Former EPB chief executive David Wade received the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Community Impact Award at its annual meeting.

EPB CEO Janet Rehberg presented the recognition, honoring Wade’s leadership and contributions to Chattanooga.

The award highlights a career associated with the utility’s fiber network, power infrastructure, and community partnerships.

At the presentation, Rehberg also recognized his role in the HCS EdConnect effort to expand internet access for qualifying students and families.

The recognition connects infrastructure leadership with community opportunity, a useful perspective on the technology projects often discussed in economic-development terms.

Wade retired from EPB earlier this year.

In accepting the award, he emphasized the people and organizations he had worked alongside and the value of collaboration.

For local readers, the honor is a reminder that the impact of a utility can extend beyond its basic services into education and the region’s wider economic life.