Valley Energy honors employees at awards event

SAYRE – Valley Energy recognized two employees for achieving a half-century of service to the company and announced its 2022 Employee of the Year during the utility’s annual awards breakfast Feb. 14.

Valley Energy President and Chief Executive Officer Edward Rogers presented the company’s 2022 Employee of the Year Award to damage prevention technician Don Barber.

Barber was awarded a plaque and lauded by Rogers for his work ethic and efforts to keep the company’s gas facilities safe. The CEO praised Barber for his accuracy in locating and marking gas lines and his diligence in checking records to ensure safe excavation near the company’s underground facilities.

“I want to congratulate Don on the work he is doing and the impact that has on the safety of the people digging around our gas lines,” Rogers said.”

Rogers also presented Valley Energy’s Standing Ovation Award to two employees, Don Wright and Dave Bubniak, during the breakfast. The award, which recognizes exemplary contributions to the company, was presented to the two men for coming to the aid of an elderly woman who was struggling to get into her vehicle in the Tops Market parking lot in Sayre. The employees had been participating in bell-ringing activities for the Salvation Army’s Kettle Drive when the incident occurred.

Employees who achieved years-of-service milestones in 2022 were also honored during the awards breakfast. Receiving special recognition for 50 years of service to the company were Les Merrill and David White. The two men began their careers at Valley Energy, then known as Valley Cities Gas, on the same day: June 15, 1972.

Others recognized for years of service were Cody Chapman and Jamie Beale, for five years of service, and John Merrick, for 20 years.

Rogers also recognized and expressed appreciation to Valley Energy Executive Assistant Sharon Stivason, who retired Feb. 17, for her many years of dedicated and professional service to the company.

Stivason had served as executive assistant for the entirety of her 38-year career with the natural gas company.

Valley Energy provides natural gas service to nearly 9,000 customers in the Sayre, Athens, Towanda and Monroeton areas in Pennsylvania and the Waverly and Chemung areas of New York state.

The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of C&T Enterprises. C&T Enterprises is jointly owned by Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative, based in Wysox, and Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Mansfield. The parent cooperatives provide electricity to more than 36,000 consumers in north-central and northeastern Pennsylvania.