Minnkota receives four communications honors from NRECA

For the seventh year in a row, Minnkota’s Communications department has received recognition from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Spotlight on Excellence Awards. The program recognizes outstanding work produced by electric co-op communication and marketing professionals across the country. This year, Minnkota received three first-place Gold awards and one Silver Award for projects completed in 2024. Minnkota’s submissions were judged among other generation and transmission co-ops (G&Ts) and statewide organizations across the U.S.

Minnkota received a Gold award for Best External News Publication for Minnkota Messenger, the first time in Minnkota’s history to be honored in that category. News publication submissions are judged on graphic design, writing, photography and strategic planning.

Minnkota also received a Gold award for Best Annual or Impact Report for Powerful Voices: Minnkota Power Cooperative 2023 Annual Report – again, the first time Minnkota has received recognition in that category. This submission is also judged on graphic design, writing, photography and strategic planning.

Another Gold award for Best Internal Engagement was given to Sharing Our Power, a new employee recognition campaign that appeared on PowerSource (Minnkota's employee intranet) and social media. Through this campaign, employees with skills, jobs or hobbies outside of their daily work at Minnkota were highlighted and celebrated. These spotlights served to create connections between employees and show the world the balanced lives the Minnkota workforce enjoys.

Minnkota received a Silver Award for Best Long-Form Video for Project Tundra: Center of Opportunity, a video project that tells the stories of three Oliver County residents who would be impacted positively by the progression of the Project Tundra carbon capture initiative led by Minnkota.

The Spotlight on Excellence Awards consist of several categories that reflect the scope of cooperative communications, including writing, graphic design, marketing campaigns, etc. Entries are judged by industry peers.

MAIN IMAGE: Left to right: Michael Hoeft, Kaylee Cusack, Jenna Chase, Jenny Erickson, Emily Windjue, Ben Fladhammer