Central Electric Power Cooperative and its eight member distribution cooperatives recently received recognition in the 2010 “Spotlight on Excellence” national awards program, sponsored by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Central Electric Power Cooperative and its eight member distribution cooperatives received an Award of Merit for the “Energy Efficiency Education Walls.” “The judges noted that emphasis on being good stewards of each cooperative’s resources while still doing the vital job of communicating with members” said Maggie Tilley, administrator of Spotlight on Excellence. “In difficult economic times, this has been especially challenging, yet, cooperative communicators rose to the occasion.” The group was honored at a special luncheon for the award recipients during the Connect 2010 Conference held in Kansas City, MO on May 12, 2010. Winning entries were displayed during the event. The annual Spotlight awards competition recognizes the top-rated communications and marketing efforts by electric cooperatives and related organizations. Participants in the awards competition competed with electric cooperatives of similar sizes in 19 categories. Electric cooperative communicators and marketing professionals submitted more than 804 entries in the Spotlight on Excellence program, now in its 22nd year. Faculty members from the University of Missouri – Columbia and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill judged the entries.