F O R E W O R D is a company with a long, rich history. Although “The Reliable One”
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
was coined in 1998, it exemplifies 88 years worth of commitment to outstanding service to our customers. Much of our strength through the years has come from the knowledge, pride and experience passed down from generation to generation of OUC employees. OUC General Manager and CEO Ken Ksionek was the driving force for this book. As he watched longtenured employees retire, he was concerned that part of OUC’s history was in jeopardy of being lost. Ken wanted to capture our past so it could be used as a reference for future generations. He also wanted the book to be written from an OUC employee’s perspective, by someone who shared his love of the organization and respect for OUC’s culture. That someone was me. I joined OUC in 1986 as a public information specialist and am currently the Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Community Relations. I have spent the majority of that time writing for the organization, but working on this book has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my career at OUC. A book like this cannot be accomplished by one person. Although I was the primary writer, I gained a great deal of information from retirees through interviews or their personal accounts including: former General Managers Curtis H. Stanton and Harry C. Luff; retired Assistant General Manager Louis E. Stone; retired General Counsel Thomas B. Tart, and retired Director of Water Engineering Rick Coleman. I also had the assistance of an amazing staff both past and present. The Marketing, Communications and Community Relations staff were dogged in their efforts to help compile photos, stories and facts in an effort to create a book that would do justice to OUC. For me, one of the best parts of working on the book was the opportunity to spend time with Curt Stanton, Harry Luff and Lou Stone. Curt had retired when I started at OUC. Harry was the General Manager, and
CHAPTER I: In the Beginning
CHAPTER II: The New Frontier
CHAPTER III: America Races to the Moon
CHAPTER IV: A Balancing Act
CHAPTER V: Ups and Downs
OUC CO MMITME NT to Reliability and Quality
Lou was the Vice President (known as Manager in those days) of Electric Operations. Sitting across from the three of them to discuss OUC history was like defending my doctoral dissertation. Having Curt Stanton tell me the discussion was one of the most enjoyable experiences since his retirement was the icing on the cake and a high point of my career. Lastly, I would like to end with a story from my first day at work 25 years ago. I came home from work and told my mother that I thought they must put something in the water, because the employees were the nicest people I had ever met and very passionate about OUC. I still feel the same way today. It’s been an honor
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and a privilege to work with such a talented group of people, and I thank the OUC family for an incredible journey. Together we made history!
Roseann Harrington, Vice President Marketing, Communications and Community Relations
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