Robert W. Claussen, president and chief executive officer of Alabama Municipal Electric Authority received the Alex Radin Distinguished Service Award at the American Public Power Association National Conference in Seattle, WA, June 23.

This award is the highest recognition granted by APPA. The four criteria established for the award are: exceptional leadership and contribution to public power locally and nationally; recognition by the nominee’s peers; exemplification of the highest ideals and finest traditions in management of publicly owned electric utility systems; and, contribution to the betterment of the community, the area and the nation.

 “AMEA has benefited from Claussen’s leadership for more than 20 years. During that time, he has over seen a 60 per cent mega watt load growth and stable rates at AMEA while also working on the regional and national levels to benefit our public power customers,” said Chairman of the AMEA Board Don Clements. “We at AMEA are especially proud to see Robert Claussen recognized for his leadership at this national gathering of leaders of the public power industry,” he continued.

“It is a measure of the esteem in which the AMEA Board holds Robert Claussen, that current directors Tim Kant, Gary Fuller, Wayne Duke and I as well as former AMEA Chairmen Sewell St. John and James Nix are here in Seattle to personally congratulate Claussen,” Clements added.

Claussen is a past president of the Southeastern Federal Power Customers Group and served six years on American Public Power Board of Directors with two of those years spent on the executive committee. He currently chairs the board of Hometown Connections^SM, a subsidiary of APPA that provides value-added products and services to public power utilities. Locally, he is a member of the Montgomery Area Committee of 100 and the Kiwanis Club of Montgomery.

Claussen holds a Master of Engineering degree from the University of South Florida. He came to AMEA from Seminole Electric Cooperative in Florida where he served in various senior management positions including assistant general manager and vice president of the technical division.

AMEA supplies electric power for the cities of Alexander City, Dothan, Fairhope, LaFayette, Lanett, Luverne, Opelika, Piedmont, Riviera Utilities, Sylacauga and Tuskegee. These home-owned electric utilities serve more than 350,000 consumers in Alabama.