heads out to the plants, substation operations and line crew locations. I love working with crafts people, he said. Im going to really miss the atmosphere and the contact with the field people. What I wont miss are the 2 a.m. call-outs. The hours will be more hospitable, but Dick will still be plenty busy after leaving OPPD. He believes it will take several years to complete the restoration of the old farmhouse thats been abandoned since 1963, when his grandfather passed away. Dick has a The Varner farm as it picture of his grandpa as a little boy appears today (above) and as it looked about on the farm in 1910. Dick cherishes childhood memo- 100 years ago. ries of visits to the farm, which is located between Syracuse and Tecumseh. Sometimes when I slept upstairs, it was so cold you could see your breath, he said. The only heat was from a stove on the first level.

EPA IMPACTS Here is a list of impacts from future PCB regulation, published in the Environmental Protection Agencys Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) Establish a deadline to phase out all PCB and PCB-contaminated equipment which, under the current regulation, is allowed to remain in service for the remainder of the equipments useful life. Preliminary deadline is 2025. Before the phase-out deadline, prohibit the use of known or assumed PCB-contaminated transformers near high-risk food and feed areas. Initiate a program to remove PCB fluorescent light ballasts in public buildings.

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20,000 People Run Wild at

Particpants gather for the start of the Warrior Dash. 12 Flash July/August 2012

everal OPPD employees participated in Nebraskas first-ever Warrior Dash on June 9 and 10 in Cedar Creek. The race, organized by Red Frog Events, is an extreme 5-6 kilometer run with obstacles, which have competitors hurdling rows of fire, scaling cargo net walls and crawling under barbed wire in a pool of mud.

It was horrible, it was fast, it was hard, Market Research Specialist Tammy Briganti said after she finished the race. It makes you feel younger than I am, although tomorrow morning Ill feel a lot older. More than 20,000 people competed in the race, which was held on Operations Worker Bill Metzgers property also home to his family business, Madcow Paintball.

The Warrior Dash is an extreme running series that takes place all over the U.S. and elsewhere in the world, including Australia, Ireland and the UK. Above left, Machinists from Central Maintenance are coated in mud. Left to right are: Andy Frye, Josh Lemay, Mark Patach, Rob Christainson and Trevor Fiala.

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Tammy Briganti dove head first into the Warrior Dash. She is pictured with her son Rosario, below left.

They (Red Frog Events) contacted us in February, said Bill. They came out and did a site visit and liked the property. It took them about a week to plan the exact route and set everything up. Madcow Paintball started 10 years ago, after Bill realized how quickly his kids were going through the compressed air that assists in firing paintballs out of markers (also known as paintball guns). Every time their CO2 cartridges ran out, wed have to drive to Omaha. So one time I got

a larger container and other kids began stopping by for a refill, said Bill. The business just kind of grew naturally from there. Madcow Paintball, is the largest range in Nebraska, holds several tournaments each year and is also home to professional team Vicious. My sister, Linda, and I were excited because Cedar Creek is our hometown, said Tammy. I only fell at the very end, in the mud. It was about completing, not competing. By Django Greenblatt-Seay

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2012 High School

Congratulations Graduates!
An impressive number of OPPD employees and their families made a fashion statement in caps and gowns at commencement exercises this summer. There were 128 sons and daughters of employees who received high school diplomas. Another 68 graduated from college. A total of 20 employees and 48 children and grandchildren of employees received college degrees, including undergraduate and advanced.

Sam Adams Westside High Son of John Adams Retiree

Paige Azure Ashland-Greenwood High Daughter of Craig Azure T&D Operations

Taylor Baggett A-H-S-T High Avoca, Iowa Granddaughter of Beverly Baggett Retiree

Kevin Bahr Nebraska City High Son of Keith Bahr Production Operations

Stephen Bailey Burke High Son of John Bailey Substation Operations

Mark Barrientos Central High Son of Margie Barrientos Customer Service Operations

