CARMEL, IN – Bob Lichtenfels, a 48 year veteran of Richmond Power and Light in Richmond, IN, was named the first recipient of the Kerry Vincent Distinguished Lineworker Award, presented by the Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA) on September 21, 2021. The award was given at the IMPA Lineman Appreciation Event being held to honor the dedication and commitment of Indiana’s public power utility linemen to the communities they serve.

The IMPA Kerry Vincent Distinguished Lineworker Award was established in 2021 to honor the life and legacy of Kerry Vincent, a longtime employee of IMPA and advocate for public power who passed away earlier this year.  Kerry’s career in the public power industry spanned the course of four decades, including time with Richmond Power and Light and IMPA.  His passion for the industry and the brotherhood of linemen was evident in everything he did.

The award was established to recognize a lineworker from a member community that embodies the traits Kerry exhibited in his everyday life: Commitment, Compassion, Character, and Community.  Bob Lichtenfels of RP&L was unanimously chosen by the award selection committee and the IMPA Board of Commissioners to be the first recipient of the award due to his qualifications in each of those categories.  Bob’s lengthy career with RP&L began in 1973 when he started working for the utility as a janitor.  He earned his Journeyman Lineman card in 1979, and became Line Foreman in 1994.  He currently serves as Assistant Transmission and Distribution Superintendent.

“We are honored to present Bob with the Kerry Vincent Distinguished Lineworker Award,” commented Raj Rao, President and CEO of IMPA.  “Through Kerry’s Commitment, Compassion, Community dedication, and Character, he left a lasting impact on the public power community.  It is fitting that an award established in his honor be given to Bob, who epitomizes those same traits in his everyday life.”

IMPA is the wholesale power provider to 61 cities and towns throughout Indiana and Ohio that own and operate the municipal electric distribution systems in their communities.  IMPA members deliver electric service to approximately 340,000 individuals.  For more information about IMPA, visit www.impa.com.