November 2010 Flash

TOASALUTE SACRIFICE

Contents

On the cover: From guarding high-level prisoners

and rebuilding Iraq infrastructure to feeding thousands of military personnel, OPPD reservists and

national guard members are making OPPD proud.

Senior ManagementW. Gary Gates ........................................PresidentDave Bannister ................................Vice PresidentTimothy J. Burke ..............................Vice PresidentMohamad Doghman .......................Vice PresidentEdward Easterlin ..............................Vice PresidentJon Hansen ......................................Vice PresidentAdrian J. Minks ................................Vice President

Board of DirectorsJohn K. Green ....................Chairman of the BoardN.P. Dodge Jr ............. Vice Chairman of the BoardJohn R. Thompson. ................................. TreasurerMichael J. Cavanaugh .............................SecretaryGeoffrey C. Hall .............................Board MemberAnne L. McGuire. ..........................Board MemberFred J. Ulrich ..................................Board MemberDel D. Weber. ................................Board Member

ReportersRandy AlsmanTim AshKim BarnesSara BiodrowskiKarma BooneJoanne BrownCec ChristensenJeannie CoreySharon DickmanNeal FaltysRebecca FinnKelly FlemingAnne ForslundJennifer GardnerNatalie GingNancy GoddardBarbara GullieJill Hanover

Ed Howell Traci HugSharon JeffersonDebbie JensenTerri KellyShelley KendrickMelinda KentonSuzanne KrajicekBecky KrugerJulie KuhrSharon MelodyDoug MickellsJamie MooreShawn MooreShelly MruzBeth Nagel Karen NelsonChris Norris

Rick PerrigoTrudy PratherPam PriceLana PulverentiHeather RawlingsKathy RoyalTerri SaladoPeter SchiltzDiane SchroderKaren SchuttJim ShipmanJammie SnyderKathy StolinskiClint SweetVince TimmermanDennis VanekDawn Varner

Contributing StaffChris Cobbs Django Greenblatt-SeayJeff Hanson Sharon JeffersonMike Jones Althea PietschGary Williams Laurie ZagurskiTerry Zank

Published bimonthly by the Corporate Commu-nications Division, Flash magazine provides OPPD employees and retirees with strategic industry- and job-related news, and human-interest articles about associates and their families. Flash is one of several tools that comprise our communication strategy. Employees and retirees can access timely OPPD news weekdays via OPPD News online.

Flash Editor ............................... Paula Lukowski Associate Editor .............................Vicker Sykes Creative Director..........................Joe Comstock

To contact the Flash editor:

phone .............. 402-636-3759

email .............. [email protected]

address ............ OPPD, Flash, 3E/EP1 444 S. 16th St. Omaha, NE 68102-2247

16

20

2

Vol. 90, No. 6 November/December 2010

2 Saluting the SacrificeSeveral men and women who work at OPPD proudly serve the nation in Reserve and National Guard units. A series of articles salutes these employees, their families and their co-workers for the sacrifices they make to preserve freedom.

10 Nebraska City HomecomingWhile Nebraska City Station 2 was being built, a contractor who had served in the Air Force in the area in the 1960s undertook his own building project.

12 Pursuing WellnessIt’s a bit early to be thinking about New Year’s resolutions, but here’s one: during 2011, make wellness a lifestyle by signing up for a SimplyWell health screening.

14 Dark Time Leads to ‘Light’ Award Judi Martin has been selected by the OPPD Wellness Counts program to receive the Light of Wellness Award.

16 Something to Cheer AboutTwo OPPD employees beamed with pride for their cheerleader-daughters this fall, eyes welling with joy.

18 A Successul PartnershipTraining Partner, OPPD’s learning management system, fulfills a long-standing goal.

20 25-Year Service Club BanquetMore than 1,100 attend the annual service club banquet.

18 PeopleAnniversaries, retirements, deaths, sympathies and more.

November/December 2010 Flash 1

Line Items

Two Changes Made to 401(k)/457 PlansEffective Oct. 22, OPPD changed the share class of the Blackrock Infl ation Protected

Bond Portfolio to reduce the expenses associated with the fund. The fund remains the same, but because the share class changed, the stock ticker symbol changed from BPRAX to BPLBX.

Also effective Oct. 22, OPPD replaced the American Funds Money Market Fund with the Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund. Thus, the American Funds Money Market Fund (AFAXX) automatically transferred over to Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund (VMRXX) on that date.

You can access your account online at go-retire.com/investmentgoldonline or by calling the automated voice response unit at 1-800-716-3742. If you have questions about these changes, call First National Bank at 1-866-290-1134. If you have investment alloca-tion questions, call The Regency Group at 402-445-6464.

Ten for TenThis year marks the tenth consecutive year OPPD

residential customers have placed the utility among the best in the nation in providing top quality and reliable customer service.

Respondents to the J. D. Power & Associates 2010 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Survey recently ranked OPPD highest among mid-size utility companies in the Midwest region.

“Winning an award like this does not just hap-pen,” noted OPPD Vice President Tim Burke. “It happens because of all the hard work and effort put in by those who have made exceeding the expecta-tions of OPPD customers a priority.

“And, when you win some-thing like this for 10 straight years, other people, especially those in the industry, notice,” Tim added. “We have set the bar high, and others are ask-ing how we did it.”

Special Interest Rate Offer for Energy Effi ciency

The Nebraska Energy Offi ce, along with Ne-braska lenders enrolled in the Dollar and Energy Saving Loan program – a revolving loan program for energy-effi ciency improvements – have lowered interest rates to 2.5 percent.

The effort, effective through Dec. 31, is intended to help stimulate the economy and help Nebraskans make energy-effi ciency improvements to homes and businesses.

The 2.5 percent interest rate applies to energy-effi ciency, renewable energy and telecommunica-tions projects, and to ENERGY STAR-certifi ed home electronics and offi ce equipment. For more informa-tion, go to www.neo.ne.gov/loan/index.html.

EAP Online Auction is Nov. 5-12Here’s a chance to start your Christmas shopping, support a good

cause and have fun at the same time. As a fundraiser for the Energy Assistance Program, the EAP Online Auction takes place Nov. 5-12.

OPPD’s Corporate Communications Division coordinates the auc-tion, with support from employees and area businesses that donate auction items. Auction item categories include: Apparel & Acces-sories, Collectibles, Dining, Entertainment Packages, Health/Beauty/Spa, Hotel Getaways, Home, Jewelry, Pet, Sports, Sports Memorabilia, Services and more.

• To view sale items or make a bid, type http://eapauction.cmarket.com in your Inter-net browser.

• Create a user ID and password the fi rst time you log on, then continue to use these on return visits to the site.

• Your user name will be visible to others. If this is a concern, please create a user name other than your real name.

• You also must enter valid credit card information on this secure site. However, OPPD will NOT process the payment on your card.

• After you bid on an item, you will automatically be notifi ed if someone outbids you.• You can bid on multiple items without leaving the site.• High bidders will be notifi ed when the auction closes.• Items will be available for pick-up the week of Nov. 15.• If you have questions, call Judi Martin of Corporate Communications at 402-636-3654.

Portal Provides Access to OPPD Info from HomeRetirees and employees can access certain benefi ts information, OPPD News and other info on their home

computers through a secured-access portal.To access the portal, type oppdathome.com in your Internet browser (be sure to spell out the word “at”),

then follow the instructions for creating a user ID and password.Information Technology recently upgraded the portal so that the information you access is customized,

based on whether you are a retiree or an active employee. Active employees must create a new user ID to access the portal. Network log-ins will not give you access.The portal features an easy way to recover your user ID or reset a forgotten password. If you need help,

please call the IT Help Desk at 402-636-3848.

2 Flash November/December 20102222222 FlFllF asasa hh NoNoN veembm er/Dececembeber 202010

TOASALUTE SACRIFICEFreedom isn’t free. Thousands of men and

women pay the price so that their families, and countless others, can continue to enjoy liberty and freedom.

Among those brave souls are several men and women who work at OPPD and are members of Reserve or National Guard units. In fact, since August of 2005, 19 current employees have been called to serve – or are currently serving – their country.

This service comes with great personal sacrifice. It means chunks of time away from their families and jobs. It means missing family milestones, such as births, birthdays, graduations and all the little ‘firsts’ when young ones are left behind. It means putting their lives on hold.

“While we have an important mission serving our more than 343,000 customers, we fully sup-port employees who must take time away from OPPD to serve the nation and fight for freedom around the world,” said Vice President Tim Burke.

“These employees sacrifice a great deal. They leave behind the comforts of home and a host of responsibilities that their families, friends and co-workers manage to pick up. We are proud of our military personnel, as well as their support networks,” added Tim.

This issue of Flash salutes the sacrifices made by these men, women and their supporters.

