Posted November 2003

The Electric Power Board (EPB) earned an Award of Merit from the American Public Power Association (APPA) for its 2002 annual reports. The award was presented November 4 at the Association's Customer Connections Conference in Savannah.

EPB received its first Annual Report award in only its second year of competing. EPB's 2002 Annual Report earned second place, Award of Merit, in the largest class of competition. First place award went to City Public Service, San Antonio, Texas. EPB competed with some of the largest public utilities within the United States, including Puerto Rico Electric Power, Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division, and Austin Energy (Austin, Texas).

"What a tremendous accomplishment to receive an award of such great distinction from our peers," said Sandy Buquo, EPB's Vice President of Marketing & Communications. "Our Annual Report focused on teamwork, innovation and diversity, and we drew high praise from the judges for a strong message that was creatively communicated throughout the annual report."

APPA, a national service organization representing the nation's 2,000 community and state-owned electric utilities, conducts the Annual Report contest each year to encourage and recognize excellence in communications.

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is the leading business and economic development organization for the Chattanooga region. For over 100 years, the Chattanooga Chamber has provided community engagement and opportunities for businesses, large and small, including networking, business promotion, business discounts, and public policy advocacy, as well as leadership development and training opportunities.

In addition, the Chattanooga Chamber is a one-stop-shop for site selectors and business decision-makers considering investments and job creation projects in the Chattanooga region. The Chattanooga Chamber is also responsible for marketing Enterprise South Industrial Park, a top-tier industrial park that offers significant strategic business advantages. In addition, the Chattanooga Chamber administers the Chattanooga Hamilton County Business Development Center, the largest business incubator in the U.S. in terms of the number of start up companies it houses, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth, an innovative effort to nurture technology-based start-up companies.

As the first stop for people interested in moving to the Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Chamber provides a range of relocation information including demographics, informational videos, connections to Chattanooga Area jobs, and frequently asked questions.