Thomas Beebe Blair High Stepson of Rod McKee Nuclear Engineering

Joseph Benes Central High Son of Joseph Benes FCS Plant Operations

Stephanie Beyea Gretna High Daughter of Tammy Beyea Customer Sales & Service

Jessica Blum Millard North High Daughter of Philip Blum T&D Operations

Austin Brady Westside High Grandson of Rich Clemens Retiree

Michael Briganti Creighton Prep Son of Rick Briganti Production Engineering & Technical Support

Dakota Brown Benson High Stepson of Joanne Brown Substation Operations

Robyn Burnison Louisville High Daughter of Randall Burnison T&D Operations

Derrick Byers Bennington High Son of Larry Byers Production Operations

Connor Callahan Syracuse High Son of Gaylene Callahan T&D Operations

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Dakota Collier Missouri Valley High Missouri Valley, Iowa Daughter of Jennifer Collier Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support

LaMar Conner Lewis Central High Council Bluffs, Iowa Son of Rissa Conner Material Management

Lindsey Cork Gross High Daughter of Nyla Cork Human Resources

Nick Coyne Millard South High Son of Dan Coyne Facilities Management

Mary Kate Cronin Fremont High Daughter of Patrick Cronin Retiree

Zachery Crooks Millard West High Son of Anthony Crooks T&D Operations

Shelby Dechow Gretna High Daughter of Phil Dechow FCS Plant Operations

Meagan DeMeulmeester Shawnee Mission West High Overland Park, Kan. Granddaughter of Bob DeMeulmeester Retiree

Jordan Dinwiddie Papillion-LaVista South High Son of Blaine Dinwiddie T&D Operations

Andrew Drey Blair High Son of Ron Drey Substation Operations

Drew Dungan Creighton Prep Son of Kristine Dungan, Finance Shawn Dungan, Customer Service Operations

Shelby Easley Northwest High Granddaughter of Bernie Livingston Retiree

Mackenzie Edwards Lincoln North Star High Lincoln, Neb. Granddaughter of Bernie Livingston Retiree

Drake Fanslau Underwood High Underwood, Iowa Son of Steve Fanslau Customer Sales & Service

Daniel Fechner Blair High Son of Adrian Fechner Retiree

James Foley Blair High Son of Jim Foley System Planning & Cost Management

Ashley Frolio North High Granddaughter of Ron Baldwin Retiree

Brandon Frolio North High Grandson of Ron Baldwin Retiree

Kelly Geschwender North High Daughter of James Geschwender Nuclear Engineering

Ganon Gorseth Millard South High Son of Mark Gorseth T&D Operations

Cole Gruber Papillion-LaVista High Son of Bob Gruber Safety & Technical Training

Jamon Hampton Creighton Prep Grandson of Ken Borkowski Information Technology

Grace Hansen Millard North High Daughter of Jon Hansen Executive

Alex Harris Burke High Grandson of Steve Meisinger Retiree

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Jaclyn Hartung Papillion-LaVista South High Daughter of Jeff Hartung, T&D Operations Granddaughter of James Hartung, Retiree

Cameron Hayes Blair High Son of Scott Hayes Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support

Bethany Heitkamp Wilson Creek Home School Dunbar, Neb. Daughter of Tom Heitkamp Production Operations

Erin Helmberger Papillion-LaVista High Daughter of Jim Helmberger Substation Operations

Alex Hoskovec Blue Valley High Overland Park, Kan. Grandson of Jerry Leaver Retiree

Greg Houser Roncalli High Son of Julie Houser, Finance Nephew of Liz Goodroad, OPPD Credit Union

Reagan Huber Burke High Granddaughter of Don McMullen Retiree

Kelcie Huebner Abraham Lincoln High Council Bluffs, Iowa Daughter of Bob Huebner Information Technology

Blaise Hug Auburn High Son of Traci Hug Production Operations

Joe Imig Bryan High Son of John Imig Customer Sales & Service

Caileigh Janicek Papillion-LaVista South High Daughter of Lee Janicek T&D Operations

Lyndsey Janousek Gretna High Daughter of Joanne Brown Substation Operations

Andrew Johnson Millard West High Grandson of Frank Johnson Retiree

Drew Johnson Fort Calhoun High Son of Randy Johnson Customer Sales & Service

Elliot Johnson Millard North High Son of Randol Johnson, Production Operations Grandson of the late Alfred Cattano, Retiree Great-Grandson of the late Harry Hildebrand, Retiree