One story tells how the Nuclear Security Department has managed with 14 employees deployed in recent years. Another tells how Transmission Engineering has coped when their principal engineer was called away twice, for a year each time, in one case charged with guard-ing Saddam Hussein at a secret prison. Others tell why employees take on the dual roles, and another takes a look at how some Nebraska City Station employees paid tribute to some military personnel who served decades ago.

OPPD is proud of the impact these employees have made on our nation and the world. A sin-cere thank you goes out to these employees and to those who have served before them.

November/December 2010 Flash 3NoNovev mmbmberer/Decemmber 201010 Flash 3

An electrical service designer working out of the Elkhorn Center helped rebuild infra-structure in Iraq earlier this decade. And, he’s done much more than that since 1997 as a member of the U.S. Naval Reserves – Seabees, which is a construction battalion.

“We rebuilt seven schools and two water treatment plants in 2003,” said Bill Epps, chief petty officer E-7. “We also found the first mass grave, and as a result, we helped the locals recover from that.

“I was in Iraq in 2003 as a machine gunner on convoy/project security missions. We were stationed out of Babylon, Iraq, travelling all over. I’ve been to Baghdad, Fallujah, Al Kut, An Nasiriyah, Ad Diwaniyah, Karbala, Najaf, Tikrit, Safwan, Samarra, Al Hillah, and a bunch of other places I can’t pronounce.

“We saw some combat, so the high-light was bringing everyone home,” Bill said.

Deployed again in 2007-2008, Bill served as the convoy commander for Security Ele-ment, stationed out of Fallujah, Iraq. They handled security and transport for civilian and military materiel and personnel.

Bill says he has remained in the unit “to serve my country and the man next to me.”

“It’s always been an honor and a privilege to serve,” Bill said.

Don Casey Left Huge Mark on Army, Reserves before Retiring in July

Don Casey spent 38 years serving the country, until he had to retire this past summer.

He volunteered for the Army during the draft in August 1969 and retired from the Army Reserves on July 2, 2010.

The nuclear security officer at Fort Calhoun Station, who has been with OPPD since 2000, made it to the top rank of E-9 sergeant major, which fewer than 1 percent attain. He also served as a nuclear weapons specialist, military police, armored cavalry scout, first sergeant, command sergeant major and medical instructor.

“I was in Okinawa during the Vietnam War and then was brought back on orders in 2003,” said

Don. “I served in Ft. Bliss, Texas, for a year, then starting in 2006, I spent four years at the Army Medical Center & School at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio.”

The highlights of Don’s military career have been serving as reserve liaison at the Army medical school and being a drill sergeant.

“Five of my eight children went into the Army,” said Don. The fact that his children followed in his footsteps makes him extremely proud.

“My wife deserves the credit for my successful career, since she was responsible during my absence for raising eight children,” said Don. “She always supported me.”

Before he came to OPPD, he had to use his vacation to attend weekend drills or to go beyond his two-week orders.

“Times have changed since 1996, and employers now support the military much better,” said Don.

Bill Epps Helped Rebuild Infrastructure, Spirits in Iraq

Bill Epps’ Naval Reserves unit rebuilt schools and water treatment plants in Iraq.

Don Casey, left, greets son, Jon, upon Jon’s return from Afghanistan.

Bill Epps

4 Flash November/December 2010

Mark Kuhlenengel, principal engineer in Transmission Engineering, has a keen interest in history. Some of that stems from a rich family history of military service. Some comes from having a deep pride in his country. And some comes from serving in the Army Reserves for 27 years.

“He can tell you anything about World War I, World War II, the Civil War, even just skirmishes,” said his wife, Linda. “We have a large library in our home, filled with history and military history books. He says there is so much we can and should learn from our fore-fathers.”

But Mark, himself, has earned a place in history. A year’s deployment during 2004 and 2005 put him in charge of guarding a high-level Iraqi detainee: Saddam Hussein, who the U.S. military referred to in code as “Victor.”

Speaking from Afghanistan, where he is cur-rently deployed, Mark said that assignment was the pinnacle of his military career. His job was

to protect Saddam. As ironic as that was, Mark did so in a stoic, professional manner. Mark had strict orders to shield the former dictator from harm if trouble broke out, risking his own life, because the military wanted Saddam to stand trial.Top-Secret Mission

“We knew this was a no-fault mission, and we could not mess this one up,” said Mark, lieutenant colonel in the 439th Military Police Detachment.

Mark and the detachment’s dozen Midwest-ern soldiers spent that year running a secret prison that housed notorious war criminal “Chemical Ali,” several former Iraqi cabinet ministers and more than 100 other high-level detainees.

Sgt. Robert Ellis, one of the men in the unit, co-wrote a book about their experience, Caring for Victor: A U.S. Army Nurse and Saddam Hussein.

TOA TTTOOOTTTOOOAAAAAAAASALUTE SACRIFICE

“It’s a very solid unit,” said Linda Kuhlenengel of the 439th Military Police Detach-ment, above, led by her hus-band, Mark.

Mark Kuhlenengel Earns Place in History


By Paula Lukowski

“Mark has worked long and hard for our country and its liberties,” said Linda, who said she isn’t privy to what he is doing when he is away, due to his top-secret clearance. “I’ve accepted that. Mark has a Bronze Star, and I don’t know why. I may never know why.”

However, when Linda spotted one of the men from Mark’s unit on MSNBC with one of the high-level detainees, she knew something big was happening.

In addition to serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mark has served shorter stints in Germany, Korea and at several bases in the continental U.S.

“I couldn’t decide what I wanted to be when I grew up – an engineer, a farmer or a soldier, so I have dabbled in all three,” said Mark, who grew up on a farm near Syracuse.Family Matters

“When he is home, he doesn’t really want to talk about what he was doing while serv-ing,” said Linda, who has been married to Mark for 26 years. They have three children.

“Our oldest son, Mathew, was a godsend to me when Mark was deployed in 2004,” said Linda, who works as a pharmacist. Their youngest, Michael, was just 10 and Elizabeth, their special needs daughter, was 18. “Mathew and I operated the whole house, and we even built a pond and waterfall together that year.”

Linda said her family, Mark’s family, their daughter Liz’s extended family, friends, and people from their church have been support-ive over the years. The military’s Yellow Rib-bon programs also offer relief.

At work, the Transmission Engineering group kicks into high gear when Mark is gone for long stretches. This group designs all of OPPD’s medium and small transmission line projects. Mark was the primary designer on the large transmission line from Nebraska City to Lincoln, along Highway 2, that was neces-sary to bring Nebraska City Station 2 online.

“We knew far in advance that Mark was going to be gone for the year,” said Dan Witt, manager of Transmission Engineering. “We worked together to prepare, and we got as much work done ahead of time as possible. But we have a small department. When you have a full-time guy gone for a year, you feel

the effect. Everyone here realizes that his duty away from OPPD is important, and we do what we have to do.”

Greg Givens and Dave Huston, both senior designers, Russ Placke and Brian Wahl, both senior engineers, and supervisor Kent Herzog all pitch in. Brian, perhaps is most affected by Mark’s absences.

“I get it on both ends, at home and at work,” said Brian, who is married to Linda Kuhlenengel’s younger sister, Sandy. “We’ll always find a way to make it work.”

That’s what Mark would want to hear. “I am serving because of my family,” said

Mark. “I want to make sure the U.S. stays a free country for them.”

Mark Kuhlenengel is currently serving in Afghanistan.

The entire Kuhlenengel family has made sacrifices so that Mark could serve. The family includes Michael, Elizabeth, Mark, Mathew and Linda Kuhlenengel. Photo courtesy Johnston Portrait Studio.

“I couldn’t decide what I wanted to be when I grew up – an engineer, a farmer or a soldier, so I have dabbled in all three.”

- Mark Kuhlenengel

The numbers may seem surprising. During the last five years, at least 14 security officers at Fort Calhoun Station have had to split their duties at the plant with military duties. They have been called up and placed on active military leave.

For those assigned to the military, it is an opportunity to serve their country. For those left behind, it means picking up the slack, because plant security remains one of Fort Calhoun Station’s main priorities.

Al Clark, manager of Nuclear Security, said you never know when you are going to be hit hard by deployments and lose some officers.

“Obviously, there have been some times, immediately and soon after 9-11 for example, where we were in a tight spot from a staffing standpoint,” Al said.

“A number of folks were out on military duty, but we still had to protect the plant. When that happens, we have to find a balance for accommodating those affiliated with the

military and continuing to do our job.“We have a protective strategy in which we

are committed to a certain number of officers to protect the plant. Beyond that, you have normal plant operations that you have to sup-port, getting folks in and out, compensatory measures for doors that are open, day-to-day work, that sort of thing. Then there are the new work-hour rules, where officers can only work so much time. We have to manage all that well to make sure we don’t exceed legal restrictions.”

According to Al, it takes a team effort to suc-cessfully accomplish that goal. He noted that those called to duty can be gone anywhere from one to two years. He said, fortunately, OPPD currently has the numbers to absorb the loss of those temporarily assigned to the mili-tary. However, that does not preclude the pos-sibility that other staff officers may be required occasionally to work some overtime to get work done.

