One of the hydropower industry's most prestigious awards has been given to Rick Miller, in recognition of his dedication to hydropower throughout his career, which has spanned nearly four decades.
The National Hydropower Association awarded Miller the Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award in a ceremony during its Waterpower Week in Washington event. The Senior Vice President of Renewable Energy Services for HDR Engineering was selected to receive the honour by a committee of his peers
"A leader and steadfast advocate for hydropower, Rick Miller's contribution to the industry cannot be measured or quantified," said Linda Church Ciocci, Executive Director of the National Hydropower Association. "His career spans every aspect of our industry - from the construction of new hydropower facilities, to licensing and operation. Rick's counsel and vision has greatly benefited hydropower, and this well-deserved lifetime achievement award is a true reflection of the role he has played in our industry."
Beginning his professional career with Duke Energy, Miller progressed through positions of increasing responsibility in capital project planning and execution, dam safety oversight, outage coordination, maintenance, operations, and fleet modernization. While serving as Director of Operations for Duke's Brazil fleet, he worked to improve drinking water system in rural communities and championed a program of introducing aquatic biology and science in local schools and government.
With a commitment to enhancing wildlife protection, he led the development of establishing wild turkey habitat within several of Duke Energy's remote hydropower facilities leading to a lasting long-term partnership between Duke Energy, the National Wild Turkey Federation and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Following his time at Duke Energy, he served as early founder and CEO of the consulting firm Devine Tarbell & Associates, which provided a full suite of services for engineering, environmental sciences and regulatory support.
At NHA, Miller has served on the Board of Directors and as President. During his time as President, Rick established NHA's CEO Council and Pumped Storage Council. Today, Miller is a member on the U.S. Department of Energy's Senior Peer Review Group, which is charged with guiding and supporting the development of the Hydropower Vision Report.
"On behalf of NHA and the hydro industry, I'd like to congratulate Rick and thank him for his extraordinary work to promote value and promise of hydropower," said Church Ciocci
The Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award is one of the hydropower industry's most prestigious individual achievement awards. NHA established the award in 1990 in memory of Kenneth Henwood, an NHA board member, engineer, and developer who died while working on a project in California. Henwood winners must show persistence in the face of institutional obstacles, exhibit fair dealing and plain speaking, and depict an appreciation of the relationships between project engineering, the environment, and economics.
