The Deutsche Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches e.V. (DVGW) awarded a total of eleven of its members the DVGW badge of honour at the DVGW-Kongress in Berlin on 17 September in recognition of their outstanding commitment to the association's technical work. The original wording is given below.
The honourees are (in alphabetical order):
Dipl.-Ing. Angela Brandes, Avacon Netz GmbH, Salzgitter, has been a member of the DVGW since 2014 and is involved in many DVGW committees. Her role as project manager of the DVGW / AVACON project „20 per cent hydrogen in the gas grid“ in Schopsdorf is particularly noteworthy. Here she was the „face“ of the project on site. Ms Brandes was the „face“ of the project in Schopsdorf, from conception, citizen participation and citizen persuasion to project realisation and communication. In addition, Mrs Brandes is very active in the DVGW in „H2vorOrt“ in the „First Mover“ working group. Due to her special commitment to the advancement of hydrogen technology, we are awarding Mrs Brandes the DVGW badge of honour.
Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Brohm, GOK Regler- und Armaturen-Gesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, Marktbreit, has been working for over 25 years with great commitment in the committees of the DVGW / DVFG and DIN relevant to „liquefied petroleum gas“ as well as European and international committees. He contributes his extensive knowledge in the field of pressure regulators and fittings, lines and hoses as well as liquid gas systems in recreational vehicles and boats to the work on regulations and standardisation. He has earned special merits through his many years of leading the DVGW project groups and DIN working groups ‘LPG pressure regulators and fittings’ and „LPG hoses“ and working group CEN 181/WG 2 „LPG installations and appliances for vehicles and boats“. In recognition of his many years of active and dedicated commitment to the interests of the DVGW, we award Mr Brohm the DVGW badge of honour.
Robert Hammann, ESWE Versorgungs AG, Wiesbaden, has been a member of the board of the Wiesbaden district group since 2002. He is the training officer for gas and water installations. Through his work, he represents an important link to the trades - the market partners in the region - in the catchment area of the district group. Over the years, Mr. Hammann has very successfully and with great commitment organised numerous events for the personal members and the trade businesses in the region, thus ensuring the important transfer of knowledge from regulations to practice. In this way, he has made an exemplary commitment to promoting the gas and water industry. Due to Mr Hammann's extraordinary commitment, we are awarding him the DVGW badge of honour.
Dr. rer. nat. Hans-Jürgen Kocks, Mannesmann Line Pipe GmbH, Siegen, has been a highly committed contributor to DVGW and DIN committees on corrosion issues and gas distribution as well as the associated regulatory projects for over 20 years. With the background knowledge of his various activities in DVGW committees and his expertise, he is a highly respected and valued personality in the development of regulations and has made a very significant contribution to the gas and water industry. In recognition of his extraordinary commitment to the gas and water sector, we are awarding Dr. Kocks the DVGW badge of honour.
Björn Mattheß, Magistrate of the City of Groß-Umstadt, Groß-Umstadt, has been a member of the DVGW since 2013, which he has represented in the expert procedure for the reorganisation of the ‘Specialist for water supply technology’ - since 2019 as head of the associated project group GV-PK 3.1 and since 2022 as a federal expert appointed by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). He has been particularly committed to the future-proof design of the new profession of „environmental technologist for water supply“ in a digital working world, with the aim of actively implementing environmental protection and environmental technology in the reorganisation. With his background knowledge and expertise, Mr Mattheß is a highly respected and valued personality in educational work and among the partners in the committee network of the associations of AGFW, BDEW, rbv, DVGW and VDE, whose commitment has made a significant contribution to the promotion of skilled labour in the German water industry. In recognition of his extraordinary commitment, we are awarding Mr Mattheß the DVGW badge of honour.
Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Overhoff, WESTNETZ GmbH, Recklinghausen, has been very actively involved in DVGW committees in the field of gas metering and billing for many years. He has been a member of the G-TK „Gas metering and billing“ and several project groups of this TK since 2012. Since 2013, he has headed the G-PK ‘Test centre manager for gas measuring devices’. He has significantly contributed his expertise in this area to the new developments in legal metrology - in particular as a representative of the DVGW in the Working Group for Metrology and Verification (AGME). Mr Overhoff was one of the initiators and creators of the sampling procedure for extending the calibration period. Mr Overhoff has also been passing on his extensive specialist knowledge as a speaker at DVGW events for many years and is involved in the „Gas and water metering“ colloquium, which is important for the industry. In recognition of his many years of creative and dedicated commitment to the interests of the DVGW, we are awarding Mr Overhoff the DVGW badge of honour.
Betriebswirt (VWA) Harald Schmid, Renew and Gas GmbH, Kassel, has been working very actively for many years with his extensive knowledge in the DVGW expert committees as well as for DVGW Berufliche Bildung. He is a long-standing expert for gas pressure regulating and measuring systems. Since 2008, Mr Schmid has been a member of the TK „Natural Gas Filling Stations“, now „Infrastructure Gas Mobility“, and several project groups of this TK. He has been the head of the TC since 2023. At DVGW events, in which he regularly participates, Mr Schmid has passed on his extensive expertise both in the form of specialist presentations and numerous contributions to discussions. In recognition of his many years of active and dedicated commitment to the interests of the DVGW, we award Mr Schmid the DVGW badge of honour.
Dipl.-Ing. René Schoof, schwaben netz gmbh, Augsburg, has distinguished himself as an important driver of research in the DVGW on the gas side. As a committed personality with great charisma, he has headed the IK Gas as chairman for 10 years. He personally set up PTG and H2 in the company during the initial phase in 2012/13 (Falkenhagen, Hamburg) and contributes his many years of experience to the DVGW's work in many ways. As head of the IK Gas, he closely supported and coordinated the current innovation programme, always keeping an eye on operational issues and feasibility in order to successfully implement the programme. He has been instrumental in ensuring that innovation research is continued within the DVGW. Mr Schoof has made an important contribution to the DVGW and continues to champion the interests of the DVGW, including as Managing Director of schwaben netz gmbh. He will be awarded the DVGW badge of honour.
Dipl.-Ing. Michael Ulbrich, Rhein-Sieg Netz GmbH, Siegburg, has been active in many different DVGW gas and water technology committees for many years. As chairman of the relevant committee, he led the revision of regulations G 462 and G 472, „Plastic piping systems outside buildings (GF DVGW)“, and contributed significant input based on his strong expertise. In addition to his work in rulemaking, Mr Ulbrich supported the DVGW with his expertise during the flood disaster in 2021 and actively assisted in the reconstruction and recommissioning of the gas networks. With his outstanding expertise and qualification as an expert, Mr Ulbrich is a highly respected and valued personality. He has made a significant contribution to technical safety in the gas and water industry. In recognition of Mr Michael Ulbrich's extraordinary commitment to the gas and water sector, we are awarding him the DVGW badge of honour.
Andreas Weingardt, municipality of Hohenstein, Hohenstein. He has been a member of the board of BG Wiesbaden since 2004 - from 2006 in the role of training officer for the water supply sector. As chairman of the waterworks neighbourhood in the Rheingau-Taunus district, Mr Weingardt is also responsible for the important transfer of knowledge from the technical regulations to the technical employees of the small water suppliers in the region and to the district's supervisory authorities. Mr Weingardt has been committed to the DVGW and its purpose for many years. Due to his extraordinary commitment to the DVGW, we are awarding Mr Weingardt the DVGW badge of honour.
Jörg-Gerd Wesche, regiocom SE, Magdeburg, has been very active for many years in the DVGW committees for network operation, gas installation and industrial pipeline systems and applications. He contributes his extensive knowledge of network connections, gas installations including gas appliance technology as well as industrial pipelines and applications. In particular, his extensive expertise in gas appliance technology as part of his work as a TRGI expert should be emphasised. Mr Wesche has been a regular speaker at many DVGW events for over 20 years, making an important contribution to the qualification of technical specialists. In recognition of his many years of active and dedicated commitment to the interests of the DVGW, we award Mr Jörg-Gerd Wesche the DVGW badge of honour.