Nuclear Security Group Committed to Protecting Plant and Nation


FCS nuclear security officers on the practice range.


Al said he has received very little negative feedback from either staff officers or other plant personnel when people have been called away.

“I make the assumption that they all under-stand these guys are providing a vital function for our country, and understand that their part is to sometimes take up the slack while those guys are away, performing their duty,” Al said.

Al noted that he likes to think that OPPD goes beyond what is simply required by law when it comes to supporting those assigned to military duty. Certain benefits remain intact, such as vacation and the employee electric rate. So, too, do benefits such as health and dental benefits for dependents and dependent life insurance.

A random sampling of opinions at Energy Pla-za’s deli indicates that a lot of OPPD employees feel that is the way it should be.

“These men and women give up an awful lot when they are called up, so we should go that extra mile for them,” said one respondent.

Another said, “These people are protecting our country. That makes them all heroes in my book.”

“I served in the military and therefore I have the utmost respect for anybody who wears a military uniform. They need to know that we’ve got their back when they get called up and when they come home,” said another.

Al said he thinks those called to active duty do appreciate the support they receive.

“Yes, I think there is some appreciation. We try to work with them in a lot of different ways. When they come home, if they want a little extra time, we understand. Folks may have been away for a long time and maybe feel they need a little more time to get re-acclimated and reintro-duced to family. We understand and try to work with them.”

“It’s a juggling act, it really is, but it is one that we have been able to handle.”

By Mike Jones


8 Flash November/December 20108888888888888888888888888888 FlFlFlFlFlFlFlFlFllFlFlFlFlFlFFlFlFlFlFlFFlFlFlFlFlFFlFlFFlFlasasaaasassssssasasasssassssssssassasasassasassasasassaasaasssshhhh hhhh h hhhhh hhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh NoNoNoNoNoNNNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNooNoNNoNNNNoNoNoNoooNNoNoNNNNoNNNNNoNoNN vvvvevveveveveveveevevevevevevevevvvevevevveveveveveevevvevvevv mbmbmmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbmbbmberererererererererererererrerreereree /D/D/D/D/D/D/D/DDDD/D/D/DDDD/D/DD/DD/D/DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDeeeceececccceeceecececceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee emememememmmmmmmmemmmemememememememmeeemmmmmmmmbbebbbbebebebebeeebebebbbebebebebebebbebebebebbebbebbebbebebebebbbbeebeebebebbebbbbbebebbbbbbbbbebberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrr rrr rr 20202020202002020200202020202022220002202022022020202222202020010101010100101001001000010010001001010101010111001111010

If you think cooking for your family is a challenge, how about drumming up healthy meals for hundreds of military personnel and

civilians off the flightline?That’s what Rusty

Zortman, technical sergeant in the Nebraska Air National Guard’s 155th Refueling Wing, was tasked with earlier this year. He was the facility manager of Roy’s Flight Kitchen at a non-disclosed base in Southeast Asia.

“The facility and its staff pre-pared and provided more than 90 different options of food and meals every day,” said Rusty, a nuclear security officer at Fort Calhoun Station. “Without us, morale and health would likely have been an issue, because meals ready to eat (MREs) would be the only option.”

TOA TTTOOOTTTOOOAAAAAAAASALUTE SACRIFICERusty Zortman Fed the Forces and Boosted Troops’ Morale

Rusty also led a karaoke night for deployed personnel, which he said is a great morale booster. In addition to these roles, he also assisted the USO tours of bands, comedians and stage shows. He helped design new logos and new PhotoShop wall art to decorate buildings inside and out, and he created memorabilia of the tour.

Rusty enlisted in April 1998 and he plans to stay enlisted “until they kick me to retire.”

“I have remained in the military for not just the benefits, or the family history, but for the honor of serving this great nation,” said Rusty. “I have friends and family counting on me to be their support, and there is nothing like being there for them with the honor of being in the Air Force.

“The challenges are extremely tough, but luckily, I have a great wife who supports me for what I stand for,” Rusty said. “Most impor-tantly, I have a civilian employer that has been supportive in this role, as well.”

Rusty Zortman grills a meal that offers much more flavor than an MRE.

November/December 2010 Flash 9veveveveveveveveveveveveevveeveevvvvveveveveveveveveveeveveembmbmbmbbmbmbbbbbbbmbbbmbbbmbmbmbmmmmbmbmbmbmbmmbbmbbmberereeeerereerreeeerrereererererererererererererrererererereeeeeeereeeeeerreeeeeeeeeee /D/D/D/DDD/DDD/D/D/D/D/D/DDD//DD//D/D/D/DDD/D/DDD//D/DD///D/D/DD/D/D/D/DD/D/D/DD//DD/D/D/D/D/D/D/DDD/DDDDD/DDDDDD///// ecececeecececececcccccecececececccecececeeeeececcceccececeeccceeceeceeeeecceeee emememmemmmmmememememmmmmmmmememmemmeeeeeeememeeeemeee bebebebbebbebbebebbebebebebebbbebbebeebebbbbbbb rr rr rr r r r r rrrrrrrrrr 2020202020202020202022202022020220202022220202 1010101010101010100000101010111010110101011011101101 FFFlFFlFlFlFlFlFlFlFlllFlFllFFlFlFlFFllFlFlFlFllFlFlFlllllllllFllllllFllFlFlFllFlFFFFFlFlFFFFlFFFlFlaaaaaasasasasasasasassasssaasasaaasasaaaasaaaaaasaaaaaasasasaaaaaaaasasaaassassaaaassasasasaasassasasshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhh hhhh hhh 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

Cary Hayes deploys Nov. 30 for six months in Iraq, then another six months in Afghanistan.The operations procedure writer in Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support joined the

National Guard three years ago, after serving for 10 years in the Air Force.“I joined with my son, who is now in a different National Guard unit,”

said Cary, who appreciates support for the men and women who are serving the country. “Now, when I walk around in uniform, it’s not uncommon for women to run up and give me a hug or for men to reach out their hands to thank me for my service.”

He said it wasn’t always that way.“It’s nice to have the support,” said Cary, who added that OPPD works

with reservists to provide the balance of benefits that is due to them and to ensure smooth transitions back into their jobs.

“The American flag and the bald eagle represent America and all that I stand for and am will-ing to defend with my life. I am proud to serve in the U.S. military, to fight for my country, defend the honor of a nation, protect the freedoms of those who cannot or choose not to. As an American soldier, I don’t look for a fight or war to participate in, but if called upon, I will proudly go and stand side-by-side with my brothers and sisters in arms and defend the United States of America and all that the American people stand for.”

NoNoov

Employees with militarryy sseerrvviiccee since August 2005*Name DivisionSpring M. Amidon Nuclear Perforormamancncee ImImprovvememeent & SupppportAlex Bottorff NuNuclcleaearr PePePerfrfrforormamancncee ImImmprprovovememenentt & & SuS pportSteven R. Brewer NNucleaarr PePerfrforormance Imprprovovemement & & SuSuuSupppporortttBarry D. Burlilingame NNucclelearar PPererfoformrmanancece IImmprovememementntnt &&&& SSupportMaMaMatttttthehew w CC. CCCarsoson NNucuclelear Perfoormrmancee IIImpmprovement & SupportDonald WW. Casey Nuclear r PePerfrforormance Improvement & SupportWiW lliam T. EEppppsss Custommer Sales & ServiceCiCiCindndieie LLynynynn FFiFishsherer Nucleaarr PePerfrforormamancnce e Improvement & SupportBrBriaiaiann WW.W. GGGaaayer Productctioiooonnnnn OpOpOpOpOpperereree atatattioioioioi nsMMichael R. Hanson NNNNNuucucuclellearar PPeererererfffofoformrmanancce Improvement & SupportCaaryry JJ. Hayess NuNuNuNuNuNuclclclclcleeeaeaearrr PPePePerfrformance Improvement & SupportWiWiWiWiWilllllllllliaiaaiaiaiammmmmm SSS.S.S HHHHolololo memememees,s,s,s, Sr. NuNuclclear Perforormamancnce e Imprprppp ovo emmenentt & & SuSupppppppppoorororrortttttttBrBrBrBrBreeeaeannnne L. KKimmimi bebeeeerlrlrlining g gg NNucuclelearararr PPPPPPeererererffofofof rrmrmmanannncecececece IIIImpmpmpmmppproroorororor vvvevemememenntntntntnnt &&&&&& SSSSSupupupuupupuppopopopoportrtrtrtKurtis S. Knake T&D OOperationsMaMaMaMarkrkrkrkrk MMMMMMM.... KuuKuKuKuKKK hlhhlhlhllhlenennenenene eneneneneenengegegeegegellll SSuSubbsbsbsbsbsbbsssbstatattaa itititiiioononon OOOpeperaratitiononsAnAnndrdrewewe LLLynynamam NNucucleelearar PPererfoformrmannce Impmpprorovevemmem nt & SSupupu popoortrtJeJeffffrerey y R.R. QQQuiuickck NuNuuclclccleaeaeae r r r PePerfrfororo mamaaam ncncnncee e ImImmImprprprovovovemmemenenent t t tt & & & & SuSuSuppppppororortttJoJohnhn PP. RiRichchc ararrraarardsdsddd onnnono T&T&T&DDDDD OpOOOpOpereratatiooioonsnsnJeJeennnnifffererer KKK.. ScSchmhmhhmmmiidididid NNucuccleeelearararr PPPPPerererere fofofoformrmanannanancecececece IIImpmpmpmprororoovevevevemememementntnttnt &&&&& SSupupupppppopopopop rtrtrttrtBeBenjnjnjamaminin J. Sudtdtttelleleelee gtgtggtg ee NNNNuucleeeleearararar PPPPerererrerfofofoofofooooformrmrmrmmrmmanananananancececececcece Impmpmmpmpmprororororovevevevevemmememementntntntt &&&&&& SSSSupupupupppopopoportrttrtrtrtChChChririststopopopo heheheheerrrr r S.S.SS.S. TTTTTrararararaccccycy Prorooduududuuctctttctctioioiionn OpOpOpOpererereratatata iiioionsnsnsnsMaMaMaMatttttttttt KKKK. VVentnttntntererere s s s Nuclleaear r PePPPerfrfrfororororrmamamammam ncncncnn e e ee ImmImImII prprprprovovoo ememmenenenenttt t t & &&& SuSSuSuSuppppppppporororororttttttRuRuRuRuR stststty y yyy A.A.AA ZZZZorooo tmtmtmtmananananan NNNNNNuclear Performmanancecee IIIImmpmpproroveevevev mememementnttntntnnt &&&&&& SSupupuppppopoooportrtrtrr

