Marvin Fertel, Jim Hunter and David Owens to Receive the 2017 John D. Dingell Award

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During a reception tonight, Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI) will present the John D. Dingell Award to Marvin Fertel, president and CEO emeritus of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Jim Hunter, director of the Utility Department of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and David Owens, executive vice president, Business Operations Group and Regulatory Affairs, of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). This distinguished award recognizes leaders who exemplify and promote labor-management cooperation.

EEI and IBEW came together 10 years ago to create the National Labor and Management Public Affairs Committee (National LAMPAC). National LAMPAC strives to foster collaboration and partnership among energy company executives and IBEW leaders in order to address the nation's energy challenges.  Through National LAMPAC, labor leaders and electric company executives join together to achieve the common goals of running a well-managed, efficient business with qualified, skilled workers.

"Marv, Jim, and David exemplify the type of forward-looking and collaborative leadership we need to successfully serve our customers," said EEI Chairman Tom Fanning, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company. "They are all tremendous leaders who have made substantial contributions to our industry throughout their distinguished careers. They are incredibly deserving of this award."

"Day in and day out, the dedicated men and women of the IBEW play a vital role in partnering with electric power companies to provide safe, reliable, affordable and clean energy to customers," said IBEW International President Lonnie Stephenson. "David, Jim, and Marv have all worked tirelessly to ensure that IBEW workers are well-positioned to help drive the transformation taking place in the electric power industry. These efforts to build ever stronger cooperation are exactly what the Dingell Award is designed to recognize." 

Named for the longest-serving member of Congress, the John D. Dingell Award is presented to leaders whose efforts have helped to advance the common objectives of the electric power industry and IBEW members. Mr. Dingell served as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for many years, where he amassed an impressive record of bipartisan accomplishments on a wide range of issues, many of which focused on labor-management collaboration.

EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and directly and indirectly employ more than one million workers. EEI has dozens of international electric companies as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.

The IBEW represents approximately 750,000 active members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads and government. The IBEW has members in both the United States and Canada and stands out among the American unions in the AFL-CIO because it is among the largest and has members in so many skilled occupations.

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SOURCE Edison Electric Institute