Melissa Lucht and Ed Stauth, Greensburg's only AT&T employees, rode out the storm in their basements — then headed to the AT&T Central Office (CO).

The CO was severely damaged. Much of the roof was gone, and rain pelted telephone switching and transport equipment. Ankle deep in water, Lucht and Stauth slung tarps and worked together through the night to keep the CO operating until help arrived. Thanks to their efforts, the people of Greensburg stayed connected — to the voices of concerned friends and loved ones, to emergency services, to the Internet. By daybreak, AT&T was providing vital communications support to emergency responders.

For their heroic work to keep customers connected in the best AT&T tradition, Lucht and Stauth became the first winners of the new Whitacre Award. Named for retired Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre — a tireless advocate for serving customers — the annual Whitacre Award will honor AT&T employees who go above and beyond to provide world-class customer service.