* Human Resoooourururu cececececes s sss rererecocordrdrds,s,s, aaaas ss offofofofof SSSSSSSepepepepptt.t.t. 22222011010110.0.0.0.

By Paula Lukowski

Cary Hayes Proudly Serves Nation

Big Red Sub ClubRetiree Rick Scofi eld, right, is one of several people with OPPD ties who belong to the Big Red Sub Club, an extension of a Nebraska committee that was organized to support the USS Nebraska. “The state’s support of and relation-ship with the USS Nebraska is unique – and other subs’ crews are jealous,” said Rick. “The Lake Manawa Sailing Association (LMSA), of which my son, Chris, and I are members, hosts the Big Red Sub Club members and the delegation of sailors from the boat during the crew’s Nebraska visits in June and September for an afternoon of sailing under wind power (for the sailors, a very rare experience) and a cookout. Generally the senior naval offi cers at Stratcom also attend the cookout. “The sailors actually compete during the previous patrol for the privilege of coming to Nebraska, even though for some it means another week away from families. After meet-ing the sailors for so many years when they visited here, it was a very awe-some experience to be invited to visit the USS Nebraska, tour the sub, and meet many of the crew members.”The picture was taken in the com-mand center.Retiree Dan Stoney and President Gary Gates have also been involved with the group.

Cary Hayes

10 Flash November/December 2010101010 FlFlFlF asasassh h h NoNovevembmbererr/D/D/DD/Decececememmbebeb rr rr 2020010100

Nebraska City Homecoming 45 years later, a memorial to the dead – and a release from guilt.

As a young Air Force sergeant in the mid-1960s, Rudy Burd spent parts of two years under-ground in a nuclear missile silo, not far from Nebraska City. Little could he imagine that he would one day return to the same locale and find himself as a technician, helping to bring Nebraska City Station 2 online in 2009.

One point of overlap was the look-and-feel of where he worked – in the instrumentation and control area. Despite the huge gap in time, Rudy’s environment didn’t seem that much different.

A far bigger change resulting from his Nebras-ka City “homecoming” occurred on the inside. Through what turned out to be a colossal mis-understanding, Rudy had blamed himself for the

death of an Air Force crewman in a plane crash near the Nebraska City missile silo in November 1964.

Some 45 years after the crash that killed six, Rudy was finally able to rid himself of the sense of guilt that had bothered him for so long. It was this guilt that drove his efforts to have a historic marker put in place near the site, now occupied by OPPD’s facilities.

While working with the office of Gov. Dave Heineman and others, Rudy said he did exten-sive research on that long-ago crash of a plane transporting a crew from the Lincoln Air Force Base to the silo site near Nebraska City. He discovered that he had been wrong in believing he had been ordered to be aboard the doomed aircraft. He thought he had disobeyed an order that led to another man’s death, but it turned out his name actually was not on

Nebraska City Station employees, from left, Brad Josoff, David Hume, Troy Crook and Ed Stukenholtz, stand near the historical marker.


November/December 2010 Flash 11NoNoNoovevevevembmberer/D/Dececcememembebebeberrr 20201010 FlFlasash h 1111

Missile SilosA ring of 12 Atlas missile sites encircled Lincoln, ready for launch in case of nuclear war. They looked similar to the one at left.

Rudy Burd was assigned to the 551st Strategic Missile Squadron of the U.S. Air Force. The squadron operated 12 launch sites, with one missile at each site. Each Atlas F mis-sile, armed with a nuclear warhead, was stored in a vertical position inside an underground concrete and steel silo. The Atlas missile was designed to strike at the Russians in the event of nuclear war.

The missile sites: Avoca, Eagle, Firth, Ellis, Nehawka, Nebraska City, Palmyra, Tecumseh, Wilber, Bradshaw, Tamora and Brainard.

the list of crewmen assigned to the flight.The historic marker, which was dedicated in

November 2009, holds special meaning for Rudy, 71, who now lives in Mayfield, Ky. Rudy had

served as a staff sergeant with the 551st Strategic Missile Squadron based at Lincoln. Members of the squadron were assigned to help man 12 Atlas-F ICBM silos that encircled Lincoln from 1961-1965.

“I wanted to see a memorial for the men who

died for their country,” said Rudy by phone from his home.

In 2008 and 2009, he worked at NC2 while employed by Black & Veatch Corp., based in Kansas City. While working at NC2, Rudy spent time with David Hume, senior instrument & control technician at Nebraska City Station. “He was here during installation and checkout of our control systems,” David said. “He got along well with everyone. He reminded every-one of their grandpas.”

Grandpa’s story has a happy ending, but he regrets that today’s young generation may not truly appreciate how close the world came to nuclear armageddon in the 1960s.

“If there had been a war, the Russians would have sent a barrage of nuclear missiles to destroy Offut Air Force Base,” Rudy said. “Omaha would have looked like a lunar land-scape. Younger people today may not fully com-prehend how frightening it was to live through those times.” By Chris Cobbs

“I wanted to see a memorial for the men who died for their country” – Rudy Burd, former staff sergeant 551st Strategic Missile Squadron Lincoln, NE

Rudy Burd, today and as a young airman.


Start the new year off right with a health screening. They take place in January and February, and OPPD encourages everyone to take part.

It’s a bit early to be thinking about New Year’s resolutions, but here’s one: During 2011, move toward making wellness a lifestyle. One big step we can take is to sign up for a SimplyWell health screening. We can’t set a goal for improved health without knowing where we stand today.

“When you get a SimplyWell screening, you don’t just get a blood draw, a blood pressure check and a printout,” said Angela Siebert, well-ness specialist in Human Resources.

“Based on your personal results, SimplyWell provides good advice and practical steps you can take to improve your health. That’s one of the greatest things about this program.”

An Omaha-based health solutions organiza-tion, SimplyWell was founded by doctors at The Nebraska Medical Center, and provides clinically based medical advice.

SimplyWell WebsiteActive employees who get a screening not

only get their results online, they gain access to the SimplyWell website. This robust site includes:

• My Information: A place to store your medical history, lab and test results, etc.• My Action Plan: Suggestions for pursuing a

healthier lifestyle.• Healthy Living Education: A wealth of

info on topics such as blood pressure, cho-lesterol and stress.

• Health Guides & Tools: Details on com-mon health issues.

• News & Online Resources: Links to current health-related articles and websites.

Life-SaverA health screening started Judi Martin down the path of a healthier lifestyle. See story on page 15.

Be a Picture of Health


Employees who cannot attend one of the OPPD onsite health screenings can have their blood work done at Bergan Mercy or Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha. This must be done between Jan. 3 and Feb. 28. For details, call OPPD Wellness Specialists Angela Siebert at 636-3058 or Dave Williams at 636-3374.

• Chart My Screening History: Charts that show your potential health risks.

Employees Get Visa Gift CardActive employees who sign up for a health

screening will again receive basic blood work (lipid panel) for free, and will have their height, weight and blood pressure collected.

Employees who complete an online Health Risk Assessment (HRA) prior to their screening and who complete the screening will receive a $50 Visa® gift card. Because SimplyWell provides the gift cards, they are not considered taxable income.