Jill Jorgensen Burke High Daughter of Don Jorgensen Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support

Monica Keenan Mercy High Daughter of Brian Keenan Corporate Accounting

Zachary Koch Skutt High Son of David Koch Information Technology

Paul Kurtti Blair High Son of Donald Kurtti, Jr. FCS Plant Operations

Amanda Kuss Plattsmouth High Daughter of Kelley Kuss, Production Operations Phill Kuss, Facilities Management

Ayrton Kuzela Elkhorn South High Son of John Kuzela FCS Plant Operations

Trent Lambert Fort Worth High Fort Worth, Texas Grandson of the late Charles Swede Lambert, Retiree Nephew of Craig Lambert, Production Operations

Trevor Larsen Gretna High Son of Tom Larsen T&D Operations

Alexandra Leaver Arlington High Granddaughter of Jerry Leaver Retiree

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Jessica Levine Millard West High Daughter of Douglas Levine FCS Plant Operations

Nicole Levine Millard West High Daughter of Douglas Levine FCS Plant Operations

Jordane Linhart Ralston High Granddaughter of Lawrence Butch Clark Retiree

Braxton Lindhorst Ashland-Greenwood High Son of Tom Lindhorst T&D Operations

Rachel Lukowski Marian High Daughter of Paula Lukowski Corporate Marketing & Communications

Christa Manning Platteview High Daughter of Laura Manning System Planning & Cost Management

Sarah Martin Bellevue West High Daughter of Jason Martin Production Operations

Reagan McCormick Elkhorn High Daughter of Kevin McCormick Safety & Technical Training

Dillon McCoy Blair High Son of Susan McCoy Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support

Kari McDermott Abraham Lincoln High Council Bluffs, Iowa Daughter of Pat McDermott Customer Service Operations

Emily McEvoy DC West High Valley, Neb. Daughter of Lori McEvoy FCS Plant Operations

Katie McGuire Millard West High Stepdaughter of Sharyl McGuire, T&D Operations Niece of John DeBoer, Retiree

Claire McKamy Millard West High Granddaughter of Verdell Goldberg Retiree

Megan McNurlin Papillion-LaVista South High Daughter of Bob McNurlin T&D Operations

Noelle Miller Home School Daughter of Ron Miller Production Operations

Elizabeth Moran Millard North High Daughter of Ruth Moran Retired

Hanna Morrison Syracuse High Daughter of Keith Morrison Production Operations

Kalyn Mowrey Elkhorn High Daughter of John Mowrey T&D Operations

Dan Mrla Creighton Prep Son of Lou Mrla T&D Operations

18 Flash July/August 2012

Dylan Nastase Gretna High Son of Deb Nastase-Quade, Customer Sales & Service Stepson of John Quade, Customer Sales & Service

Elizabeth Nekola Bryan High Daughter of Donald Nekola T&D Operations

Andrew M. Nelson Millard North High Grandson of Donald Nelson Retiree

Brady Oakes Nebraska City High Son of Dan Oakes Production Operations

Ashlyn Ocander Mercy High Daughter of James Ocander, T&D Operations Granddaughter of the late Ted Ocander, Retiree

Nicholas Olsen Millard North High Son of Carl Olsen Human Resources

Jordan ONeal Gretna High Son of Lee ONeal Production Engineering & Technical Support

Jordan Palmisano Papillion-LaVista South High Son of Mike Palmisano T&D Operations

Lindsey Pate Burke High Daughter of Jeff Pate Customer Service Operations

Katelynn Perdue Nicholas Paulsen Elkhorn South High Papillion-LaVista Daughter of Kathleen Perdue, South High Information Technology Son of Doug Perdue, Substation OperaMike Paulsen tions, Granddaughter of Production Operations Arlo Perdue, Retiree

Nick Perkins Millard West Son of Charles Perkins T&D Operations

Ryan Pinkerton Tri-County High DeWitt, Neb. Son of Roberta Pinkerton Economic Development

