SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The City of Red Bud’s Electric Utility was recently recognized by the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association (IMUA) for receiving the first place Diamond Award in its division in the 2024 American Public Power Association’s (APPA) “Safety Awards of Excellence” competition.
The awards were presented to Red Bud Mayor Susan Harbaugh by IMEA/IMUA/IPEA President & CEO Kevin Gaden during the Association’s 2025 Annual Conference, held Thursday, May 15, in downtown Springfield.
Accepting the IMUA Safety Recognition Award from IMEA/IMUA/IPEA President & CEO Kevin Gaden is Red Bud Mayor Susan Harbaugh.
Red Bud earned the Diamond Award in the APPA’s Group A Division (utilities with less than 15,000 worker-hours of exposure) with a “Zero” Incidence Rate. The municipality was one of only six IMUA member municipalities to win the award and one of 202 public power utilities nationwide to be recognized for safe operating practices during the past year. Awards and recognition are based on system size, reportable work-related injuries, and overall work hours and worker exposure without a lost-time accident or injury.
Organized in 1948, IMUA is a not-for-profit trade association which represents the unified interests of, and provides services to, 50 municipalities that own and operate electric, natural gas, water, wastewater treatment and telecommunication systems throughout Illinois.