What About Cutting the Budget?Some of you may question the gift card incen-

tive during these budget-cutting times.“The targeted wellness programs we’re now

offering are aimed at helping employees achieve or maintain good health,” noted Sherrye Hutcherson, division manager of Human Resources. “Over the long run, this will positive-ly impact health care costs, both for employees and OPPD.

“In this case, if we spend $50 on employees so they know their cholesterol, blood pressure and other important numbers, we expect they will use that informa-tion to help head off potential health condi-tions.”

Signing Up for a Screening

Starting Dec. 1, employees can visit simplywell.com to choose a screening date and access the online HRA, which must be completed before the screening. More sign-up details will be available via the Wellness intranet site, OPPD News and the employee/retiree outside portal, oppdathome.com (be sure to spell out “at”).

As in past years,

all medical information collected is subject to HIPAA privacy laws and will be kept strictly confidential. OPPD will see only overall group results, which will be used to help provide relevant wellness programming to employees.

Spouses and RetireesEmployee spouses and retirees are welcome

to get a screening on a walk-in basis, but they will not have access to the SimplyWell web-site. Their results will be mailed to their home within seven days.

Spouses and retirees are not eligible for a gift card. Their cost for the lipid panel is $27. Employee spouses are to pay via the employee’s payroll deduction and retirees will need a check payable to OPPD.

Additional Blood TestsAdditional blood tests, such as PSA (pros-

tate), Hemoglobin A1c (diabetes), TSH (thyroid) and CRP (inflammation) also will be available, which employees can pay for via payroll deduction. These tests also may be eligible for 100 percent reimbursement via medical insur-ance. Full details and forms will be available at the screenings.

SimplyWell Health Screening ScheduleDate Time Location Wellness RepresentativeJan. 18 6:30-9 a.m. North Omaha Roger Perrigo 636-2746Jan. 20 6:30-9 a.m. Nebraska City Patty Coates 514-8143/David Hume 636-8143Jan. 25 7:30-9:30 a.m. Papillion Center Brian Dvorak 552-5310Jan. 27 6:30-9:30 a.m. Energy Plaza Melissa Hansen 636-3339Feb. 1 6:30-9:30 a.m. Fort Calhoun Lori McEvoy 533-6533/Amy Hansen 533-6679Feb. 3 6:30-9:30 a.m. Elkhorn Center April McClemons 552-4961/Deb McDonnell 514-1617Feb. 8 7:30-10 a.m. Syracuse Center Chris Ryan 557-1486 (pager)Feb. 10 7:30-9:30 a.m. Omaha Center Jeremy Bryant 552-5452Feb. 15 7-10 a.m. Energy Plaza Melissa Hansen 636-3339Feb. 16 6:30-8:30 a.m. North Omaha Roger Perrigo 636-2746Feb. 17 6:30-8 a.m. Nebraska City Patty Coates 514-8143/David Hume 636-8143Feb. 22 6:30-9 a.m. Fort Calhoun Lori McEvoy 533-6533/Amy Hansen 533-6679Feb. 23 6:30-8:30 a.m. Energy Control Ctr. Jackie Jensen 552-5629Feb. 24 7-9 a.m. Elkhorn Center April McClemons 552-4961/Deb McDonnell 514-1617Mar. 1 TBA TBA (To be announced, if needed.)

By Terry Zank

HealthHealthScreeningsScreenings

by



Judi Martin, coordinator - Community Support &

Consumer Relations in Corporate Communications,

has been selected by the OPPD Wellness Counts

program to receive the Wellness Council of the Mid-

lands’ William L. Kizer Light of Wellness Award.

Here’s her story, in her own words.

Out of sadness and tragedy, often come posi-tive life changes. My life changed dramatically due to a health screening I had through OPPD in 2009, after the death of my husband, Paul.

Paul died a little over two years ago, about two years after we were married. He was the love of my life. I waited so long for my soul mate, and I had him for such a short time.

After he died, I walked around in a daze, like a heavy cloak of sadness covered me. All I did was eat, sleep and work.

I had not been feeling well, and I participated in the OPPD health fair. When I got the results of my blood work, my C-reactive protein (CRP) level was high.

When I went to my doctor, she put me in the hospital. After two days of stress tests and a heart catheterization, they said I did not have heart problems, just “a broken heart.”

In a follow-up visit with the heart doctor, I was told point-blank: “I know you lost your hus-band and you are still grieving, but what you are doing is killing you. You are overweight and you don’t exercise. You decide. Do you want to live or die?”

I chose to live, and to live a well-balanced life. Over the past year or so, I began making changes to live a healthy life. I know Paul, who was so supportive and proud of me, would say, “Go and just do it!”

I have found out that there is more to living a healthy, well-balanced life than just dieting, and that I needed to seek out people to help me.

For more than a year, I have been participat-ing in a Weight Watchers at work program, and working out twice a week with a personal

Light of Wellness Award NomineesDon BlairFacilities Management

Steve Bottum Retired, Nov. 1, from T&D Operations

Angela ChrystalInformation Technology

Matt HarmanProduction Operations

Tim MillerFCS Plant Operations

Mark PurnellCustomer Sales & Service

Tom SandozEnergy Marketing & Trading

Dark Time Leads to Light of Wellness Award

trainer, Keith. He has given me the confidence to try new things. Keith says you can become stronger and physically fit at any age – it’s never too late.

I needed to develop a stronger relationship with my Lord, and I found a small group of ladies from church who are single and widowed. They have been there for me.

I began to realize how blessed I am, even though I don’t have my Paulie. I real-ized I needed to give back from my heart, and not just as part of my work. In April, I went to the Childrens Refuge Home in Jamaica to help with the kids and with outreach in the community.

I got involved with a Christian singles group, took kayaking lessons, and just completed my first-ever Corporate Cup walk. I regularly take walks through the neighborhood and at area gardens. I used to do this with my husband, and now I go by myself.

After Paul died, I found myself putting every-thing into work, and I felt totally unbalanced. My journey has brought balance to my life. I know I have lots more weight to lose, but if I can continue to lose 50 pounds a year, that will go a long way toward staying on track.

Judi is to formally receive the Light of Wellness Award at a Nov. 4 banquet. She was one of several OPPD employees who were nominated for their adoption of healthy behavior.

Judi Martin went on a short-term mission trip to Jamaica in April. She has since become a sponsor of the boy in the middle, Trad.


Excitement is building at Omaha’s Westside High. You can see it in the hallways, in the classrooms and at sporting venues. It’s growing in the hearts of students, faculty and their families. It’s called the Sparkle Effect, and sophomore Kailey Siebert gets credit for igniting the spark at the school.

mily Janiak looked a little hesitant as she waited on the sidelines of the Westside High School football field in

early September. She wore a new red cheerlead-ing outfit emblazoned with a large black W, sported a sparkly bow in her hair and clutched her red and black pom-poms tightly.

Though kickoff was about a half hour away, hundreds of fans were filing into the stands.

Many of them were wearing black T-shirts that read “Sparkle Effect.”

A squad-mate gently led Emily to the cluster of cheerleaders, and they began doing warm-up stretches and yells to get fired up for the game. Emily’s hesi-

tation turned to excitement, and a smile crossed her face. Finally, it was time to show

what she had been practicing all summer.Emily, a senior, is one of six Sparkle cheer-

leaders at the midtown Omaha high school with nearly 2,000 students. The squad is made up of special needs students, who practice and cheer alongside the regular cheerleading squads. It’s modeled after a similar squad formed a few years ago in Bettendorf, Iowa, which was fea-tured on the Oprah Winfrey show.

Kailey saw that episode, and she instantly put the wheels in motion to give the students at her school the same opportunity. She approached Lori Huffman, Westside’s cheerleading sponsor, who is also on the faculty. Huffman sent letters to parents of students she thought might be interested in the program. Six signed up to participate, and the parents were thrilled for their daughters to be involved.

Tears of JoyTears of JoyFrom the sidelines that evening, two OPPD

employees beamed with pride for their cheer-leader-daughters. Angela Siebert had tears of joy for her daughter, Kailey, whose volunteer work with special needs children at Monroe Meyer had laid the groundwork for bringing the

Emily Janiak, left, and Kailey Siebert get ready to cheer at a Westside football game.

ee

Something to

CheerCheer About


By Paula Lukowski

Sparkles to Westside. Ray Janiak’s joy resulted from seeing his special needs daughter, Emily, doing something he never dreamed possible.

Emily is the youngest of Ray and Diane Janiak’s five children. She was born premature, with multiple handicaps. As a result, she was delayed developmentally and faced numerous health issues, including seizure disorders. A stroke at the age of 5 affected her left side and took away some of her physical abilities. She spent the next 10 years trying to gain some of those back.

“When you become a parent of a special needs child, you realize that your life has changed. It isn’t that it’s worse or better, but you know that it will be different forever,” said Ray, supervi-sor of Facilities Services & Space Planning. “We appreciate the efforts of Kailey and the other cheerleaders for giving her the opportunity. I’m not sure they realize just how much the special needs parents appreciate what they are doing.

