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GPA wins two communication awards and GPA General Manager John M. Benavente, P.E. wins Individual Achievement Award in 2023.
(Fadian, Guam) – Guam Power Authority (GPA) was presented with two Excellence in Public Power Communications Awards from the American Public Power Association (APPA) during the 2023 APPA Customer Connections Conference from November 12-15, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas, and during the APPA National Conference in June 2023 honored GPA General Manager John M. Benavente, P.E. with the James D. Donovan Individual Achievement Award.
For the second year in a row, GPA received two Excellence in Public Power Communications for the following:
The Award of Merit for Web/Social Media for communications through its website and social media channels. The Web/Social category includes corporate, program, campaign websites, and regular activity and campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, podcasts, etc.
The Award of Merit in the Print/Digital category for its November 2022 monthly newsletter. This category recognizes excellence in newsletters, bill stuffers, annual reports, advertisements, program/product marketing materials, digital reports, and digital marketing.
Consolidated Commission on Utilities (CCU) Commissioner Pedro Roy Martinez, CCU Vice-Chairman Francis E. Santos, GPA Assistant General Manager of Engineering and Technical Services John J. Cruz Jr., and GPA Communications Manager Joyce N. Sayama attended the conference and received the awards on behalf of GPA’s customers.
Sayama said, “We are proud to receive these awards for GPA’s monthly newsletter and our GPA website and social media channels. These communication tools were designed with our customers in mind. We take great care in creating content that connects our commercial and residential customers to the services we provide; resources available to them; and insight about our ongoing work to develop Guam’s renewable energy future.”
In 2022, GPA received the Award of Merit in the print and digital category for its Customer Service Directory and the Award of Excellence in the video category for its Clean Energy Master Plan animated video. The 2023 awards are displayed at the Fadian Executive Office lobby for visitors to view.
GPA’s General Manager receives APPA Individual Achievement Award
The APPA announced and awarded John M. Benavente, P.E., General Manager of GPA, the James D. Donovan Individual Achievement Award during the APPA’s National Conference in Seattle, Washington in June 2023. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the electric utility industry and to public power with a special commitment to public power. GM Benavente is the first from the Pacific region to win this award.
GM Benavente is a professional engineer and has worked for GPA for nearly four decades. He served as General Manager for 26 years and throughout his career has led Guam’s public utility through devastating natural disasters, such as the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 1993, Typhoon Pongsona in 2002, and Typhoon Mawar in 2023, to name a few.
He also oversees modernization and hardening efforts for GPA’s infrastructure and has led GPA through the development of Guam’s Clean Energy Master Plan to identify new sources of renewable energy for Guam.
From 2016 to 2022, GM Benavente has served on the APPA Board of Directors for Region 10 serving two 3-year terms representing American Samoa, Guam, Marianas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. At the time of his election, Mr. Benavente became the first director in Region 10 to represent the U.S. territories. He has upheld the position by reinforcing the significance of public power for our island’s community and its residents. GM Benavente also championed support for island utility members and mutual aid efforts across Micronesia and the Pacific region.
About the APPA and Excellence in Public Power Communications Awards
The APPA is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. The Excellence in Public Power Communications awards are presented annually at APPA’s Customer Connections Conference. Each year, APPA recognizes excellence in communications throughout its membership base of public power partners. GPA was recognized alongside 67 public power electric utilities and utility organizations. GPA has been a member of APPA and has participated on the Board of Directors for many years.
The entries are judged in three categories: print/digital, web/social media, and video. Awards were given to those who showed ingenuity and creativity in telling their stories through outstanding copy, design, financial data presentation, graphics, social media engagement, video editing, web layout, and interactivity. This year’s awards were judged by Jakub Konysz, Founder and CEO, Global Navigators; Steven M. Mandurano, Principal: Marketing, Membership & Communications, Association CMO LLC; and Lidia Varesco Racoma, Brand Strategist & Marketing Designer, Lidia Varesco Design.
Main photo caption: Guam Power Authority (GPA) receives two Awards of Merit in the print/digital and the web/social media categories during an award ceremony at the American Public Power Association Customer Connections Conference in San Antonio, Texas on Nov. 15, 2023. Receiving the award on behalf of GPA customers are, from left, Pedro Roy Martinez, Commissioner, Consolidated Commission on Utilities; John J. Cruz Jr., Assistant General Manager of Engineering and Technical Services, Guam Power Authority; Joyce N. Sayama, Communications Manager, Guam Power Authority; Former Senator Francis E. Santos, Vice-Chairman, Consolidated Commission on Utilities; and Palma Lough, APPA Second Vice-Chair & Member Relations / Training Manager.
