FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2005
CONTACT: Jennifer Neville, 720-962-7054, neville@wapa.gov

WESTERN RECOGNIZES LAKEWOOD RESIDENT FOR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

LAKEWOOD, Colo.—Lakewood resident Koji Kawamura will receive Western Area Power Administration's highest honor at a ceremony May 19 at Western's Corporate Services Office in Lakewood, Colo. Western's Administrator Mike Hacskaylo will present Kawamura with Western's Exceptional Service Award during the ceremony.

"I congratulate Koji for making outstanding contributions to Western. Koji exemplifies the values we have outlined in our People Goal by serving his customers and peers with great dedication. His multiple accomplishments remind us of the wide reach our organization has in our industry, our service territory and our nation," Hacskaylo said.

As an attorney Kawamura is responsible for legal issues in Western's Sierra Nevada region—covering much of California and Nevada.

Kawamura receives Western's highest honor for providing outstanding legal advice and support to SN's major programmatic and administrative programs, including the Path 15 Upgrade Project and the Post-2004 Power Marketing Plan. He is also being recognized for implementing a contract-based, sub-control area with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.

In the last 10 years, Kawamura has also helped with legal support of Western's interests related to CALFED, an ongoing major Federal-state interagency environmental management effort in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta affecting the water and power needs and accomplishments of the Central Valley Project.

He has also distinguished himself by providing ongoing legal analysis for several projects including the Central Valley Project Customer Advanced Funding of Reclamation's Power Program and Western's operation and maintenance of the California-Oregon Transmission Project.

He and his wife, Carolyn Haug, live in Westminster, Colo. Kawamura received his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1993. He enjoys going to the gym, playing volleyball, golf and tennis, as well as hiking, backpacking, fishing and skiing.

Western Exceptional Award recipients:

• Are recognized as experts in their fields
• Consistently go above and beyond what is normally expected on a long-term basis
• Perform additional assignments, such as dedicated participation on committees or task forces
• Involve themselves in outside activities that reflect favorably on Western
• Help accomplish the goals of Western's Strategic Plan

Western Area Power Administration annually markets and transmits more than 10,000 megawatts of power from hydroelectric powerplants owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 15 western and central states.  It is part of the Department of Energy.

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