“When we started down this road with Emily,

we were touched by so many special people: nurses, doctors, teachers, clergy and other spe-cial needs parents. They were there to offer care, comfort and encouragement,” said Ray. “Now, after 18 years, we can look back and begin to see all the lives that Emily has touched. If in some small way, she touched Kailey’s heart and helped in her decision to start the Sparkles, then Emily has achieved something very special. As parents, we couldn’t be prouder.”

Ray also credits Angela for Kailey’s efforts.

“Angela has been encouraging and supportive of Kailey in this endeavor, and Kailey is so open to receiving the encouragement. Mothers and daughters don’t always have that relationship.”

It’s hard for Angela to hide her feelings about what Kailey has accomplished. “It’s unbeliev-able that she helped make this a reality,” Angela said. “We try to instill inclusion in our home, but she has a real gift for compassion and that is now spreading to other students.”

Angela saw that firsthand when she attended the Sparkles’ first pep rally at the school.

“It was so crowded that I had to crane my neck to watch what was happening,” said Angela. “One of the Sparkle cheerleaders threw a sparkle T-shirt into the student-crowd, and one of the star football players caught it. He ran up and gave the cheerleader a big hug, and the crowd went wild.”

Sparkle EffectSparkle EffectBoth Ray and Angela said that the Sparkle

Effect is making a big difference. Students are more accepting of others, and the special needs kids feel more a part of the school.

Before the pep rally, the cheerleaders were treated to cookies. Angela got con-cerned when she saw Emily holding one, as she knew that Emily only ate from a feeding tube. When she approached Emily, she learned that Emily just wanted to hold it, to be like the other kids, to be a part of the group.

Westside’s Sparkle cheer-leaders are one of just 15 Sparkle squads nationwide,

and the first in the metro area, but Kailey hopes other schools follow suit to benefit families like the Janiaks.

“Our former priest, Father Mac, used to say that ‘God writes straight with crooked lines.’ So it has been with Emily. For all the twists and turns in her life and health, she is doing pretty darn well,” said Ray. “We will have memories of the Sparkles that we’ll never forget. It’s a great way to end her high school career.”

Cheerleaders sold out of the 800 Sparkle Effect T-shirts before the first game. Many people’s shirts were decorated with jewels and sparkles.

A squad-mate gently led Emily to the cluster of cheerleaders, and they began doing warm-up stretches and yells to get fired up for the game. Emily’s hesitation turned to excite-ment, and a smile crossed her face.

Sarah, Emily, Diane and Ray Janiak cheer on the Westside Warriors.


As more employees start to use OPPD’s online learning management system (LMS), they’ll find Training Partner to be a powerful and user-friendly ally. Employees can use the system to:

• Review a list of OPPD training classes they’ve already taken

• Get updates on classes they’re currently taking

• View course offerings for future classes• Request training classes

“Training Partner is a robust, but easy-to-use system,” said Shon Bourke, manager - Safety & Technical Training in the Safety & Technical Training Division. “For example, when employ-ees request a training class that requires their supervisor’s approval, the system automatically emails the supervisor and notifies him or her of the required approval. “In cases where classes are offered via com-puter-based training, Training Partner will send an email notification to employees who have been approved for the class. They can then use Training Partner to access that CBT.” Shon served as the project supervisor for the team (see sidebar at far right) that got Train-ing Partner off the ground. Vice President Tim Burke was the project sponsor, Kevin McCor-mick, division manager of Safety & Technical Training, was the project owner, and Mike Osborn, software engineering specialist in Infor-mation Technology, was the project manager.

One-Stop Shopping “Training Partner enables employees to man-age all of their training courses through one system,” said Tim. “This includes training from Customer Service Operations, Fort Calhoun Sta-tion, Human Resources, Information Technol-ogy, T&D Operations, Production Operations, and Safety & Technical Training.

“Once employees get comfortable with navigat-ing the system, they’ll find it to be an invaluable tool for coordinating their professional develop-ment,” Tim said. Kevin added, “We implemented this system with help from people all over the company. It’s satisfying to offer employees this new tool. “The LMS concept fulfills a recommendation from the High-Performance Organization effort. The idea was to consolidate all OPPD training offerings into one integrated system.” The Training Partner project got under way in the spring of 2009. Shon said major steps in the process included:

• “Shopping” for systems

• Developing related processes

• Importing data

• Testing data

• Testing processes

• Placing system online

• Going live in February 2010

• Finalizing system by adding Fort Calhoun Station-related training in May 2010

A Successful PartnershipTraining Partner, OPPD’s learning management system, fulfills a long-standing goal. The effort to implement an online system for coordinating training companywide dates back at least 10 years.

Your Training Partner is Ready to Go to Work

• Employees can access Training Partner to coordinate all their OPPD training via the intranet home page.

• To get to the system, click on Training Partner under Corporate Systems.

• To access Training Partner tutori-als, click on the links under Videos on the right side of the system’s home page, or click on emPOWER Yourself under Corporate Systems on the intranet home page.

• If you have questions about Training Partner, contact Cindy Hornback at ext. 4950 or Kristin Alexander at ext. 4976 in Safety & Technical Training.

• If you have technical problems, contact the Information Technol-ogy help desk at ext. 3848.


“The team completed the project under bud-get and on time,” Shon noted. “The original estimate for an LMS, including direction from the vendor to get us up and rolling, was nearly $936,000. The overall cost for implementing Training Partner, including estimates for OPPD labor, came in at about $270,000.”

OPPD Ideal Culture “The team’s work exemplified several of the key behaviors we’re striving for in OPPD’s Ideal Culture,” emphasized Kevin. (See sidebar.) “The team, as part of its project goals, took a district-wide focus. We talked straight to one another – there was a lot of give and take as we rolled together content from across the company. “The team provided exceptional service to its internal customers by delivering a great end-product. We would not have gotten this done as effectively without holding each other account-able to our commitments.”

Practical Applications “Training Partner has enabled the training team for the new Customer Information Sys-tem (iCIS) to deliver courses to more than 300 employees in a timely manner and to track the

OPPD Ideal Culture• I take a district-wide focus in

all I do.

• We talk straight to one another.

• I provide exceptional service to both internal and external customers.

• I manage accountability effectively.

• I attract, develop and am enriched by a diverse, engaged workforce.

Training Partner Project TeamJody Cain, Information Technology

Deb Emerson, Executive office

Phil Ferrone, Nuclear Performance Improvement & Support

Angela Galloway, Human Resources

Mike Godfrey, Substation Operations

Ruth Jamieson, T&D Operations

Jim Kucera, Production Operations

Cheryl Limbach, T&D Operations

Nicole Luna, Customer Service Operations

Jamie Moore, Safety & Technical Training

Mike Palmisano, T&D Operations

Kim Wear, Customer Service Operations

Patrice Wolf, T&D Operations

Sue Wymore, Information Technology

Project Leadership TeamTim Burke, executive sponsor

Kevin McCormick, project owner

Mike Osborn, project manager

Shon Bourke, project supervisor

employees’ progress efficiently,” according to Nicole Luna, performance improvement specialist in Customer Service Operations. “Training Partner has given the Downed Wires Team the ability to quickly obtain an accurate list of all employees certified to participate in storm-restoration efforts as part of a downed wires crew,” noted Cheryl Limbach, manager – Distri-bution Services in T&D Operations. Recent regulations from the North Ameri-can Electric Reliability Corporation and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission require utilities to document training. Training Partner enables OPPD to comply with these new require-ments. “Although the LMS implementation is com-plete, the project team continues to meet peri-odically, as we consider ways to improve the system,” Shon said. “For example, we want to make more CBT courses available and continue to minimize the amount of content that is dupli-cated between courses. “Our goal is for Training Partner to be a dynamic system that continually evolves as the training needs of OPPD change over the years.”

Shon Bourke, left and Mike Osborn are part of the Training Partner project leadership team.

By Terry Zank


Stephen Miller, Nuclear Engineering, marked 25 years with OPPD in July. He enjoyed the banquet with his wife, Linda.

Below: Grenal Jackson, who marks 25 years in December, left, shares a laugh with Retiree Doug Roberts. Right: Board Chairman John Green, center, and President Gary Gates, behind, congratulate Mary Brazeal, executive secretary, who marked 25 years in January. She is seated with her husband, Pete.


Service Club Banquet Attracts Hundreds

They came from as far as Bella Vista, Arkansas, and Las Vegas, Nevada, to catch up with former co-workers and to celebrate a new class of service club inductees.

The 2010 25-Year Service Club Banquet, held Oct. 11 at the Embassy Suites in LaVista, marked the 25-year anniversaries of 70 current employees who were hired in 1985.

More than 1,100 employees and retirees who had attained the 25-year service mark attended the dinner. A booklet prepared for the event shows that Lynn Sauer, Production Operations, is the longest-term current OPPD employee, with 39 years. John Casey had the most years of service – 48 years – of all the retirees listed.

