FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2005
CONTACT: Jennifer Neville, 720-962-7054, neville@wapa.gov

WESTERN RECOGNIZES LOVELAND RESIDENT FOR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

LAKEWOOD, Colo.—Loveland resident Rollie Ortiz will receive Western Area Power Administration's highest honor at a ceremony June 23 at Western's Rocky Mountain Regional Office. Western's Administrator Mike Hacskaylo will present Ortiz with Western's Exceptional Service Award during the ceremony.

"I congratulate Rollie Ortiz for making outstanding contributions to Western. Rollie 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 outage coordinator in RM's Dispatching organization, Ortiz receives Western’s highest honor for his attention to detail in coordinating switching programs to remove and install power system equipment and for his commitment to mentoring junior dispatchers.

He joined Western in 1987 as an electrical power dispatch intern, after serving more than 10 years as an air traffic controller with the Federal Aviation Administration. Thoughout his time with Western, Ortiz has worked for two different regional offices, Sierra Nevada in Folsom, Calif. and RM’s office in Loveland, Colo. He continues to champion teamwork with both Western and non-Western maintenance forces and performs his duties in a safe and reliable manner.

In his role as RM's Outage Coordinator, Ortiz handles complicated outage requests that often require closely coordinated switching programs. The position requires many hours of work beyond a normal schedule, and Ortiz has met this challenge with vigor that few possess. Not one project has ever been left incomplete. He follows through and can always be counted on to work late nights or early mornings to accomplish any task.

In addition to supporting transmission system reliability, Ortiz readily shares knowledge and has mentored many dispatchers throughout his career—assisting in creating and maintaining the dispatcher talent pool—a difficult task considering the schedules and stress of the dispatch operations environment.

When not at work, Ortiz enjoys spending time with his wife, Yvonne, and children Rollie Jr., Emillo, Sergio and Deonna.

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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