Jennifer Rush wins statewide public power award

One of Morganton’s very own is being recognized statewide for excellence in their field.

Jennifer Rush, Administrative Assistant for the Electric Services Department, was recently given the first-of-its-kind 2020 Rising Star Award in Public Power from ElectriCities of North Carolina.

The award recognizes someone who has been employed for only a few short years, but is already making a big impact in their field. Though Rush earned the award in 2020, ElectriCities did not announce the award until this year since the COVID-19 pandemic ground much of the world to a halt in 2020.

“Jennifer is incredible at what she does, and works hard to serve the electric customers of Morganton,” said Electric Services Director Brooks Kirby. “She is the one who answers the phones during any power outage, and she does not go home or rest until power is restored for every customer. She is always willing to help customers who have questions about their electric service, and her commitment to the citizens of Morganton is unparalleled.”

Former City of Morganton Electric Services Director Dan Brown presented the award to Rush during the annual ElectriCities Conference in Hilton Head, S.C., earlier this summer. ElectriCities CEO Roy Jones also traveled to Morganton earlier in the summer to surprise Rush with the announcement of her award before it was formally given to her at the annual ElectriCities conference. Rush was again recognized for her achievement during the September 13, 2021, Morganton City Council meeting.

“We are happy to see Rush excelling in her role, and modeling the office environment after her dedicated and pleasant style of leadership,” said City Manager Sally Sandy. “We are positive that Rush will serve our public power community well for many years to come.”