Page 10 - Jan-Feb 2021 Vol 38 No 6

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

2020 TCAPWA Awards

W. Larry Eddins Award
Kim Strong, Chattanooga

Kim Strong provides a superior level of service while meeting the needs of the
Chattanooga Public Works Department employees. Strong has extraordinary
skills in planning and improvising, but collaboration is her strong suit. She
handles training arrangements including reservations, transportation and a
million more details. Strong takes the initiative to use her resources to improve
the quality of her community, and it shows in her community service efforts.
She has been instrumental in coordinating and collaborating with schools,
neighborhood associations, parental organizations (with summer kids’ camps)
and with Public Works and Water Quality. After the city received APWA
accreditation, Strong began working with her department and with APWA on
the accreditation site visit review team. She is currently serving as the Chair
of the APWA International Diversity Committee for her second consecutive
term, after serving several years on this same committee and others. Strong
represents Tennessee on the Council of Chapters and works hard in her own
department to advance minority and women’s involvement. She hosts many
different events throughout the year both for her department, the state chapter
and nationally through APWA.

Roger Clark Award
Rocky Robinson, Metro Nashville

In many ways exceeding the challenging requirements and expectation for
the award, Rocky Robinson’s ambitions, work ethic, and accomplishments
complement precisely the stellar community of past recipients, making him
highly deserving of the honor and opportunity bestowed by Roger Clark. His
talents, qualifications and work for TCAPWA are outstanding on many levels.
Robinson wears many hats for internal fleet management and assets, and he
also is department ECC representative. He tracks and updates policy and
procedures (as accreditation manager) and is tasked with handling FEMA-
related events. He works on yearly budget proposals along with tracking and
reporting costs. Metro Nashville is very lucky to have him on the team.

Edward C. Archer Young Public Works Leader of the Year Award
Jacob McCrary, City of Chattanooga

At 29 years old, Jacob McCrary is the youngest plant manager in the history of
the Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant. He has distinguished himself
in his ten years of employment by his continuous pursuit of excellence and a
constant desire to learn and teach others. McCrary quickly became a leader
in the Solids Treatment area of the plant, operating and training operators
while earning his State of Tennessee Grade 4 Wastewater Treatment Operator
Certification and cross-training in Liquids Operations. He then went on to be
an engineering coordinator at the Bend, managing dozens of contractors and
millions of dollars of maintenance contracts while learning the intricacies and
processes of the entire 140 MGD Wastewater Treatment Plant. With his growing
expertise and constant willingness to take the first step into any problem area,
McCrary earned the position of plant manager in June of 2020. He now leads a
group of 52 plant operators with a strong ongoing commitment to the well-being
of his employees, the community, and the environment, as well as the operation
and maintenance of the Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant. McCrary
always tries to bring everyone together as a team, working towards the same
goal. When he learns something new, he makes sure others know as well. He’s
always there to help and has outstanding leadership qualities.
10 TPW January/February 2021