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13th Annual NGV Achievement Awards
Presented at National NGV Conference In
San Francisco
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Four individuals and four organizations received
National NGV Achievement Awards at the 23rd National NGV
Conference at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco earlier this
month (October 6th) in recognition of their outstanding
contributions toward the advancement of natural gas as a
vehicular fuel. Sponsored annually by the Clean Vehicle
Education Foundation (CVEF: www.cleanvehicle.org)
and the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (NGVC: www.ngvc.org),
the awards are given to NGV industry equipment and service
suppliers, policy-makers, customers and clean-air/clean
transportation advocates for their contributions in NGV
education, government relations, policy development, public
relations, marketing, technology development and operations.
Nominations submitted by CVEF sponsors and NGVC members
were reviewed and judged on criteria including the deployment
and fueling of NGVs; innovation and creativity in approaching
NGV challenges and opportunities; and advancement of community
and NGV industry goals of improving air quality and reducing
dependence on oil.
The 2005 National NGV Achievement Award winners follow along
with excerpts of remarks made by Stephe Yborra, CVEF's conference
organizer and emcee for the awards event. NGVC President
Richard Kolodziej and CVEF President Douglas Horne presented
the awards:
COMPANY/ORGANIZATION
 U.S.
DOE Clean Cities Program, for achieving the
"One Billion Gallons Displaced" milestone and the program's
continued support of NGV market deployment efforts.
"Since its creation in 1992, the Clean Cities Program
has been true to its mission," said Yborra. "While modestly
funded, the Clean Cities Coalitions are effective because
of the enthusiasm and dedication of the many volunteers
and, especially, because of the leadership of the headquarters
staff," he added. "Clean Cities program has played a
major role in the growth of the NGV market," Yborra
said, mentioning the historically strong representation
of NGV projects in the yearly awarding of Clean Cities
SEP grants. "By providing timely and unbiased information
and materials, Clean Cities has become among one of
the most respected federal programs," he added. The
award was accepted by Shelley Launey, Director - U.S.
Clean Cities Program, who graciously invited all Clean
Cities Program Coordinators in attendance to join her
on the platform to share the honor.
-
 Foothill
Transit, (West Covina, California), for its
continued deployment of natural gas-powered transit
buses and other vehicles in its fleet and its leadership
in promoting use of NGVs to improve air quality in the
Los Angeles Basin area. "Foothill Transit recognizes
the negative environmental impacts of diesel emissions
and has made a commitment to the residents of the communities
it serves to do its part to improve air quality by implementing
a strong CNG program at their transit operation," said
Yborra. The agency has deployed about two hundred CNG
buses thus far, primarily out of its Pomona depot, and
recently expanded its CNG fueling capabilities by opening
a second CNG station at its Irwindale facility. When
CNG buses currently on order are delivered, Foothill's
CNG fleet will number nearly 325. "It's a very important
part of the L.A. Basin's air quality plan. In the last
three years, they have displaced over 5 million gallons
of petroleum-based fuels," said Yborra. "While they're
certainly not the biggest transit agency in the Basin,
they set a great example for others to follow and we
appreciate their commitment," he added. The award was
accepted by George Karbowski, Director of Operations
and Maintenance. "Recognizing
 Nassau
County, New York, for its significant purchase
and deployment of Honda Civic GXs in its fleet, the
first step in its use of NGVs as a central component
of its comprehensive Energy Policy and Action Plan.
In describing the plan's components, Yborra commented
"The plan represents the County's leadership by example,"
further adding that "the County immediately put its
words into action" by purchasing 44 natural gas-powered
Honda Civic GXs, 20 of which have been delivered and
deployed. "This is a great example of a fleet taking
advantage of what's already out there in the market
," added Yborra, referencing the County's use of existing
fueling stations at the MTA transit depot as well as
a Clean Energy owned and operated station in Syosset
and a KeySpan station in Hicksville. Ron Gulmi, Lead
Account Executive at KeySpan Energy Delivery accepted
the award on the county's behalf.
 American
Honda Motors, Inc., for its "Good-Better-Best-Ultimate"
marketing-communications campaign, in which NGVs are
positioned as the best vehicle option available now
to meet the nation's air quality and energy security
goals while serving as the link to the "ultimate" hydrogen
vehicle options commercially available in the future.
