2005 Heath Award Winner
Matthew Palmer
Consolidated Edison Company

Matthew “Matty” Palmer, who works at Consolidated Edison Co. of New York as a gas operations and field operations planner/emergency response, today was named the winner of the American Gas Association's Milton W. Heath Sr. Memorial Award. The award is presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to leak detection, prevention or repair during the preceding five years.

Palmer was honored at the AGA 2005 Operations Conference, this year held in Chicago through April 29. Palmer was selected for this honor on the basis of his significant contributions to natural gas industry efficiency and effectiveness. Palmer was instrumental in developing a new Incident Command System Process at Con Edison to improve safety, efficiency and communication. Working with the New York City Fire Department, Palmer used its Incident Command Structure as a model to develop the Incident Command tabletop board. This board is recognized as an industry “best practice” that effectively coordinates gas incident scenarios following a significant incident that may cause disruption of gas service to customers, including a major leak, building fire, explosion, flood or environmental contamination. Palmer has been with Con Edison for 31 years.

2004 Heath Award Winner
LARRY DODSON
Louisville Gas and Electric Company

Larry Dodson, safety/technical training consultant at Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) is the recipient of the AGA 2004 Milton W. Heath Sr. Memorial Award. Sponsored by Heath Consultants, this award is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to leak-detection prevention or repair during the preceding five years. Dodson was selected for his leadership in gas leak survey training activities. During his 38 years at LG&E, Dodson has held several different positions, including pipeline inspector, assistant service foreman and gas working foreman within the company’s construction and maintenance department. For the past 14 years, he has worked in the safety and technical training area, where he held the positions of training specialist and senior technical instructor before moving into his current position.

2002 Heath Award Winner
KENNETH J. MURRAY
Enbridge Consumers Gas

Kenneth J. Murray, of Enbridge Consumers Gas,is the recipient of the AGA 2002 Milton W. Heath Sr. Murray was nominated for this award as a result of his outstanding leadership as the supervisor of operations survey at Enbridge Consumers. His department is responsible for finding and monitoring leaks along more than 12,000 miles of gas mains serving 1 million customers. Murray assisted in the developmentof an information-technology application to minimize the administration required to complete an annual leak survey and in the introduction of new leak survey technologies that include the Optical Methane Detector. Under his guidance and leadership, Murray has developed and maintained exceptionally high morale and dedication within Enbridge Consumers' leak survey department.
Murray joined Enbridge Consumers in 1974 as a laborer in the construction and Maintenance Department and held several positions, including gastechnician, leak surveyor and general supervisor, before his promotion to supervisor of the operations survey in 1998.

2001 Heath Award Winner
RANDY DYER
Utilicorp United

Randy Dyer received the AGA 2001 Milton W. Heath Sr. Memorial Award based on his significant contributions to improved productivity and efficiency, and to overall public safety. He played a key role in staffing templates based on time/task requirements, modification of Peoples' CP/leak survey hands-on training program, development of cross training programs, enhancing productivity and creating employee value and loyalty. He also reviewed and completed CP and leak survey operator qualification training, provided corrosion protection/leak survey services for third party contractors, thereby making a significant contribution for protection of underground facilities.
Dyer is a Director of Gas Technical Services at Utilicorp United and provides training for a team of 30 CP/leak technicians across seven states. At Utilicorp, he has held a variety of positions that have involved equipment designing, operating, monitoring, testing, and installing PNG cathodic protection systems. Dyer has earned certification as a NACE (The Corrosion Society) corrosion technologist, qualified USU operator and project manager.

2000 Heath Award Winner
GEORGE RAGULA
Public Service Electric and Gas

George Ragula, Distribution Manager of Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) of Newark, New Jersey, received the AGA's 2000 Milton W. Heath Sr. Memorial Award.
Ragula was selected for his significant contributions to the natural gas industry efficiency and effectiveness. He has played a key role in evaluating cutting edge technologies, with particular emphasis on increased use of various technologies.
Ragula has a diverse background in gas distribution engineering and operations. Prior to joining PSE&G in 1988, he held various positions at Brooklyn Union Gas Company. He is a member of AGA, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Northern American Society of Trenchless Technology and the New Jersey Association of Asphalt. Ragula holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.