The award ceremony also took a look back at highlights of 1985, which saw the fi rst registration of a dot-com domain name, intro-duction of compact discs, the fi rst million dollar TV ad during the Super Bowl, premier of the Golden Girls TV series and the addition of Elmo to Sesame Street. It also was the year OPPD began planning to expand its headquarters with the Energy Plaza addition.

Top: Guests fi lled the banquet hall. Middle: Diane and Matt Anielak visit with Cathy and Woody Goodell. Woody reached 25 years in September. Bottom: Carl Rennerfeldt and Viola Bannister visit at the banquet.


September-October Service Anniversaries

People

Susan Arndt30 Years

Information Technology

Delores Jacobberger30 YearsExecutive

Edward Thiele30 Years

Facilities Management

Thomas Vincent30 Years

T&D Operations

Richard Bennett25 Years

T&D Operations

Paul Domina25 Years

Nuclear PerformanceImprovement & Support

Kevin Faust25 Years

T&D Operations

Ellen Goetzinger25 YearsFinance

John “Woody” Goodell25 Years


Anthony Green25 Years

FCS Plant Operations

Jeffrey Hartung25 Years

T&D Operations

Sandor Chomos20 Years

Nuclear Engineering

Joseph McBride20 Years

Quality Assurance &Quality Control

Joseph Willett20 Years

FCS Plant Operations

Ronald Dick10 Years

Planning & BudgetingServices

Ursula Hill10 Years

Information Technology

John Kuzela10 Years


Diane Moore10 Years

Customer Sales & Service

Gail Pashchenko10 Years

T&D Operations

September-October Service Anniversaries Not Pictured25 YearsJohn Damato, T&D OperationsFrederick Klauzer, FCS Plant OperationsErnie Sears, Information Technology

20 YearsPatricia Baye, Customer Service OperationsLloyd Buchmeier, Production OperationsOtis Cooper, T&D OperationsAllen Parette, Production OperationsDouglas Pitt, T&D OperationsLloyd Williams, T&D Operations

15 YearsAnthony Bohaty, Substation OperationsJeffrey Craig, T&D OperationsNancy Goddard, T&D OperationsGary Martin, T&D OperationsBrandon Rietz, FCS Plant OperationsJames West, System Planning & Cost Management

10 YearsDaniel Deschamps, Nuclear Performance Improvement & SupportJames Dortch, FCS Plant OperationsTeddy Hrdy, Facilities ManagementWilliam Johnston, Production OperationsMichael McKinley, FCS Plant OperationsChristopher Palmer, Information TechnologyKevin Pirnie, FCS Plant OperationsHallie Rodis, Customer Service OperationsJoshua Sell, Substation Operations


5 YearsKeith Bahr, Production OperationsMichael Beck, Information TechnologyJoshua Bernasek, T&D OperationsBrandon Berner, T&D OperationsJarod Buckley, T&D OperationsJoseph Campbell, T&D OperationsDonald Clark, T&D OperationsKeelyn Davis, T&D OperationsChristopher De George, Facilities ManagementMark Doeppers, Production OperationsJohn Drelicharz, Information TechnologySusan Harder, Facilities ManagementCharles Hill, T&D OperationsTreva Isenhower, Customer Service OperationsBrian Krejci, T&D OperationsJoseph Krivolavek, T&D OperationsChad Kuchta, FCS Plant OperationsScott Kuhl, T&D OperationsJacob Lang, T&D OperationsDaniel Larrick, T&D OperationsNicholas Lorkovic, Nuclear EngineeringMichael Love, Information TechnologyDavid Mead, Production OperationsChad Mefford, T&D OperationsRyan Meisinger, T&D OperationsAaron Mercer, T&D OperationsChad Metschke, T&D OperationsDawn Petrus, Planning & Budgeting ServicesAaron Prohaska, T&D OperationsChad Reed, T&D OperationsJessie Robinson, T&D OperationsAnthony Scaia, Quality Assurance & Quality ControlNicholas Shanks, FCS Plant OperationsKevin Schulze, T&D OperationsBrian Tedesco, T&D OperationsCole Tibke, T&D OperationsMartin Wetenkamp, Production OperationsCody Woodworth, T&D OperationsMichael Wright, T&D Operations

DeathsServices were held Sept. 10 in Omaha for Raymond A. “Ray” Borg,

86, shown in a 1988 photo. Ray joined OPPD in 1949 as a junior engi-neering aide in the Engineering Division and retired in 1988 as division manager – Customer Service Operations.

Ray was preceded in death by his wife, Eloise “Elly”; son, Alan; brothers, Carl Borg and Charles Borg. He is survived by sons, Ruth and Bryan Borg, OPPD retiree, David (Nanci) Borg; daughter, Cynthia (Don) Hiltgen; grandchildren, Deanna, Aaron, Richard and Jeromy; and great-grandchildren, Johnathan, Cidnee, Lilly, Madeline and Malia.

Services were held Sept. 25 in Nebraska City for Charles C. Finley, 79, shown in a 1982 photo. Chuck joined OPPD in 1952 in the Under-ground and Streetlight Department and retired in 1986 as an architec-tural engineering senior designer.

Chuck is survived by his wife, Connie; sons, Dave Finley (Cathy), Gregg Finley (Mary Finley, OPPD employee), Doug Finley (Michelle), and John Finley (Jana); daughters, Tammy Secord (Jim), and LuAnn Snyder (Mitch); 16 grandchildren, fi ve great-grandchildren; brother, Thomas Finley; other family and friends.

Services were held Sept. 16 in Omaha for Edgar G. Harding, 75, shown in a 1994 photo. Edgar joined OPPD in 1957 as a utility worker and retired in 1994 as a working line crew leader at the Irvington Cen-ter.

Edgar was preceded in death by his parents, Clayton and Doris Hard-ing; and brother, Irwin Harding. He is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Donda and James Bissen, Kathy and Scott Coufal, Bobbie and Steve Blankenship; son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Joan Harding; 12 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; siblings, Donald, Douglas, Darrell, Clifford, Gordon Harding, and Carol Morton.

David E. Kuony passed away on Oct. 1 at the age of 93. Dave joined OPPD in 1939 as a screenhouse operator at the Jones Street Station and retired in 1980 as a mechanic fi rst class at North Omaha.

Dave was preceded in death by his wife, Helen. He is survived by children, Doug and Debra (Dennis) Wolsleben.

Services were held Sept. 10 in Omaha for Richard A. Long, 92, shown in a 1978 photo. Dick joined OPPD in 1938 repairing watt-hour meters under a work study program from the University of Omaha and retired in 1980 as a section manager in Technical Services.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents, A. E. and Myrtle Long; brother, Robert Long; and sister, Virginia Saari. He is survived by his wife, Roberta; sons, Charles Long and Robert Long; several nieces and nephews.

Raymond A. “Ray” Borg

Charles C. Finley

Edgar G. Harding

David E. Kuony

Richard A. Long

The new Omaha Center will include a Wall of History, dedicated to telling the story of the center from its origins at the Electric Operations Headquarters at 43rd and Leavenworth, to its Saddle Creek location, and to its new location, near Eppley Airfi eld. The move to the new loca-tion is currently scheduled for March 2011.

The idea is for a display containing historic photographs and items. Suggestions for what to include and donated items are greatly appreci-ated. If you have a suggestion or something to donate, please contact Ray Janiak of Facilities Management at 402-636-3386 or [email protected].

Donations Sought for New Omaha Center Wall of History


People

October RetirementsRobert S. Moreno, steam-fitter mechanic – FC Main-tenance, FCS Plant Opera-tions, retired Oct. 1 with 23 years of service. Bob joined OPPD in 1987 as a laborer in FC Maintenance.

Randall L. Samson, man-ager – Substation & System Protection, retired Oct. 1 with 24 years of service. Randy joined OPPD in 1985 as a junior engi-neer in Transmission Engineering.

James A. Walker, senior electrician – FC Mainte-nance, FCS Plant Opera-tions, retired Oct. 1 with 20 years of service. Jim joined OPPD in 1990 as a utility worker in FCS Maintenance.

Mark S. Buckley, working line crew leader – Omaha Center, T&D Operations, retired Oct. 1 with 32 years of service. Mark joined OPPD in 1977 as a utility man in the North District, Electric Operations

November RetirementsBeverly J. Adams, mana-gerial accountant – Asset Accounting, Corporate Accounting, retired Nov. 1 with 34 years of service. Bev joined OPPD in 1976 as a keypunch opera-tor in Data Processing.

Jimmie W. Bassinger, working crew leader – Material Handling, Nebras-ka City Operations, Produc-tion Operations, retired Nov. 1 with 30 years of ser-vice. Jimmie joined OPPD in 1980 as a helper in Nebraska City Operations.

