Conway Corp names Energy Smart Builder of the Year
Conway Corp has named Jacob Longing Construction the 2017 Energy Smart Builder of the Year for their dedication to building energy-efficient homes in the Conway community.
Energy Smart homes use less energy than standard-built homes and help save homeowners money and energy for years to come.
Conway Corp recognized 23 homes built by Jacob Longing Construction as being Energy Smart in 2017. They currently have seven more Energy Smart homes under construction.
“Jacob Longing Construction has been committed to building homes that have met or exceeded Conway Corp’s Energy Smart criteria,” Conway Corp Major Accounts and Energy Efficiency Manager David Avra said.
Energy Smart specifications are based on the United States Department of Energy recommendations. Energy Smart homes can save 20 to 30 percent energy use over a standard built home thanks to a variety of energy-efficient features including insulation, high-performance windows, tight ducts and efficient heating and cooling equipment.
“More than 745 Energy Smart homes have been built since the program began in 2009 with an estimated accumulative energy savings to the homeowners of more than $853,000,” Avra said.
Jacob Longing Construction is owned by Jacob Longing, a Conway High School and University of Central Arkansas graduate.
“Building quality, energy smart homes is important to my clients,” Longing said. “I strive to build them the most energy efficient homes possible to help keep utility costs down and potentially increases their resale value.”
Conway Corp Marketing and Public Relations Manager Crystal Kemp has been recognized by the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce with the Lloyd Westbrook Good Neighbor Award.
Established in 1973, the award is presented annually to an individual who has given of his or her time and talents. Recipients are known for going above and beyond the call of duty to help others while exemplifying outstanding public service to the Conway community. In 2016, the award was renamed to honor Westbrook, former CEO and President of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for contributions to this community,” she said. “It’s also special to me is because it’s named for Lloyd, who was so important in my professional and personal development.”
Westbrook hired Kemp at the chamber soon after she and her husband moved to Conway in 1993 and they worked together for seven years until 2000 when she accepted a position at Conway Corp.
“Crystal is the epitome of servant leadership and I can think of no one more deserving of the Good Neighbor Award,” Conway Corp CEO Bret Carroll said. “She is selfless and strives to put others needs before her own; our community is a better place because Crystal lives here.”
Kemp was presented her award by the Chamber at a reception held earlier this month and was recognized at the Chamber’s annual meeting on March 15.
Conway Corp Broadband Services Administrator Jerry Stewart has earned his certification as a Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO).
This certification is offered by The International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) and demonstrates that Stewart is able to recognize the real-world experience necessary to succeed at the highest executive levels of information security.
“This is a valuable certification not only for executives, but also for those advising and creating security policies,” Information Systems Manager Brad Sanders said.
“This will be valuable to us while we continue to set security posture and create policy for our company.”
Stewart joined Conway Corp in August 2007 and began his career as a Linux Systems Analyst. In March 2012 he became a Broadband Systems Administrator and became an Information Security and Compliance Administrator in May 2017.
Water Plant Operators Daniel Lawrence and Reece Martin have passed the Arkansas Water Operator Exam and have earned their operator licenses from the Arkansas Department of Health.
“I am proud of Daniel and Reece for passing this important exam,” Water Systems Manager Lee Tedford said. “They have shown a clear understanding of the treatment process and will help Conway Corp continue to deliver safe and reliable drinking water.”
Any water operator that performs water treatment duties in the state must hold a valid, active operator license. Lawrence and Reece had to conduct 100 training hours in addition to passing the exam.
“Passing this exam is an accomplishment,” Water Plant Superintendent Keith Rains said. “Daniel and Reece are the future of the Roger Q Mills Water Treatment Plant and Conway Corp.”
Conway Corp recently promoted five employees in the technology, cable, billing, human resources and customer services departments to better reflect their current job responsibilities, training and certification level.
Jason English has been promoted from Headend Technician to Senior Headend Technician. English recently celebrated his 12-year anniversary with the company in April.
Ben Lawrence has been promoted from Construction Technician to Senior Construction Technician. Lawrence joined the cable department seven years ago.
Brittney McCaig has been promoted from Customer Accounts Specialist to Senior Customer Accounts Specialist. McCaig has been with the company for 13 years.
DeAnna Smith has been promoted from Human Resources Technician to Senior Human Resources Technician. Smith is celebrating her seven-year anniversary with the company this month.
Shelly Smith has been promoted from Customer Service Specialist to Senior Customer Service Specialist. Smith started with Conway Corp in 2011 as a cashier and moved to customer service in 2013.
Commercial Account Executive Eleise Wood Myers and CATV Senior Project Manager Tony Van Pelt graduated from the inaugural class of the Central Arkansas Leadership Institute (CALI) in November 2017.
CALI is a program that prepares leaders to serve the Conway community through an eight-month curriculum inspired by Conway2025, a long-range strategic plan developed by the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce with the input of more than 1,400 area residents.
Class participants experienced first-hand how community leaders, businesses, and organizations make a difference in Conway every day while developing their own leadership skills and unique role in the success of the community.
