Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative has again won national communication and marketing awards in the annual “Spotlight on Excellence” competition sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and the Council of Rural Electric Communicators (CREC).

This is the fourth consecutive year for BREC to earn national recognition for efforts to communicate with and inform its membership. For the second year in a row, Ohio rural electric cooperatives won more awards than any other state, and BREC claimed the most awards among fellow Ohio cooperatives.

Over 830 entries were submitted in 19 contest categories judged by faculty members from the University of Missouri-Columbia and University of Southern Mississippi. BREC competed in the distribution co-op category for 9,000-20,000 meters and won five awards. The honors included:

Best Feature Story – Award of Excellence (first place) for “Annual meetings I have known: Whiskey, fisticuffs, and Granny,” by Steve Oden.

Best News Story – Award of Merit (second place) for “Copper thieves endanger lives and jeopardize electric service,” by Steve Oden.

Best Wild Card – Award of Excellence (first place) for “Backpack with School Supplies” children’s gift at the 2006 BREC Annual Meeting, entered by Tonda Meadows.

Best Wild Card – Award of Merit (second place) for “Eight-inch Cast Iron Skillet” awarded as registration prize at the 2006 BREC Annual Meeting, entered by Debra Sword.

Best Individual Ad – Award of Excellence (first place) for “Summer Peak Alert Warnings,” developed by Steve Oden.

This was the 19th year for the national awards program. CREC organized in 1982 as a professional association to advance the education and recognition of electric cooperative communicators and affiliated organizations.

Maggie Tilley, Spotlight on Excellence administrator, said one judge described this year’s contest entries as “simply outstanding” in overall quality of work.

“In quality of writing, clarity of presentation, and level of creativity, these professionals are excelling,” she added.