On April 27, 2022, the Utility Safety & Ops Leadership Network held its annual award ceremony at the iP Utility Safety Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL. During the event, USOLN Board Chair, Jeff Clemons,  presented the John McRae Safety Leadership Award to Mark Werndorf, CUSP.

The John McRae Safety Leadership Award was created to honor McRae, a fourth-generation lineman who enjoyed a 42-year career before passing away July 27, 2010. He was active in the military reserves for nearly 30 years and instrumental in establishing the Massachusetts Municipal Lineman’s Association. McRae, a member of San Diego’s IBEW Local 465, spoke across the country about electrical training and went on to assist in the launch of Incident Prevention magazine.