NMPP Energy awarded Ryan Hurst, Utility General Manager of the City of Wahoo, Neb., Utilities with the Bob Arraj Service Award at the NMPP Energy Annual Conference March 18, 2026.
The award is presented annually to an official or employee who has excelled in service in the utility industry. The award is a memorial tribute to Bob Arraj, former city administrator and utilities superintendent of Kimball, Neb. Arraj’s years of knowledge, insight and expertise in the energy field allowed communities to benefit from numeous energy and service projects.
Since joining the City of Wahoo, Neb., in 2019, Hurst has demonstrated exceptional leadership, progressive decision making and an unwavering commitment to customers and fellow employees. Hurst’s lists of accomplishments as Utility General Manager include:
- Transitioning to a fully automated meter reading system;
- Overseeing electric, water, sewer and natural gas service expansion to more than 170 new residential lots and multiple commercial lots;
- Serving as the lead negotiator for the City’s wholesale power agreements;
- Advancing a feasibility and siting study for Wahoo’s power plant expansion;
- Improving reliability and redundancy of the City’s electric distribution system;
- Securing a 30-year solar energy purchase agreement; and
- Leading a downtown water main project and securing federal grant funds for natural gas pipeline upgrades.
Hurst’s award nomination cited his leadership skills, including his dedication, and the ability to be innovative and find common ground in problem solving.
As the recipient of the award, Hurst received $350 which will be designated to go to a local project or program of his choosing.