York – Denny Rasmussen and Roy Steiner accepted a prestigious award and, with it, the public thanks of grateful Nebraska Public Power District employees Saturday evening at York.

NPPD received the Pro Patria Award for public employers, presented by the Nebraska Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve during the organization’s 2009 convention. WO1 Kelly Olinde of the Nebraska Army National Guard and an NPPD employee nominated the state’s largest public utility.

Also receiving Pro Patria recognition were the Lincoln Journal Star, nominated in the large employer category by Capt. Ryan Kramer of the Army Guard, and KETV-Omaha in the small employer division. Army Guard Capt. Charles McWilliams nominated KETV.

Accepting for the Journal Star was Publisher John Maher. Rose Ann Shannon stepped forward for KETV.

Steiner, NPPD vice president of human resources and corporate support, also delivered the evening’s keynote remarks.

He said 91 of Nebraska’s 93 counties are served in one way or another by NPPD in either retail or wholesale capacities. The utility is responsible for 5,000 miles of transmission line, 2,200 employees and supplies one million power users. Steiner said six NPPD employees “are on active duty today” in the military. Since 2002, he said, 33 have completed extended duty in service to their country, 12 for more than a year and nine more than once.

“In my 10 years” with NPPD, “particularly the last five or six, I have never heard our managers do anything but support” the company’s dual-duty Guard and Reserve employees.

Speaking of Pro Patria Award winners earlier Saturday, Nebraska ESGR executive director Bill Nelson said, “These are the cream of the crop for 2008” and the state’s most supportive employers of part-time soldiers.

Rasmussen himself was surprised when presented a beautiful award in bronze and glass for his decades of unwavering, personal service to Nebraska ESGR. Rasmussen, honored and thanked in heartfelt remarks by Nelson, is retiring as an ESGR volunteer.