Santa Cruz Native Kim Upham Honored By BPA (Photo) -11/15/22

PR 22 17                                                                                                       BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
                                                                  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, Nov. 15, 2022
                                                                                 CONTACT: Tom Conning, BPA, 503-230-2832
                                                                                                                                            or 503-230-5131

Santa Cruz native Kim Upham honored by BPA

Award recognizes extraordinary volunteer service in the Pacific Northwest

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Bonneville Power Administration presented Santa Cruz native Kim Upham with BPA’s George Bell community outreach award as part of its 2022 Administrator’s Excellence Awards program. BPA is a federal power marketing administration under the U.S. Department of Energy that serves the Pacific Northwest. 

The Aug. 17 virtual ceremony celebrated 26 exceptional individuals – all nominated by their peers – who embody the 2022 AEA theme, Energizing, Electrifying, Empowering. They are people who consistently demonstrate their willingness to identify challenges, develop solutions and invigorate the workforce and BPA’s mission. They are also individuals often found working behind the scenes, looking for flexibilities, pushing limits and taking on challenges others believe are impossible.

BPA recognized Upham, a transfer service specialist in the Power Services group, for making significant, positive impacts on the greater community through voluntary service that ensures long-term effects and results. 

She has long volunteered for various animal rescue organizations, and raised awareness about animal cruelty in the wake of Hurricane Katrina through her work producing, directing and narrating the documentary “Dark Water Rising.” During weeknights and weekends, Upham volunteers her time to support organizations such as the American Red Cross and issues such as voting rights. More recently, she turned her focus to community health and dedicated numerous hours at COVID-19 vaccination clinics. 

“I am humbled to have been recognized by my teammates at BPA, so many of which are also involved in giving back to the community,” said Upham. “Being involved with something bigger than yourself is its own reward.” 

Going above and beyond for the BPA community as well, Upham serves on the Associates Foundation Scholarship Committee, where she focuses on implementing a fair selection process and helping students continue their educations.

“Boundless compassion, charity and positive spirit make up the pillars of Kim’s character,” said BPA Administrator John Hairston. “During the last couple of years, she has been a treasured resource BPA has come to depend on.”

Upham and the other AEA recipients are some of the people behind the power that have enabled BPA to keep the lights on in the Northwest for more than 80 years, even in the most challenging times. This year, BPA honored those whose initiative, innovation, superior service or exemplary acts have made an exceptional contribution to BPA's mission, the electric utility industry or to the greater community.

The annual BPA awards program has historically been the organization’s most anticipated workforce recognition event of the year. In the past, the event took place at BPA’s headquarters in Portland, Oregon, where awardees’ co-workers, families and friends were in attendance, clapping, cheering and celebrating. In 2020, the event went virtual for the first time due to the state and agency’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

About BPA

The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a nonprofit federal power marketer that sells wholesale electricity from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant to 142 Northwest electric utilities, serving millions of consumers and businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. BPA delivers power via more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines and 259 substations to 490 transmission customers. In all, BPA markets about a third of the electricity consumed in the Northwest and operates three-quarters of the region’s high-voltage transmission grid. BPA also funds one of the largest fish and wildlife programs in the world, and, with its partners, pursues cost-effective energy savings and operational solutions that help maintain affordable, reliable and carbon-free electric power for the Northwest. www.bpa.gov.  

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