Cassidy Reller Ashley Quade Lindsey Quaas Archbishop Bergan High Millard South High Lewis Central High Daughter of John Quade Fremont, Neb. Son of Melanie Council Bluffs, Iowa Customer Sales & Service Gade, Nuclear Performance Daughter of Improvement & Support Stepdaughter of Deb Stew Quaas Customer Sales & Service Nastase-Quade, Customer Mark Reller, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Sales & Service Support

Emily Reno Blair High Daughter of Rayford Reno FCS Plant Operations

Blayne Roberts David Reynolds Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Bellevue West High High Son of Syracuse, Neb. Robert Reynolds Son of Customer Service Operations Jim Roberts T&D Operations

Ryan Roenigk Blair High Son of Richard Roenigk Nuclear Engineering

Justin Schimmer Valley Vista High Surprise, Ariz. Grandson of Mike Everts Retiree

Heather Scholl Plattsmouth High Daughter of Joe Scholl Production Operations

Taylor Schorsch Platteview High Daughter of Brad Schorsch Facilities Management

Tyler Schulze Millard West High Son of Kevin Schulze T&D Operations

Craig Scott Millard West High Grandson of Jim Stock Retiree

Alyssa Shea Lewis Central High Council Bluffs, Iowa Daughter of Shannon Shea Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support

Jeremy Shipley Platteview High Son of Roger Shipley Production Operations

Ingrid Sletten Plattsmouth High Host daughter of Joe Scholl Production Operations

Emily Smith Central High Daughter of Kevin Smith FCS Plant Operations

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Mallory Spargen Ashland-Greenwood High Daughter of Stephen Spargen Substation Operations

Darrick Spilker Elkhorn High Son of Jeffrey Spilker Nuclear Engineering

Austin Stanek Millard North Son of Christopher Stanek Nuclear Engineering Grandson of Jack Stanek, Retiree

Zachary Stein Leesville High Raleigh, N.C. Grandson of Joseph Stein Retiree

Dennis Stille Ashland-Greenwood High Son of Kevin Stille Facilities Management

Lisa Svoboda Millard South High Daughter of Mike Svoboda Information Technology

Ashleigh Teten Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca High Syracuse, Neb. Daughter of Kurt Teten T&D Operations

Michael Thurber Burke High Son of John Thurber Finance

Audra Wetrosky Nebraska City High Daughter of Dave Wetrosky Production Operations

Malcolm Willett Westside High Son of Joseph Willett FCS Plant Operations

Kelsey Williams Central High Daughter of Lyle Williams T&D Operations

Jordyn Wollenburg Gretna High Daughter of Jeff Wollenburg Substation Operations

2012 College

Mariah Young Blair High Granddaughter of Bill Hayes Information Technology

Mitchell Young Grand Island High Son of Donald Young Information Technology

Five Franco Grandchildren Among Those Receiving Degrees

Five grandchildren of retiree Fred Franco earned college degrees. The graduates are Barbara, Kathleen and Timothy Franco, along with Elizabeth and Luke Doyle. "We are very proud," said Fred, 84, who retired in 1993 after 41 years at OPPD. He and his wife have six children and 25 grandchildren.

Tyler Borcyk University of Nebraska Lincoln Son of Dan Borcyk Facilities Management

Erich Brandeau MIT Cambridge, Mass. Son of John Brandeau Nuclear Engineering

Taya Zagurski Burke High Daughter of Laurie Zagurski Corporate Marketing & Communications

Bryan Zank Benson High Son of Terry Zank Corporate Marketing & Communications

Nicholas Briganti University of Nebraska Lincoln Son of Rick Briganti Production Engineering & Technical Support

Anthony Chase University of Nebraska Lincoln Son of Todd Chase Customer Sales & Service

20 Flash July/August 2012

Teri Dixon Masters Bellevue University Employee Information Technology

Elizabeth Doyle Creighton University School of Pharmacy Granddaughter of Fred Franco Retiree

Luke Doyle Cardinal Glennon College St. Louis, Mo. Grandson of Fred Franco Retiree