“We are extremely proud of Eleise and Tony for the work they do for Conway Corp and for the community,” Conway Corp CEO Bret Carroll said. “Conway Corp has always been committed to enhancing the quality of life in Conway, and CALI prepares leaders like Eleise and Tony to do just that.”
Conway Corp announces safety & customer service award winners
Conway Corp recently honored Lead Serviceman Wayne Evans, SCADA and Network Systems Administrator Zach Leach and Manager, Electric Distribution System Jim Moore with awards for their exemplary work performance.
Conway Corp is dedicated to exceeding customers’ expectations through the exceptional work of dedicated employees and recognizes employees annually for their dedication in the areas of customer service and safety.
Evans and Leach each received the Customer Service Award presented by CEO Bret Carroll. They were nominated by their fellow coworkers for going above and beyond their job duties.
The nomination for Evans stated that even though he has the difficult job of disconnecting electricity for delinquent accounts, “he does his best to ensure the information is accurate. He will call Conway Corp cashiers on behalf of the customers he has interaction with so they have the balance needed to retain services or even research payments. His kind heart is shown in all his interactions with customers and coworkers.”
Leach was nominated for “building the relationship between operations and technology to ensure his internal customers are getting what they need. He also makes himself available as needed and goes the extra mile”
Moore received the Safety Leadership Award presented by Safety Director Steve Plant. Moore was nominated by the entire Electric Department who said as the department’s manager “he has created an atmosphere and built a strong team of educated linemen that were able to earn the RP3 designation for two consecutive cycles. He strives to not only be a leader, but a safe one.”
The RP3 (Reliable Public Power Provider) designation is given by the American Public Power Association to public power companies who show exceptional service in the areas of reliability, safety, workforce development and system improvement. One hundred ten of the nation’s more than 2,000 public power utilities earned the RP3 designation. Conway Corp is the only company in Arkansas to receive the designation.
“We are extremely proud of our employees and want to recognize those who continue to exceed customer expectations,” Carroll said. “The peer nominations submitted make these awards even more meaningful.”
Conway Corp announces Energy Smart Contest Winners
This October, Conway Corp celebrated Energy Awareness Month and Public Power Week by encouraging local students to show their energy smarts and participate in a poster, essay and video contest. Students in grades PreK-4 were asked to create a poster on the theme “My Life, Powered by Conway Corp” while students in 5-7 grade and 8-12 grade were asked to write an essay or create a video on the same theme. Prizes were awarded in each age category.
Woodrow Cummins Elementary fourth grader Olivia Frazier won first place in the poster contest. Olivia won a Conway Corp prize pack, an Energy Smart pizza party for her classroom and $100 donation for her classroom. Rylee Allen won second place, and Ethan Brock won third place. Rylee and Ethan both attend fourth grade at Woodrow Cummins Elementary and each won Conway Corp prize packs.
New to the contest this year, was a digital video category. Landon Henigan won first place in the 5-7 grade category, and Colby Thompson won first place in the 8-12 grade category. Landon is a fifth grader at Ruth Doyle Middle School, and Colby is in eighth grade at Conway Junior High School. Both students won cash prizes.
In the 5-7 grade essay category, Kaeden Ingram won first place for his essay “Conway Corp: My Super Power.” Jacob Regehr won second place for his “My life powered by Conway Corp” essay, and Ruby Jones won third place for her “Conway Corp: Powering Every Moment” essay. Kaeden is a fifth grader at Carl Stuart Middle School. Jacob is a sixth grader at Bob Courtway Middle School, and Ruby is in seventh grade at St. Joseph School.
“The Daily Ritual” by Anne Sting won first place in the 8-12 grade essay category. “My Energized Years with Conway Corp” by Kennedy Smith received second place, and “My Life, Powered by Conway Corp” by Ashton Harris received third place. Anne is a senior at Conway High School. Kennedy is in eighth grade at Conway Junior High School, and Ashton is a junior at Conway High School.
Students in the essay contest won cash prizes. Below are excerpts from Anne’s and Kaeden’s winning essays.
Anne: “The steady beat of the metronome pulses in my ear again and again, unrelenting and monotone. It eggs me on until I quickly fill my lungs to the brim with air, pushing it back out and feeling my lips vibrate against the still warm metal. I’m pegging note after note, floating and matching with the abstruse melody, watching my fingers dance on the valves. I push towards the final pattern, ringing out the final clear tone echoed by the continued clicks that mark each beat.
That is the excitement that pounds in my brain when making music. My entire life has been consumed by it. Every second, every heartbeat is bursting with that pounding rhythm that fills concert halls and cars alike. This drive to pursue music would not have been realized had it not been for the heavy influence of electricity in my daily life.
When I wake up in the morning, I immediately turn on the radio or open my phone to listen to music. It has become a sort of daily ritual; hearing Gustav Holst’s Jupiter helps to calm me before the day begins. I have access to millions of classical works that, in a different time, would’ve been impossible for me to access. I can listen to musicians who have passed away in their glory years at the tap of a button, close my eyes, and, if not for a few moments let the rich sounds wash over me.
