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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CITY OF PALMDALE NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: John Mlynar PHONE: 661/267-5115 DATE: December 21, 2018 City of Palmdale Honored at APWA Southern California Chapter Best Awards Ceremony Lynn Glidden Receives APWA’s President’s Award PALMDALE –The City of Palmdale received the 2018 Project of the Year Award in the Creative and Innovative category for the City’s streetlight acquisition and retrofit project and Capital Improvement Project Manager Lynn Glidden was honored with the American Public Works Association’s (APWA) President’s Award from the Southern California chapter at its annual awards banquet on Dec. 13 in Lakewood, California. The streetlight acquisition and retrofit project involved purchasing approximately 18,000 streetlights from Southern California Edison (SCE) and retrofitting them over to Light Emitting Diode (LED). The goal was to increase energy efficiency, decrease maintenance and improve public safety, and required strong collaboration among departments and SCE, and most importantly active community engagement. “The project greatly improved the lighting citywide and has been warmly received,” said Palmdale’s Environmental and Technology Manager Ben Lucha. “This is one of Palmdale’s first steps towards becoming a Smart City, and the new infrastructure will allow the City to integrate future Smart Cities technologies and expand its infrastructure.” ---PAGE BREAK--- The President’s Award, presented to Glidden, is traditionally given for unique and special dedication and leadership in advancing public works, including being active in supporting APWA, either at the branch or chapter level. “Lynn Glidden is an exemplary professional who is dedicated to public works,” said APWA Chapter President Tim D’ Zamura. “She has been a member of the High Desert Branch since its inception and has contributed behind the scenes in many ways including assisting with both the scholarship and award committees even though she was not officially a member of those committees.” Glidden, whose career spans nearly 30 years in Palmdale, has served as board secretary of the Southern California branch for four years and has been chair for the communication/membership committee for the past three years. She was elected to serve as the vice president in 2019. The Southern California Chapter of the APWA is a professional association of public works trades people, engineers and leaders in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. For 18 years, the annual APWA Best Awards luncheon recognizes individuals, groups and projects that are outstanding in the prior year. Awards are presented to agencies, public works leaders, as well as elected officials. In the 19 years that the So Cal Chapter awards program has existed, the City of Palmdale has received 36 awards for many notable projects and programs implemented by the City. About the APWA ---PAGE BREAK--- The purpose of the APWA is the advancement of the theory and practice of the design, construction, maintenance, administration, and operation of public works facilities and services; the dissemination of information and experience upon, and the promotion of improved practices in public works administration; the encouragement of the adherence by public works officials to a high professional standard; and the professional and social improvement of its members; and the promotion of cooperation among all public, quasi-public, and private persons, firms, corporations, bodies, utilities, and agencies which have interests in the field of public works. For more information, please call the Department of Public Works at 661/267- 5300. Photo Captions: #1 – President’s Award: Lynn Glidden, Capital Improvement Project Manager #2 – Project of the Year, Creative and Innovative – left to right: Environmental and Technology Manager, Ben Lucha, Engineering Technician, Arista Hennessey -30- Communications Department • 38300 Sierra Highway • Palmdale, CA 93550 www.CityofPalmdale.org