Michael Ferm Masters Creighton University Employee Nuclear Site Operations

Barbara Franco Kaplan University Granddaughter of Fred Franco Retiree

Kathleen Franco Creighton University Granddaughter of Fred Franco Retiree

Timothy Franco University of Nebraska Kearney Grandson of Fred Franco Retiree

Laura Gabriel Metropolitan Community College Daughter of Tom Gabriel T&D Operations

Luke Gabriel University of Nebraska Omaha Employee Customer Service Operations Son of Tom Gabriel T&D Operations

Cindy Godfrey Bellevue University Employee Customer Service Operations

Kellen Goldberg Masters University of Nebraska Medical Center Grandson of Verdell Goldberg Retiree

James Goodroad University of Nebraska Lincoln Son of Liz Goodroad, OPPD Credit Union

Emma Hansen University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyo. Daughter of Jon Hansen Executive

Kayla Hodgson Masters College of St. Mary Daughter of Randy Hodgson FCS Plant Operations

Noah Hoffman University of Nebraska Lincoln Son of James Hoffman FCS Plant Operations

Brittany Hoock Peru State College Daughter of Kim Hoock Facilities Management

Jennifer Iwanski Masters, UNO Employee, Customer Service Operations (CSO) Wife of Mike Iwanski (CSO), Daughter of Robin Linhart (CSO)

Brooke Jenny University of Nebraska Omaha Daughter of Patrick Jenny Production Operations

Nicole Jewell Bellevue University Granddaughter of Orval Pork Robbins Retiree

Kaitlin Justice South Dakota State Brookings, S.D. Daughter of Adam Justice FCS Plant Operations

Brian Kellogg Masters Technical University Munich, Germany Son of Richard Kellogg Retiree

Lindsey Kendrick University of Nebraska Lincoln Daughter of Shelley Kendrick Material Management

Allison Kozeny Colorado State Fort Collins, Colo. Daughter of Laddie Kozeny T&D Operations Granddaughter of Don Schleich, Retiree

Julia Krejci University of Nebraska Omaha Daughter of Bernie Krejci Retiree

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Cayla Kurtenbach Creighton University Daughter of Dale Kurtenbach Substation Operations

Alex Manning Nicholas Matthews University of Nebraska Colorado School of Mines Omaha Golden, Colo. Son of Son of Deborah Matthews, FCS Plant Laura Manning Operations, Thomas Matthews, System Planning & Cost Retiree, Grandson of Management Norman Marfice, Retiree

Jared McCleskey University of Nevada Reno, Nev. Grandson of Bob DeMeulmeester Retiree

Averi Nissen Northwestern College Orange City, Iowa Daughter of Tim Nissen Substation Operations

Lance Parra University of North Dakota Grand Forks, N.D. Son of Ernie Parra Fuels

Andrew Peacock Masters Bellevue University Employee Operations Analysis

Tyler Percifield University of Nebraska Omaha Son of Brad Percifield T&D Operations

Stephen Ponec University of Nebraska Omaha Son of Dave Ponec Customer Service Operations

Sara Prince University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy Daughter of Patrick Prince Information Technology

Mark Purnell Ph.D. in Organization & Management Capella University Minneapolis, Minn. Employee Customer Sales & Service

Jessica Reilly University of Nebraska Omaha Daughter of Tom Reilly, Jr. Substation Operations

Megan Rider University of Nebraska Medical School College of Nursing Daughter of Alison Rider Retiree

Richard Rider University of Nebraska Omaha Son of Alison Rider Retiree

Jason Sandene Creighton University School of Law Son of Tom Sandene Nuclear Engineering

Kyle Schulze University of Nebraska Omaha Son of Kevin Schulze T&D Operations

Videgla Sekpe Masters University of Nebraska Omaha Employee T&D Operations

Carrie Severa University of Nebraska Medical School College of Nursing Daughter of Larry Lees Nuclear Engineering

22 Flash July/August 2012

Jeanie Shipman University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy Wife of Jonathan Shipman System Planning & Cost Management

Sarah Smith University of Nebraska Omaha Daughter of Michael Smith FCS Plant Operations

Tess Strong Capitol School of Hairstyling & Esthetics Granddaughter of Roland Strong Retiree

