Mark Iverson Honored with TVPPA's 2026 Distinguished Service Award
Mark Iverson, General Manager of Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU), was honored with the 2026 Richard C. Crawford Distinguished Service Award (DSA). The award was presented on Tuesday, May 19, during TVPPA’s 80th Annual Conference in Louisville, Ky.
Established in 1980 and renamed in 2004 to honor retiring TVPPA President and CEO Dick Crawford, the award honors any CEO or General Manager of a TVPPA member system who has been active in TVPPA, as well as other Valley electric utility activities, and meets these criteria:
- Exceptional leadership and service contributions to TVPPA and to consumer-owned power locally and in the Tennessee Valley region;
- Unusual devotion to duty;
- Recognition by the nominee’s peers;
- Contribution to the betterment of the community and the Tennessee Valley region.
Over the past decade, Iverson has emerged as one of TVPPA's steadiest and most trusted voices. He has chaired both the Research & Development Committee and the Contract Compliance Advisory Group — the latter putting him at the table with TVA's Regulatory Assurance Team on some of the issues that matter most to TVPPA member systems. He also served on TVPPA's Board of Directors for seven years, including two as Secretary-Treasurer.
He has carried his voice and leadership beyond our region's borders to Washington, D.C., where he has advocated for the Valley power model at the local, state, and national levels, including many years at TVPPA's annual Valley Rally.
Closer to home, he was a member of the inaugural class of the Valley Public Power Leadership Academy (VPPLA), highlighting not only his commitment to his own LPC but to the Valley's unique public power.
He has served on the Board of Directors for his city's Chamber of Commerce and local financial institutions, and he spearheaded a partnership with a local technical college that brought public art to his downtown, including a striking lightning bolt sculpture that now stands as a symbol of the role BGMU plays in the life of the city.
Mark Kimbell, Chief Executive Officer of Gallatin Department of Electricity, presented Iverson with TVPPA’s highest honor.
"The people who know him best, both at home and across the Valley – especially his Kentucky peers – will tell you that he has always been the first to step up when public power needs a champion, offering thoughtful insight on the issues that matter most to our Valley," said Kimbell. "They'll tell you he is not just a respected leader, but a trusted mentor, someone you call when you need wise counsel and keen discernment. And they'll tell you that his willingness to engage, in any capacity, at any table, has strengthened public power and the people we serve."