The Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award is presented to those who show great leadership and dedication to hydropower and is NHA’s highest honor.

Columbus, OH: American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) is proud to announce that Marc S. Gerken, PE, was presented with the 2020 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award during the National Hydropower Association’s (NHA) Waterpower Week Conference, presented virtually. The Henwood award is given in recognition of a lifetime of achievement and is NHA’s most prestigious honor. Gerken was selected by a committee of his peers in recognition of his lifelong dedication to the hydropower industry.

Gerken, who served as president and CEO of American Municipal Power, Inc., from 2000 until his retirement in early 2020, led AMP through a period of growth and evolution that included one of the largest deployments of new run-of-the-river hydropower generation in the United States.

“Marc is a very deserving recipient of NHA’s highest award,” said Jolene Thompson, AMP President/CEO. “The AMP Board and staff congratulate Marc for his many contributions to the industry and his longstanding leadership.”

During the awards presentation, Malcolm Woolf, NHA President and CEO, described Gerken as “A visionary and leader in hydropower.”

“We are thrilled to honor Marc with the Henwood Award,” stated Woolf. “His efforts serve as a reminder to the nation that the clean energy investments we make today, will pay dividends for the next generation.”

Prior to leading AMP, Gerken served as city engineer and city manager in Napoleon, Ohio. In that capacity, Gerken served on the AMP Board of Trustees for four years and chaired the AMP Board committee overseeing construction of the 42-MW Belleville Hydroelectric Plant. He joined AMP in 1998 as vice president of business and operations. Throughout his career, Gerken served in industry-related leadership and policy development positions on a national level, including on the NHA Board of Directors (having served as president from 2013-2015) and is a past chair of the Prairie State Generating Company Management Committee. He also previously served as co-chair of the NHA CEO Council and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Energy Authority, and past chair of the American Public Power Association (APPA) Board of Directors and the Public Power, Inc. Board of Directors.

To read the official NHA news release, click here.