UI Congratulates UWUA Local 470-1 President Moses Rams on Good Scout Award from Connecticut Yankee Council in Scouting America
Mr. Rams recognized for “his contributions to the betterment of the quality of life in New Haven County through his community involvement"
From left: Frank Reynolds, President and CEO of UI; Tracy Carnevale, Customer Care Representative at UI; Moses Rams, President of UWUA Local 470-1 and UI Chief Line Crew Leader; Brandon Rodriguez, Technician, Electric Operations at UI; Deanna Ballone, Customer Care Representative at UI; Kim Harriman, Senior Vice President of Public and Regulatory Affairs at Avangrid; and Bob Brown, Manager of Brand & Reputation at Avangrid and Vice President of Brand and Engagement at Connecticut Yankee Council in Scouting America
ORANGE, Conn. — December 18, 2024 — Today, United Illuminating (UI), a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) congratulated Moses Rams, the company’s Chief Line Crew Leader and President of the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 470-1, for his recognition from the Connecticut Yankee Council in Scouting America, which presented him with its Good Scout Award last week at its annual Greater New Haven Good Scout Dinner. The Good Scout Award is presented by Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, to community leaders who embody the values the program teaches young people. Mr. Rams, who has served as the President of UWUA Local 470-1 for 21 years and is a 36-year veteran of UI’s line crew, was recognized for his commitment to the students and young people of New Haven County and the surrounding areas. Specifically, the Scouts honored Mr. Rams’ commitment to workforce development through his trailblazing recruitment of lineworker interns, which he has facilitated in part through leading the union’s strong partnership with UI and Avangrid.
“I extend my sincere congratulations to Moses for this well-deserved honor from Scouting America,” said Frank Reynolds, President and CEO of UI, who presented the award to Mr. Rams and received the same award in 2021. “Last week, this excellent organization publicly recognized in Moses what we at UI have known for decades: he is fully committed to investing in the next generation and making our communities stronger. His partnership with UI and Avangrid have set a gold standard to demonstrate the benefits of collaboration in working to solve some of the most challenging issues we face. All of us at the company and the 400 union workers he represent are all the beneficiaries of his leadership, and I am very proud to see him honored for his many important achievements.”
As he presented the Good Scout Award to Mr. Rams, Mr. Reynolds described Mr. Rams’ leadership in his commitment to safety and to holding elected officials and regulators accountable when policies they enact or propose do not serve front-line workers. Mr. Reynolds also credited him for developing what is now the Trade Internship Program, a 10-week lineworker training program for rising seniors from technical high schools across the UI service area. Mr. Rams, who proposed the program several years ago, worked with the UI Electric Operations team and the Avangrid People & Organization team to establish processes to ensure the safety of the participants while ensuring their training would be directly applicable to a future work in the front-line workforce of utility companies like UI. Thanks to Mr. Rams’ leadership and commitment, 17 students have successfully graduated from UI’s Trade Internship Program across two years , and other Avangrid operating companies and unions in Connecticut, New York, and Maine have implemented or are working towards implementing their own versions of the program.
“I am truly honored to receive this honor and recognition from Scouting America,” said Rams. “Having emigrated from Cuba to Bridgeport as a kid, I know what it’s like to be a student in Bridgeport or New Haven, uncertain of where my future would lead or how I would provide for myself after graduation. That’s what motivates me to be a role model to the students we mentor throughout our internship program as we help them see how bright their futures can be and I’ve seen the impact Scouting has on young people across the Connecticut Yankee Council. Working at UI saved my life, and today, I am proud to foster collaboration and partnership with this company as we now work to change the lives of young people who were just like us, and who will one day change the lives of those who come after them, too.”
“For nearly 115 years, the Connecticut Yankee Council and Scouting America have taught young people to lead with integrity, and character and to be prepared for life. We’re proud to collaborate with community leaders like Moses Rams, and Steve Driffin,” said Bob Brown, Vice President of Brand and Engagement at the Connecticut Yankee Council in Scouting America. “Moses personifies the values Scouting America has instilled in millions of young people, from his helpfulness and his loyalty to his commitment to serving the communities around him and servant leadership. He is truly a role model for students and young people across Connecticut, and I am proud to work with him to make our state a better place for all.”
The Connecticut Yankee Council in Scouting America also presented Good Scout Awards to Superintendent of New Haven Public Schools Dr. Madeline Negrón and Director of Programs at Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (ConnCAT) Mr. Steven Driffin.
For more information on UI’s Trade Internship Program, please visit UI Trade Interns Graduate from Front-Line Workforce Development Internship - UI and Avangrid, UI, UWUA Local 470-1 Welcome Back 2023 Trade Internship Graduates as Full-Time Employees - UI. For more information on Scouting America, visit ctyankee.org.