Southwestern Power Administration (Southwestern) is proud to introduce the Administrator's Coin Award. The award was instituted by Administrator Mike Wech to honor and recognize significant contributions to Southwestern.
Southwestern Power Administration
December 6, 2021
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Southwestern Power Administration (Southwestern) is proud to introduce the Administrator's Coin Award. The award was instituted by Administrator Mike Wech to honor and recognize significant contributions to Southwestern, and 2021 marked the presentation of the inaugural coin awards.
The history of challenge coins is believed to date back to World War I. According to the Medals of America Military Blog, the military has a long-standing tradition of giving challenge coins, which are a large part of the culture. Historically, challenge coins have been used to boost morale, identify allegiance, and extend appreciation.
Lona Smith, Southwestern Management and Program Analyst, explains that, while challenge coins are a long-standing tradition in military history, today, civilian groups are using their own coins to recognize significant accomplishments.
Smith says that Scott Sims, Regional Maintenance Manager of Southwestern's Springfield Maintenance Office, researched and designed Southwestern's Administrator's coin, and that the uniqueness of the coin can be seen in the design.
"The front of the coin displays the Southwestern logo, while the back of the coin displays the entire Southwestern footprint," she says. "The stars on each state represent the location of each Southwestern facility, and the circled star represent Southwestern's Tulsa headquarters."
The Southwestern Administrator's Coin Award is to be presented to Federal employees, both within Southwestern and within Southwestern's partnering agencies, who have exemplified outstanding service or contribution to Southwestern, with the intent to celebrate the recipients and share a feeling of value and appreciation.
According to Lona Smith, the Administrator's Coin Award will continue to be a form of recognition in future years under Southwestern's Local Awards and Recognition Program.
Last Updated: December 06, 2021