(KANSAS CITY, Ks.) — Kansas City, Kansas Board of Public Utilities’ (BPU) General Manager Bill Johnson has been awarded the Gilbert E. Hanson Jr. “Outstanding Service Award” from the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency (KMEA).

Each year, this award named in honor of KMEA’s first General Manager, Gil Hanson, is presented by KMEA to a recipient who has, over a period of years, made significant contributions to municipal joint action and is recognized for contributions to his or her community, the electric utility industry, or public power.

Nominees must possess skills in the following areas: Administration; Public Relations; Accounting; Human Resources; and Community Leadership, and possess a strong desire to increase the positive image of Public Power in the state of Kansas.

Under Bill Johnson’s leadership, the BPU continues to be recognized as one of the top municipal utilities in the nation.

Johnson, who has been with the utility for nearly 44 years, became general manager in April 2019. He previously managed the electric operations and technology unit for the public utility.

Johnson is a past president of Kansas Municipal Utilities and a current board member for the United Way of Greater Kansas City, as well as past board member of the Boys & Girls Club. Johnson is a member of the American Public Power Association (APPA), the Rocky Mountain Electric League (RMEL) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and past President of the Kansas-Missouri chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy.

Among his career-achievement awards, he has earned the distinguished “Black Achievers Award” from the Southern Christian Leadership Council and the “Black Man of Distinction Award” from the Friends of Yates. Most recently Johnson was named a recipient of the “2020 Industry Leadership Award” from RMEL and the 2021 “Mark Crisson Leadership and Managerial Excellence Award” from APPA.

(KMEA) is a quasi-municipal corporation formed in 1980 under Kansas law as a nonprofit joint action agency. KMEA serves over 77 Kansas municipalities providing gas & electric to member cities. Kansas Municipal Energy Agency supplies wholesale power, a range of energy services and undertakes construction of energy projects.

BPU’s water department was originally created in 1909, and its electric utility was operational in 1912. The purpose of the utility, then and to this day, is to provide the highest quality electric and water services at the lowest possible cost. Today the publicly owned utility serves approximately 65,000 electric and 53,000 water customers, primarily in Wyandotte County, Kansas. The mission of the utility and its employees is “to focus on the needs of our customers, to improve the quality of life in our community while promoting safe, reliable and sustainable utilities.” BPU’s Web site is www.bpu.com.