"What more can we say about American Honda than 'thank
you for your continued extraordinary support of our
industry'," said Yborra, noting that Honda not only
provides financial support of both the CVEF and NGVC
as well as allocating its own staff's and AFV consulting
contractor's time to support industry activities, it
has continued to provide strong marketing support of
the CNG Civic GX. In outlining the basic premise of
the "Good-Better-Best-Ultimate" theme, Yborra said that
"Honda's positioning strategy is not only strong for
development of the NGV market today, it also helps our
industry in positioning NGV's role for the hydrogen
future." Gunnar Lindstrom, Senior Manager - AFV Sales
and Marketing for American Honda, accepted the award
INDIVIDUAL
 Edward
P. Huestis, for creatively advancing alternative
fuel vehicle use in the Vacaville, CA area - especially
his efforts promoting consumer purchase and use of NGVs,
as demonstrated in his responsibilities as City of Vacaville
Transportation Systems Manager and through his civic
outreach. "Ed has long been a proponent of clean transportation
options," said Yborra, noting Huestis' active involvement
in promoting electric vehicles in the past. "More recently,
he has applied his talents, his energy and his enthusiasm
toward NGVs." Huestis was successful in securing a state
grant that offsets the incremental costs consumers would
pay for natural gas-powered vehicles vis-ŕ-vis gasoline-powered
vehicles. "Vacaville's NGV incentive program is innovative
and successful thanks to Ed's efforts. We're not giving
this award to Ed because he pursued grant money and
knows how to cut checks," said Yborra. "We're giving
him this award because of his commitment, his drive,
the work he does to make a difference in the quality
of life for his neighbors, his friends and the residents
he serves as a city employee." Recognizing Huestis'
commitment to alternative fuel vehicles, Yborra joked
that Ed probably even 'evangelizes' on their virtues
at family picnics and neighborhood barbecues. "He's
the kind of local champion we need and the kind we're
pleased to recognize today," said Yborra.
 James
Johnson, for his commitment to deploying NGVs
in the City and County of San Francisco's fleet, including
his proactive approach to identifying and solving challenges
and his supportive outreach to policy makers and other
municipal and private fleet operators in the region.
"In 1999, when the City adopted its Healthy Air and
Smog Prevention ordinance, for some this was the end
of a long struggle to institutionalize use of NGVs and
other alternative-fueled vehicles but for Jim, this
was just the beginning," said Yborra. "As the person
who would implement the policy within the City's own
fleet, this is where Jim really stepped up to the plate.
He not only met the challenge, he embraced it and already
had done so well before the ordinance had passed," said
Yborra. "Jim worked tirelessly. While there are early-adopters
out there, It's not often that you find someone who
manages a fleet as large as Jim's that shows such strong
support," said Yborra. "Jim has shown enthusiasm for
NGVs here in the City and also as a leader in the Bay
Area with other fleet operators who often seek his advice."
 Rick
Ruvolo, for more than a decade of service to
the AFV industry and - more specifically, to the NGV
industry - through his work as the City of San Francisco's
Clean Air Program Manager and San Francisco Clean Cities
Coalition Chairperson, where he guided development of
clean air-clean vehicle policies and worked with stakeholders
to implement them locally, and for his efforts to build
coalitions elsewhere here and abroad. The award was
a surprise for Ruvolo, who was in attendance in support
of fellow award winner Jim Johnson, Superintendent of
City Shops for San Francisco with whom he has worked
for nearly a decade. Onstage to accept an award on behalf
of a fellow Clean Cities Coordinator from Virginia who
could not attend the event, Ric was genuinely surprised
and appreciative when the audience burst into applause
when his name appeared on the screen as the next and
final award winner. "Ric has been a leader in the US
DOE Clean Cities Program at all levels including locally,
nationally and internationally," said Yborra. "He founded
the San Francisco Clean Cities Coalition in 1992 and,
through his leadership since then, has been an active
force in advancing the City's "Healthy Air and Smog
Prevention" ordinance and programs that support it.
Ric was instrumental in development of the City's incentive
program for taxis and putting the grant package that
led to the development of the first heavy-duty LNG field
demonstration project in the Bay Area at Norcal Waste
Systems." Yborra continued with praise for Ruvolo's
support of international expansion of the Clean Cities
Program, especially in southeast Asia, where he has
taken several trips to help launch clean air and clean
vehicle programs. ""Ric is well recognized and respected
by clean vehicle advocates across the country as was
demonstrated by the many nominations submitted in support
of this award," said Yborra.
 Nic
van Vuuren, for his tireless dedication and
resolve in building public awareness of - and deployment
of - NGVs in the state of Virginia through educational
outreach, grant writing assistance, post-deployment
measurement and verification programs and stakeholder
team-building. "Nic's a great guy who works very hard
to promote alternative fuel vehicles and fuel use and
does a great job promoting NGVs,' said Yborra. Yborra
listed van Vuuren's success in advancing NGVs in central
and southeastern VA including securing grants to help
the Virginia Beach City school district, Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation and Charlottesville Public Schools deploy
buses. He also praised van Vuuren's public outreach
through seminars, presentations, a monthly newsletter
and coordination of special events. Nic was unable to
attend; Ric Ruvolo accepted Nic's award on his behalf
at the conference (Nic later was presented his award
in person October 14th at the "Clean Cities One Billion
GGE of Petroleum Fuels Displaced" event he organized
in Norfolk, VA).
More information about the Annual NGV Achievement Awards
is available from CVEF's Stephe Yborra @ syborra@cleanvehicle.org
or 301-829-2520.
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NGV CONFERENCE-
