Skip to content
Electric transmission tower and poles in rural wind farm in Midwest corn field

2020 Recipients

Dallas Rowley

Director of System Operations, Oklahoma Gas and Electric

Dallas Rowley was a very active member of the Reliability Advisory Council in 2020, serving as emcee for the annual Reliability Conference and leading the council’s effort to develop MRO’s Reliability Risk Matrix. The Risk Matrix provides a consistent framework for identifying and prioritizing risks to reliability and security, and was used to develop MRO’s 2021 Regional Risk Assessment. The tool has been shared with others across the ERO Enterprise. 

Joseph DePoorter

Director of NERC Compliance and Generation Operations, Madison Gas and Electric

Joe DePoorter chaired the MRO NERC Standards Review Forum (NSRF), which is recognized as a model across North America and by NERC and FERC, for effectively and efficiently obtaining industry input in the development of Reliability Standards. DePoorter was also the first chair of MRO’s CMEP Advisory Council, and has been a consistent and vocal supporter of MRO initiatives related to risk-based compliance monitoring and enforcement, including regular presentations at MRO and ERO events and has authored several articles in MRO’s newsletter

The board’s Organizational Group Oversight Committee struggled to select a single finalist, as both Rowley and DePoorter exemplify the attributes and qualifications of MRO’s HERO Award. The committee ultimately determined that the contributions of both individuals merit receipt of this important award.