Lisa Tesarek University of Nebraska Omaha Daughter of John Tesarek Retiree

Kevin Van Winkle Masters Creighton University Son of Doug Van Winkle Business Planning & Analysis

Scott Van Winkle University of Nebraska Lincoln Son of Doug Van Winkle Business Planning & Analysis

NOT PICTURED
Joshua Bernasek Bellevue University Employee T&D Operations Ashley Bogle Masters University of Nebraska Kearney Employee Customer Service Operations Melissa Bojanski Creighton University Daughter of Gary Bojanski Retiree

Ryan Callahan Wayne State Son of Gaylene Callahan T&D Operations Arlo Christensen Bellevue University Employee Production Operations Susie Christensen Masters Bellevue University Daughter of Cec Christensen Business Planning & Analysis

Robert Christianson Bellevue University Employee Production Operations Nicholas Daniel Bellevue University Employee T&D Operations Jeff Fredricks Masters University of Nebraska Omaha Employee Information Technology

Steve Hansen Bellevue University Employee T&D Operations Husband of Melissa Hansen, Customer Service Operations Jeff Hanson Masters Bellevue University Employee Corporate Marketing & Communications Holly Jenkins Masters University of Phoenix Employee Corporate Accounting

Bryan Lorence Masters Bellevue University Employee Production Engineering & Technical Support Roger Parkison Bellevue University Employee Production Operations Brian Stolinski Bellevue University Employee Substation Operations

Kyle Willis Iowa State Ames, Iowa Son of Sue Floerchinger Corporate Auditing

People
May-June Service Anniversaries
35 Years
Carolyn McClean, Executive Ronnie Miller, Production Operations Mark Puckett, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Christina Ritz, Information Technology Richard Ronning, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Richard Schmidt, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Randal Veik, Production Operations Christopher Campos, Information Technology Michael Daniels, T&D Operations John Ewing, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support Melissa Hansen, Customer Service Operations Jacob Hightower, T&D Operations Joseph Kreifels, T&D Operations Klint Kudlacek, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Aaron Madsen, Production Operations Charles Mohrhauser, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support Jason Pfaff, T&D Operations Scott Schaefer, Production Operations Jane Spires, Environmental & Regulatory Affairs Robert Swerczek, Nuclear Engineering Sue Vanecek, Information Technology Dave Whisinnand, Information Technology Joseph Zagata, Nuclear Engineering

30 Years

Rick Briganti, Production Engineering & Technical Support Michael Burggraf, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support Jean Corey, Finance Patrick Duckworth, T&D Operations James Foley, System Planning & Cost Management Liz Goodroad, OPPD Credit Union Pete Hanger, Fuels Ray Janiak, Facilities Management Ronald Johansen, Facilities Management Julie Kalasky, Substation Operations Glenn Mathis, T&D Operations John Mayhan, System Planning & Cost Management Robert Plath, Corporate Auditing Jon Ressler, Facilities Management Jeri Shelor, Customer Service Operations Theodore Thompson, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations John Tucker, System Planning & Cost Management Mark Walker, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations

20 Years

Kellie Blickenstaff, Energy Marketing & Trading Kristy Grzywa, Customer Service Operations Greg Hunzeker, Customer Sales & Service Ronald Jorgensen, Facilities Management Thomas Muff, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Alex OBrien, T&D Operations Hugh Pedersen, T&D Operations Jerry Webster, T&D Operations

15 Years

25 Years

Cheryl Beck, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support Ronald Beck, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Joseph Benes, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations William Blessie, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support Diane Cavenee, Production Operations Bill Hansher, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support Steven Kelley, Material Management

Lillian Dawes, Information Technology Cynthia Fellman, Human Resources Curtis Huston, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Sharyl McGuire, T&D Operations Grete Scholz, T&D Operations Leland Shubert, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Michael Troia, Information Technology Jonathan West, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support

5 Years

10 Years

Chad Ballain, Customer Sales & Service Tom Banks, Substation Operations Julie Bissen, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations Steven Bley, Production Engineering & Technical Support Steven Brink, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support

