His career began on the ground floor. In fact, it began with the sweeping of floors.

The Northwest Public Power Association honored former general manager of Orcas Power & Light Cooperative Randy Cornelius with its Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual conference, May 20, in Anchorage Alaska.

Cornelius, who stepped down from the local power Co-op’s top administrative post a year ago and was recently elected to the OPALCO board of directors, was recognized by NWPPA for 40 years of service in the electric utility industry and his effort on behalf of public power.

“I’ve enjoyed my career in public power and have done everything from sweeping the floors to constructing line and managing utilities,” Cornelius said in a prepared statement. “I had the good fortune of leading an amazing organization in OPALCO and am grateful to Foster Hildreth who took over the reins. I have confidence in his ability to lead us successfully through the next set of challenges facing the industry—so much so, in fact, that I’ve signed back on as a board member to support him and enjoy the ride.”

NWPPA is an international association representing and serving consumer-owned, locally controlled utilities in the western U.S. and Canada. Its lifetime achievement award recognizes retiring or retired policymakers and managers from member utilities.

Cornelius began what would become a lifetime career in the utility industry as a teenager, working in a warehouse. He became a journeyman lineman and then earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering at Oregon State University.

While in Alaska, Cornelius worked extensively on the Blue Lake Hydro Dam. As director of electric utility for the city and borough of Sitka, Alaska, he represented the city and borough before federal and state regulatory agencies. He has worked closely with Bonneville Power Administration, Northwest River Partners, and served on various boards including WRECA, ARECA, Southeast Intertie, and NWPPA.