Officials with the American Public Works Association or APWA have presented the Harlan City Administrator with an award for being one of the 2014 Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year. The presentation for Terry Cox was held on Tuesday at the Therkildsen Activity Center in Harlan. During the presentation, several guest speakers stood in front of the audience of around 40 people including Harlan Mayor Gene Gettys, Iowa APWA President Tracy Warner and the National APWA President-elect Larry Stephens.

Stephens said in his speech, Cox is one of a select group to win the award. “The Top Ten Award started in 1960 and as you (Gettys) eluded to over the years that’s about 55 years, there have been about 550 recipients of this award and that’s over the last half century. That’s not a lot of people. And in an association that’s nearly 29,000 members and represents the entire public works profession, you are one of a small number of individuals to receive this award.”

The Top Ten Award recognizes those individuals who personify excellence in serving the public interest in the field of public works. Stephens called it the highest award a member of the APWA can receive. Cox was presented a plaque with a medal inside. Cox took to the podium and thanked his staff at city hall, past and current city council members and mayors and all the city officials. Cox has been working with the city of Harlan for 37 years and will receive the same award in front of his peers in Toronto, Canada at a convention in September.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)