GVP Brings Home Communication Awards

GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. - (June 24, 2024)  Grand Valley Power has received both state and national recognition for its communication, including the top state award. Grand Valley Power won Best Overall Excellence in Communication for 2023. Colorado Country Life’s Excellence in Communication contest recognizes the best in writing, photography, and overall publication among Colorado’s electric cooperatives.

Additionally, staff members received state awards in other categories. Chief Executive Officer Tom Walch received first place in the Industry Article category for his piece titled “Standing Up for You,” and second place in the Community Article category for his article, “Your Connection to Grand Valley Power.”

Director of Marketing and Communication Rita Sanders received a second place award for her photo, “For the Birds.” And Dana Way, a former communications specialist, won first place in the Best Safety category for “Electrical Safety Scavenger Hunt,” a kids activity.

Grand Valley Power’s local pages in Colorado Country Life and the 2023 annual report also garnered awards in the 2024 Spotlight on Excellence Awards program, a national competition among America’s electric cooperative communicators. Grand Valley Power received Silver Awards in the Best External News Publication and Best Annual or Impact Report categories for the magazine and the “Annual Report to Our Members: Rooted and Resilient.” The national competition is sponsored by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The annual Spotlight on Excellence Awards program recognizes the best communication and marketing efforts by electric cooperatives and related organizations nationwide. More than 800 entries were submitted by 179 cooperatives across multiple categories, including writing, graphic design, digital communications, campaign development, and more. Faculty members from the University of Missouri Columbia and noted professionals in the fields of marketing, digital communications, and newspapers judged the entries.

“We are honored to accept these awards for Grand Valley Power,” Sanders said. “Keeping members informed about the critical work that the cooperative does to provide safe and reliable electricity at cost is key to our mission of empowering lives with hometown service. It is a joy to tell the stories of our members and the team that does this important work.”