Matthew Carson, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support Troy Crook, Production Operations Dustin Donohue, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support Sherwood Ellis, Information Technology Michael Hilding, Information Technology Matthew Luczynski, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support Yolanda Mitchell, Information Technology Justin Neumeister, Production Operations Thomas Schmeidler, Production Operations Sarah Schreiner, Information Technology Nathan Seid, Fort Calhoun Station Plant Operations John Vonderschmidt, Production Operations

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People
Retirees
Kellie Blickenstaff, Energy Marketer, Energy Marketing & Trading, retired June 1 with 20 years of service. Kellie joined OPPD in June 1992 as an engineer. Joseph Turecek, Substation Crew Leader, Substation Operations, retired June 1 with 25 years of service. Joe joined OPPD in December 1987 as a laborer.

High-Voltage Club

Sympathies
Ashley Bogle, Customer Service Operations, for the death of her grandfather. Vern Halverson, retiree, for the death of his wife, Patricia. Craig Lambert, Production Operations, for the death of his father, Charles Swede Lambert, retiree. Dohn Little, FCS Plant Operations and Tammy Little, Customer Service Operations, for the death of Dohns father. Heath Otte, Customer Service Operations, for the death of his grandfather.

Damon Castrop, Senior Market Research Specialist, Corporate Marketing & Communications, retired June 1 with 33 years of service. Damon joined OPPD in November 1979 as a planning analyst. Randy De George, Right-ofWay Coordinator, Substation Operations, retired June 1 with 33 years of service. Randy joined OPPD in May 1979 as junior clerk.

Deaths
Services were held May 25 for Charles Swede Lambert, 93. Swede retired in July 1983 as a working foreman in the Electric Operations Building Services Department. He worked on the Enola Gay at the Martin Bomber Plant and was a member of the Omaha Softball Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marian; sons Rick (Jan), Craig (Gale), Jay (Debra) and Todd (Diana); 12 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Services were held April 23 for Charles R. McLain, 83. Charles retired in June 1990 as a Shift SupervisorOmaha Stations in Production Operations. He proudly served in World War II. Charles is survived by his wife of 58 years, Margaret; children, Mike (Diane), Charlie (Stephanie), Cathy (Craig), Curtis (Kim), and Chris (Sherrie); 15 grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren. Services were held for Harold Pete Petersen, 83. Harold retired in September 1994 as a working line crew leader at the Ashland Office. He is survived by his wife, Charlene; daughter, Nancy (Rick) Fisher; sons, Douglas (Cynthia), Daniel and Patrick (Nicole); grandchildren, Jessica, Kelli Jo, Nate, Brian, Ellie and Sam; sisters, Marcy (Robert) Mann and Shirley (Tom) Burkirk; brother, Corky (Linda) and many nieces and nephews. Services were held June 30 for Sharon Melody, 61. Sharon joined OPPD in July 1981 as a word processing operator and at the time of death held the position of Executive Administrative Assistant in the Executive Office. She is survived by her husband, Michael; sister, Donna (Raymond) Novak; brother Louis (Debra); nephews, Scott and Louis and nieces, Alison and Sarah.

By Sharon Dickman Linda Whitaker recently had a grandson visit her from Vancover, Canada. The two of them then traveled to Silversprings, Maryland, to visit Lindas son and family. A great time was had by all... Darrell Lundy reports his knee surgery went well and Tom Urwin had a heart valve replacement. They both report it is hard to keep OPPD retirees down Dawn and Steve Miner had a visit from their son, Justin, and his family from Green Bay, Wisconsin. They went to the Henry Doorly Zoo, attended Springfield Days and spent time with family and friends Clifford Peterson, along with two of his car buddies, will be driving to Minneapolis in their 55, 56 and 57 Chevys. They are keeping their fingers crossed they make it up and back home without any problems A reminder to all retirees that the High Voltage Club is open to all of you. Please contact Carl Martens at 402-392-2224 or Kathy Lindner at 402-332-2803. The club meets on the third Tuesday of the month.

