By Brad Bowman

Two Energy and Environment Cabinet employees were among those singled out by Gov. Andy Beshear at the Capitol Rotunda recently as he honored recipients of the 2024 Governor’s Ambassador Awards for their outstanding service to the Commonwealth.

Out of more than 110 statewide nominations, Mine Reclamation Inspector Jason Keaton won the Courage Award for aiding an elderly Tennessean in distress who was lost and separated from his family at a remote mine location.

Wes Turner, an FAA certified remote pilot for the Division of Water, won the Professional Achievement Award for bringing the EEC into the next era of geoprocessing using drones for research and providing a safe alternative to potentially hazardous dam inspections for state employees.

“I’m honored to be here with the folks that are being recognized this year as going above and beyond,” Gov. Beshear said. “Folks that never fell back on that saying, ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it,’ but instead stepped up to provide superior service.

“We always say our Team Kentucky values are about helping our neighbors and being there in their times of need. You are all some of the true MVPs of Team Kentucky.”

Energy and Environment Cabinet Sec. Rebecca Goodman said she was truly proud of them both. “These employees do a great job every day, but every now and then employees are given the opportunity to do something truly exceptional,” she said.

Deputy Secretary John Lyons, who has also spent his career in public service to the Commonwealth, said it was wonderful to see fellow employees honored by the governor.

“There are so many employees who do an outstanding job every day,” Lyons said, “And to have Wes and Jason recognized for their outstanding contributions to this cabinet and what we do for the citizens of the Commonwealth every day is just a really proud moment for myself and the secretary.”

Keaton

On Feb. 12, 2023, Jason Keaton was inspecting a mine in Bell County. To get a better vantage point, he went down a dead-end road. There he found an elderly man in his vehicle just a few hundred feet away from the mine’s highwall – a sheer, vertical cliff.

Keaton quickly saw that the man’s truck had been stuck in the mud overnight and the person needed immediate medical attention. He assisted the man, who had been missing for two days, and helped reunite him with his family.

“I don’t feel like I did anything special,” Keaton said, after receiving his award. “I feel honored to be here. I did what anyone would do in that situation. It still crosses my mind…how the guy is doing.”

Justin Adams, director of the Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement said Keaton’s character and actions speaks to him being the right recipient of this year’s award.

“The Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement is extremely proud of the exceptional performance and empathy shown by Scientist Jason Keaton,” Adams said. “ Mr. Keaton saved a life and provided resolution for a family in a stressful situation.  

“His stalwart humility, resolute faith, and down to earth attitude is a testament to who he is as an individual.  His actions serve to demonstrate the quality of his character and his worthiness for the Governor’s Ambassador’s Award for Courage.’” 

We are glad to have him on our team.

The full story of Turner’s efforts and those events can be read in Land, Air and Water.

Turner

Wes Turner, who was working with mapping software, flew EEC’s first drone monitoring state-owned dams in 2019. In 2022, DOW added a drone boat. DOW additionally found monies in 2023 allowing them to add thermal drones to the fleet which are used to look for leaks in infrastructure and discharges into streams and rivers.  Now, five years later, the drones are being used constantly for research, determining erosion in Kentucky’s waterways, scouting out forgotten wells and providing a safe alternative for dam inspectors.

The research and inspections being done by the drones is not only innovating how the division conducts  those activities, but also is providing a historical database of knowledge for future use.

“It’s so much more efficient and keeps people out of harm’s way,” Turner said. “Some dams are more than 45 degrees or steeper. With a drone, I can see more than they can (if they physically had to repel hazardously along a dam wall). We can create 3d models. It also gives us a database we can look back at 20 years from now.”

Turner said he was surprised to find out he had been nominated and won the award.

“I don’t feel like I really deserve it because I have such a great team that I work with,“ he said. “We’ve had a lot of support from upper management, and it’s been really rewarding for my career to have that much support and to do some really cutting-edge stuff.”

Additional EEC nominees include Mary Rockey, DEP, for the Customer Service Award, Samantha Hoffman, DEP, for the Leadership Award and Jessica Robles, OLS, for the Leadership Award.

“Through Wes’s efforts, and others in the Cabinet, the use of drones for site surveys and inspections has resulted in increased efficiency and additional safety for agency staff,” DEP Commissioner Tony Hatton said.