Every day, I uncase my horn and practice for an hour or two. During this time, I often find myself turning to technology to streamline the process. I access online tuners and metronomes to keep my sessions in line; I always have a tab open to online music dictionaries so that I might play my solos as “ risoluto ” instead of “ marciale ” as the composer intended. When searching for how to repair my instrument I can access my laptop and pull from a wealth of knowledge as to why my horn is “clanking” or what to do if a screw goes missing. Outside of my rehearsals, I’ve watched nearly every one of Sarah Willis’s “French horn master classes” because it allows me to experience these lessons that have either happened years ago or thousands of miles away. Technology has afforded me the opportunity to listen in on performers who are playing the pieces I am, as well giving me tips on style, mastery of the literature, and general knowledge of my craft.
Arkansas has been blessed with a superb wealth of musicians, along with high school and college music programs known for their superiority. Through technology, these musicians can create a community, helping to improve one another. Programs like the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association (ASBOA) and Dixie Band Camp post audition materials and results, and bring talented students from around the state and into Conway together to perform high level music through their websites. Technology, on a personal level, allows for me to set up lessons with professors at the University of Central Arkansas to advance my skill levels, and keep in touch with my section at the Conway High School band, allowing me to set up sectionals and lessons.
As Plato once stated “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” I’ve blossomed as a musician and have helped my community and peers grow through my exposure to music and technology. By allowing me access to music, information, and fellow musicians, Conway Corp has driven me to a life centered around melodies and compositions. I don’t want to spend a day where I can’t feel music flowing through my body, and thanks to these advancements, I won’t ever have to. I can help build up the future generations of musicians and create as I please.”
Kaeden: “‘As a ten-year-old boy, I am of one the luckiest kids in the world! I am lucky for many reasons, including my family, my friends and my church. When I’m counting my blessings, I count Conway Corp among them because from the time I wake up in the morning until the time I lay down at night, Conway Corp is all around me, helping me to do everything I need, as well as keeping my lights and water on.
When I wake up in the morning, it is to an alarm on a phone on a charger in a house powered by Conway Corp. I wake up with no worries of not having lights or water or internet because while I’m sleeping Conway Corp is busy working to make sure that I and my neighbors and friends have all those things. Even when my parents are yelling at me to turn off the lights to save energy and money on the bill or to get off my phone and pay attention at dinner, I’m not worried because I know Conway Corp will be there for me when I turn them back on.
All while I’m at school I see evidence of Conway Corp all around me. Conway Corp is more than just a supplier of lights and water, they keep our city running and are always there to support in times of trouble. My school is pretty big, much bigger than the elementary school I came from. There are tons of electronics and classrooms and each depends on Conway Corp. There’s probably over a thousand kids in just my school and we all benefit from Conway Corp every school day. And that’s just my school, imagine all the other schools in Conway. Conway Corp has a huge job to do.
After school, I’m either at Sonshine Academy or my house. Again, I see the footprint of Conway Corp around me. Whether I’m using the Wi-Fi powered internet or watching shows on tv or doing homework, there’s not much I can accomplish without the power of Conway Corp. Conway Corp makes sure that we can watch all our shows as a family and they also make sure that your cable doesn’t just go off for no reason.
When I spend time at Sonshine Academy, either tumbling or waiting on my sister to have cheer practice, and I look around and see everyone on their phone using the wifi enabled by Conway Corp or charging devices for the kids to play on. Or as we watch our routine playback on a television in the gym, I can see the hand of Conway Corp.
There have been times that the lights at my house would go off because of a storm or another problem, I would panic and look for flashlights and an escape plan, my parents always told me that I didn’t have to worry or be scared because the men and women that worked at Conway Corp always have our back and would always get the lights back on and working. Now if that happens, I automatically know that it’s being handled and will be back to normal very soon.
My normal days are surrounded by all of the good things that Conway Corp offers. In thinking about what I wanted to say and writing this, this I have come to see the many different ways Conway Corp is a part of my routine and just how different my life would be if it were not POWERED by Conway Corp. There are not a lot of things I can do that is not touched or powered by Conway Corp. From the dinner we have cooked on the stove in the house that is in the city are ALL powered by Conway Corp. It’s all so amazing!”
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2017 Energy Smart Poster, Essay and Video Contest, and thank you to all students who submitted an entry. Conway Corp is proud of these students who continue to remind us how integral Conway Corp is to our daily lives.
Conway Corp has announced the promotion of Brett McDaniel to Engineering and Planning Manager.
McDaniel will be responsible for directing and coordinating the operation of the company’s Engineering and Planning Department including forecasting, system planning, system design and engineering analysis as it supports the community and the company.
“I’ve worked alongside Brett for 12 years and I am confident he will do a great job in this role,” Chief Operating Office Greg Dell said. “Conway Corp is fortunate to have someone with Brett’s knowledge and background to move into this position.” McDaniel was hired as a Water Systems Engineer in 2005 and was promoted to Water Systems Senior Engineer in 2008. He held that the role until his recent promotion to manager.
