The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) presented Aberdeen native Thornton Smith with its Environmental Protection Award as part of the agency’s 2020 Administrator’s Excellence Awards program.

The annual program honors employees and members of the public whose innovation, initiative, superior service or courageous acts have made exceptional contributions to BPA’s mission, the electric utility industry or the local community.

Smith and other awardees were recognized April 23, in a virtual award ceremony.

Smith’s initiative and dedication to environmental protection has significantly improved the operations and maintenance of BPA’s storm drainage systems, according to an administration statement. He regularly performs drainage inspections to identify pollutant removal, system repairs and part replacements. His work has led him to implement new inspection guidelines and to develop a new maintenance program which will help protect the environment, BPA personnel and the public.

Smith graduated from Aberdeen High School in 1994 and later attended Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. After earning a bachelor of Applied Science degree, he went on to complete a Masters of Business Administration at Texas A&M University Commerce in Commerce, Texas.

While stay-at-home orders, maximum teleworking and social distancing made celebrating this year’s awardees a challenge, BPA executives felt marking the occasion, on the originally scheduled date, April 23, was particularly important.

“Weeks of social isolation has been difficult for our workforce, so coming together online and congratulating the awardees for a job well done relieved some of the pandemic stress,” said BPA Administrator Elliot Mainzer.