GVP Wins Awards

GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. - (July 25, 2025)  Grand Valley Power communicators have received recognition from national and state peers for their work to keep cooperative members informed.

The GVP communications team won three awards in the Spotlight on Excellence Awards program, a national competition among America’s electric cooperative communicators.

The team received Gold for Best Annual or Impact Report - The Art of Hometown Service; Gold for Best Small Special Publication - Annual Meeting Placemat; and Silver for Best Graphic Design - Headquarters Hallway Mural. 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 more than 900 electric cooperatives and related organizations nationwide.

Additionally, staff members received state awards for Grand Valley Power’s local pages in Colorado Country Life magazine. The magazine’s Excellence in Communication contest recognizes the best in writing, photography, and overall publication among Colorado’s electric cooperatives. GVP Chief Operating Officer Derek Elder won first place in the Industry Article category for his piece titled “Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Protecting Our Members.” Communication Specialist Tanya Marchun received a first-place award for her photo, “Ice Cream at Graff Dairy.” 

Rounding out the awards for GVP, Director of Member Services and Communication Rita-Lyn Sanders won first place for her Safety article “Oats Are Done! A Lesson in Cooking Safely,” a second-place award for her Safety article “Mesa County Safety Fair Educates Students,” and a second-place finish for her Community Story “Savvy Siblings Grow 4-H Pigs.”

“We are honored to be recognized by our peers,” Sanders said. “Keeping members informed about the critical work GVP does to provide safe and reliable electricity at cost is key to our mission of empowering lives with hometown service.”