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July 18, 2006 -- Cheryl L. Gomez, director of utilities for the University of Virginia, has received the Meritorious Service Award, the highest individual service honor from the Association of Higher Education Facilities Professionals (APPA). Gomez received the award July 10 during the group’s awards banquet at the Campus of the Future conference in Honolulu.
“Cheryl has played a key role in the proliferation of knowledge and key skills in the areas of utilities operations and energy management,” said Mohammad Qayoumi, vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer at California State University, Northridge, and the person who nominated her for the award. “Her contributions to facilities management in general and energy management in particular have been exemplary. She has earned role-model status among her APPA colleagues.”
“I am very honored to have been nominated and to receive this prestigious award,” Gomez said. “This is a very competitive recognition and I thrilled by it.”
While the award is for the work she performed for the APPA, Gomez said it also calls attention to the honors the University’s energy and recycling programs have received.
During Gomez’s tenure, her department has received numerous awards from the Environmental Protection Agency including the Energy Star Partner of the Year and Green Lights Partner of the Year. Her department was also recognized by the White House Climate Change Task Force for making energy efficiency upgrades in campus facilities.
“Cheryl Gomez has long been recognized as one of the outstanding professionals in the energy business,” said Donald E. Sundgren, chief facilities officer at U.Va. “She has put into place policies that have saved the University energy and money. She is also very good at responding to emergencies. She is a valuable asset for U.Va.”
Paul Crumpler, energy programs manager for the University, said Gomez’s work has made U.Va. more economically and environmentally sustainable.
“She has made incredible strides in reducing energy use and costs within the University’s central systems,” he said. “She has saved us millions annually.”
Aside from her work at the University, Gomez serves as dean of the utilities and energy track for APPA’s Institute for Facilities Management and has served on a number of task forces relative to utility operations and energy management on the international and regional levels. She has contributed to various APPA publications including the third edition of the “Manual for Facilities Management.” | 
Cheryl Gomez 