September 23, 2024

Six FirstEnergy employees were recognized recently for their acts of courage and compassion through the 2023 Hero Awards program. Award recipients were the guests of honor at a ceremony prior to a RubberDucks baseball game at Canal Park in Akron, Ohio.

“Thank you for taking action to make a difference in people’s lives and in the communities we serve,” said Brian Tierney, President and CEO. “Your acts of courage give your fellow employees something to celebrate, and be proud of, and to hold up as an example and say: ‘this is the best that FirstEnergy has to offer.’ You inspire the rest of us to be selfless in the important service that we provide, and words can’t express how much we appreciate what you’ve done to receive this recognition.”

The Hero Award program honors employees who make our company – and the communities we serve – better places to work and live because they took the time to care. A selection committee representing business units across the company reviewed nominations for gold, silver, bronze and honorable mention categories, then sent their recommendations to Brian for final approval.

Here are our 2023 Hero Award recipients and a brief synopsis of their actions:

Gold Award

Jerry Williams II
Line Worker A (Local 118/126), Ohio Edison

In August 2023, a shooting occurred during a Pee Wee football game in Akron. A 7-year-old boy was one of the victims. Jerry, who was in attendance, held the young boy in his arms and applied pressure to his wound to try to stop the bleeding. The young boy was critically injured, but thanks to Jerry’s efforts, survived the incident.

(L. to r.) Brian Tierney, Jerry Williams II and Angelica Walters, Executive Assistant, Revenue Operations. Angelica nominated Jerry for a Hero Award.

Silver Award

David Evans
Underground Electrician Leader (Local 270), The Illuminating Company (CEI)

Tim Van Gieson
Underground Electrician A (Local 270), CEI

While traveling on I-90, David and Tim encountered a vehicle with an unresponsive motorist slumped over in the driver’s seat. The vehicle was idling/moving down the road and veering toward the berm. They tried to get the driver’s attention without success. The car continued to veer and struck the guardrail, at which point it bounced back toward the travel lanes. Dave and Tim took decisive action and positioned their work truck in front of the vehicle to block its travel into highway traffic. They called 911, and officers from the Cleveland Police Department were able to revive the driver, park the car and turn off the vehicle. The driver had experienced a medical emergency and was treated by EMS. There were no injuries, and no damage occurred to either vehicle.

(L. to r.) Brian Tierney, David Evans and Tony Brown, Director, Energy Efficiency Implementation. Tony nominated David and Tim Van Giesen for a Hero Award. (Tim was not able to attend the award ceremony.)

Bronze Award

Shobi Maynard
Line Worker B (Local 270), CEI

Cody Novotny
Line Worker A (Local 270), CEI

Cody and Shobi were returning to their shop at the end of the workday when they noticed an elderly woman sitting on a sidewalk. She did not look well and had her face in her hands. As they got closer, Cody and Shobi noticed blood on her face and shirt. They stopped the truck in a safe area and rushed to help the woman. She had fallen and hit her face on the pavement, leaving her disoriented and confused. They applied pressure to her wounds while another good Samaritan called 911. Cody and Shobi stayed with the woman, helping to calm the situation and treat her injuries until paramedics arrived.

(L. to r.) Brian Tierney, Cody Novotny, Shobi Maynard and Jeremy Griffiths, Manager, Operations, Ohio. Jeremy nominated Cody and Shobi for a Hero Award.

Honorable Mention

TJ Guinter
Supervisor, Regional Operations, CEI

On St. Patrick’s Day 2023, TJ, his wife Nicole and their kids stepped out for a festive meal of corned beef sandwiches. They ordered some additional food to-go for Nicole’s brother, Kevin Oyler, and his family. Kevin is also employed by FirstEnergy as a CEI line worker. As Kevin started eating one of the corned beef sandwiches, TJ noticed that something wasn’t right as it looked like his brother-in-law had started choking. TJ’s first aid training kicked in, and he immediately started administering the Heimlich maneuver, which enabled Kevin to breathe normally again. The ordeal made a lasting impression on both men, and they shared the story with coworkers to reinforce the critical message that first aid training literally saves lives – on and off the job site.

(L. to r.) Brian Tierney and TJ Guinter. TJ was nominated for a Hero Award by Rob Schuerger, who recently retired from the company.