Ed Jackson, Division Manager, Material Management, retired June 1 with 28 years of service. Ed joined OPPD in January 1984 as a systems specialist. Terry James, Desktop Technician II, Information Technology, retired June 1 with 34 years of service. Terry joined OPPD in May 1978 as a junior clerk. Stanley Montemayor, Operations Training Specialist, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support, retired June 1 with 21 years of service. Stan joined OPPD in June 1991 as helper. Dave Perez, Manager, Material Control and Warehouse, Material Management, retired June 1 with 38 years of service. Dave joined OPPD in October 1974 as a utility man. Rhonda Schonscheck, Accounting Clerk II, Corporate Auditing, retired June 1 with 23 years of service. Rhonda joined OPPD in July 1989 as a stenographer.

CeCe and Chuck Carlson spent two weeks in April touring Ireland with friends from Minnesota. They traveled by motor coach all the way around the perimeter. Many sites were seen and they were able to kiss the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle. They are looking forward to many more adventures in the future.

Diane Therkildsen, Operations Clerk III, T&D Operations, retired June 1 with 14 years of service. Diane joined OPPD in August 1998 as a junior clerk.

2012 High-Voltage Club officers are (from left to right) Carl Martens - President, Shirley Strong - Treasurer, Kathy Lindner (sharing Presidents Office), Elaine Sundahl - Secretary and Dan Hedrick - Vice President.

24 Flash July/August 2012

OPPD participated in the Gateway to the West Days parade in Blair on June 9. The parade honored the many companies and families impacted by last years historic flooding along the Missouri River. Many employees and their family members walked alongside an OPPD service truck, carrying a banner thanking the Blair community and area residents for supporting Fort Calhoun Station, especially during and after the flood.

New App for Android Delivers Mobile Access to Key Resources

OPPDConnect for Android is now available on the Google Play Store. The new app features: eport home and R streetlight outages View the outage map iew energy-efficiency V tips and videos ccess residential A products and services information ontact OPPD by phone or find an C office location on a map View OPPDCares tweets The OPPD app for the Android debuts on July 3.

The OPPD Society of Engineers (OSE) Board congratulates the following employees who obtained their Professional Engineer (PE) certificate. Mike Herzog, Mark Pohl, Adam Gartner, Thomas Pham, Zach Johnston, Ryan Le. Not Pictured: Aaron Madsen and Matthew Shriver. The professional engineering certification is designed for engineers who have gained at least four years post-college work experience in their chosen engineering discipline and requires passing an eight-hour exam. There are over 6,000 professional engineers registered in the state of Nebraska. Photo by Amanda Underwood.

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PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 97

444 South 16th Street Mall Omaha, Nebraska 68102-2247 Address Service Requested

Flood of Memories
The one-year anniversary of the Missouri River flood of 2011 served as a reminder of the unyielding efforts by employees in one of the companys finest hours. The early days of June marked the first anniversary of the Missouri River flood of 2011, triggering vivid memories of OPPDs epic battle to preserve more than $3 billion in assets and ensure delivery of electricity in the midst of surging floodwaters, the likes of which had never been seen in more than a century of record-keeping. While the flood posed one of the greatest threats ever faced by the company, the response of employees will be remembered as one of OPPDs finest hours. Employees provided a benchmark for weathering a crisis with hasty, yet perfectly executed strategy, supplemented by sweat and back-straining labor. For nearly four months, floodwaters were held in check by sandbags and other structures erected to protect the companys three baseload power plants, plus critical substations and transmission and delivery lines. The financial costs were staggering $48 million for flood-protection measures and $35 million for replacement power but the enduring legacy will be the unstinting efforts and sacrifices of employees. The flood touched off a very unsettled period for OPPD, said President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Gates. Since then we have faced a number of trials and unique circumstances. In fact, even today, very serious challenges remain for us. I want to thank each of you for how you

have responded over the last 12 months. Because of your efforts, we have been able to do the things that needed to be done. I remain confident we will be able to do so in the future. Gary also likened the flood to being as close to war as we could ever be. In such situations, those on the front lines often make sacrifices, he said. That is exactly what I saw from our employees. I saw dedicated and focused employees, determined to do whatever was necessary to rise above the occasion and to meet the challenges imposed upon us.

Record floodwaters brought a dedicated and focused response from OPPD employees. The inset photo shows the plant as it is today.