Darrell K. Bender, plant engineer – North Omaha, Production Operations, retired Nov. 1 with 34 years of service. Darrell joined OPPD in 1976 as an engineer in Production Operations.

Steven H. Bottum, senior design engineer – Distri-bution Engineering, T&D Operations, retired Nov. 1 with 30 years of ser-vice. Steve joined OPPD in 1980 as an engineer in the Engineering Division.

Lawrence J. Brown, elec-trical service designer – Key Account Sales & Service, Customer Sales & Service, retired Nov. 1 with 37 years of service. Larry joined OPPD in 1973 as a junior

engineering aide in the Transmission Line Department.

Judith K. Brugger, opera-tions clerk 1 – Elkhorn Center, Blair Office, T&D Operations, retired Nov. 1 with 34 years of service. Judy joined OPPD in 1976 as a junior clerk in Account Services.

Melva L. Champion, manager – Planning & Administration, Facilities Management, retired Nov. 1 with 25 years of ser-vice. Mel joined OPPD in 1985 as a stenographer in Material Management.

Lawrence E. Ciecior, divi-sion manager – System Planning & Cost Manage-ment, retired Nov. 1 with 37 years of service. Larry joined OPPD in 1973 as an engineer in the Substation Department.

Joseph L. Connolley, prin-cipal engineer – electrical, Nuclear Engineering, retired Nov. 1 with 11 years of service. Joe joined OPPD in 1989 as a system engineer in Production Engineering.

Craig R. Crawford, business process analyst – Business Application Delivery, Infor-mation Technology, retired Nov. 1 with 22 years of ser-vice. Craig joined OPPD in 1978 as an assistant analyst

in Chemical & Radiation Protection.

Patrick Cronin, man-ager – Operations FC, Plant Management, FCS Plant Operations, retired Nov. 1 with 25 years of service. Pat joined OPPD in 1985 as an auxiliary operator in Nuclear Production.

Michael J. Czerwinski, col-lections specialist – Finance & Investor Relations, Finance, retired Nov. 1 with 33 years of service. Mike joined OPPD in 1976 as an accounting clerk in Corpo-rate Accounting.

Roger W. Gaebel, electrical service designer – Consumer Sales & Service, Customer Sales & Service, retired Nov. 1 with 37 years of ser-vice. Roger joined OPPD in 1973 as an apprentice auto mechanic in the Transporta-tion Department.

Joseph K. Gasper, manager – Design Engineering-Nuclear, Nuclear Engineer-ing, retired Nov. 1 with 36 years of service. Joe joined OPPD in 1974 as a senior engineer in Technical Servic-es, Production Operations.


Retiree Club News

High Voltage Club Marilyn and Tom Urwin visited friends and relatives in Wyoming, Idaho and Washington. Marilyn’s highlight of the trip was riding the Zip Idaho zip line. Tom enjoyed fishing in the mountains… Mary and Frank Johnson spent Sept. 10-12 in the Amana Colonies to celebrate 45 years of wedding bliss. The weather was gor-geous, and the shopping and dining were fabu-lous… Kathy and Reinhard Lindner spent a few weeks in southern Wyoming and northern Colo-rado, pulling their new travel trailer. Camping is a new experience for both, and they plan to use the trailer for many more trips, with Florida and the west coast on the list… Fran and Dick Boeck flew to New York and toured for two days. They also took a seven-day cruise that stopped at Hali-fax, St. John, Portland and Boston. - Sharon Dickman

Karen J. Gertz, senior staff-ing coordinator – Service, Human Resources, retired Nov. 1 with 31 years of service. Karen joined OPPD in 1978 as a stenographer in the Employment Depart-ment.

Linda S. Hutchens, sup-ervisor – Executive Office Administration, Executive Office, retired Nov. 1 with 22 years of service. Linda joined OPPD in 1988 as a stenographer in the Quality Assurance Department.

Michael D. Kenealy, super-visor – Material Handling NC, Production Operations, retired Nov. 1 with 34 years of service. Mike joined OPPD in 1976 as a utility man in the Materials Han-dling Department.

William K. Kermoade, senior production planner – Work Management, FCS Plant Operations, retired Nov. 1 with 34 years of service. Bill joined OPPD in 1976 as a helper in Produc-tion Operations.

Julie B. Kuhr, senior clerk – Plant Management, FCS Plant Operations, retired Nov. 1 with 33 years of service. Julie joined OPPD in 1977 as a stenogra-pher in the Fort Calhoun Administrative Department.

Thomas P. Matthews, junior engineer – Nuclear Training, Nuclear Perfor-mance Improvement & Support retired Nov. 1 with 28 years of service. Tom joined OPPD in 1982 as a junior engineering aide in the Licensing Department.

James T. McLochlin, opera-tions system administrator – T&D Computing, System Planning & Cost Manage-ment, retired Nov. 1 with 32 years of service. Jim joined OPPD in 1978 as an

apprentice relay specialist in the System Protec-tion Department.

Terry L. Rowell, senior production planner – North Omaha Maintenance, Production Operations, retired Nov. 1 with 34 years of service. Terry joined OPPD in 1976 as a helper in Production Operations.

Diane K. Schroder, finan-cial planning analyst – Corporate Budgeting, Plan-ning & Budgeting, retired Nov. 1 with 36 years of service. Diane joined OPPD in 1974 as a keypunch oper-ator in Data Processing.

Leo P. Walling, supervisor – Plant Projects, Work Man-agement, FCS Plant Opera-tions, retired Nov. 1 with 29 years of service. Pat joined OPPD in 1981 as an admin-istrative clerk in Nebraska City Administration.

David A. Brown, shift security supervisor – Security Services, Nuclear Performance Improve-ment & Support, retired Nov. 1 with 12 years of service. Dave joined OPPD in 1997 as a security officer in the Nuclear Assessments Division.

Gary C. Chaka, transportation working crew leader – Transportation and Construction Equip-ment, Facilities Management, retired Nov. 1 with 33 years of service. Gary joined OPPD in 1977 as an apprentice auto mechanic.

Leo C. Wallace, stores clerk 1st class – Procure-ment Service, Nuclear Engineering, retired Nov. 1 with 29 years of service. Leo joined OPPD in 1991 as a laborer in Nuclear Operations.

SympathiesCindy Hornback, Safety & Technical Training, for the death of her father.

Mark and Sandi Vote, Nuclear Engineering, for the death of Sandi’s father.

Gordon Hansen, retired, for the death of his wife, Rita, on Sept. 11.

Carl Belt, retired, for the death of his wife, Naomi, on Sept. 10.

Brad Almquist, Production Operations, for the death of his grandmother.

Alice Dworzack, Substation Operations, for the death of her mother-in-law on Sept. 21.

Julia Victor, Substation Engineering, for the death of her father.

Larry Kilpatrick, Sarpy County Peaking Plant, for the death of his mother on Sept. 18.

Christy and Nick Daniel, Elkhorn Center, for the death of Christy’s sister, Carla James.

Gordon Hansen, retired, for the death of his wife, Rita, on Sept. 11.

Tom Shudak, Nuclear Engineering, for the death of his father.

Gregg and Mary Finley, Facilities Management, for the death of Gregg’s father, Chuck Finley, OPPD retiree.

Kathy and Lou Mrla, T&D Operations, for the death of Kathy’s mother, Mary Lou Callahan.

Lynn and Kevin Holthaus, Nuclear Engineering, for the death of Lynn’s father.

PRESORTED STANDARD

US POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 97

444 South 16th Street Mall Omaha, Nebraska 68102-2247

Address Service Requested

Windy ForecastThe 40-turbine Flat Water Wind Farm project is nearing completion.Progress is sprouting up all over the Flat Water Wind Farm site on the state lines of Nebraska and Kansas.

As of mid-October, all 40 1.5-megawatt (MW) turbines were standing. Don Dison, vice president of Engineering & Construction at Potro Power (formerly Gallup Power) said he is optimistic about the project’s progress.

“We erected these turbines at a pace of about one or one and a half per day,” said Don. Potro Power has been contracted by Flat Water Wind Farm LLC to complete the wind farm by Dec. 31.

OPPD has signed a power purchase agreement Two cranes were used to lift and guide the massive turbines into place.

with Flat Water Wind Farm LLC to buy the total 60-MW output of the company’s wind energy facility in Richardson County, Neb.

OPPD completed a new substation, substa-tion 1399, adjacent to a Flat Water sub on the site. OPPD’s substation has switches and circuit breakers to isolate the wind farm if it needs to be electrically isolated for safety, said Melissa Lester, T&D project engineer.

Flat Water Wind Farm LLC’s substation will take power generation from the 40 wind turbines and step it up to be fed onto the grid via OPPD’s sub-station 1399 and transmission line.

“The entire project team worked hard to keep construction on schedule,” said Melissa. “We had a contractor who provided special equipment to deal with the rocky ground and help with pour-ing concrete all winter. Even now, a lot of team members are working to ensure commissioning goes smoothly.”

Documents

November 2010 Flash