NREDA Awards History

2021

• President's Award – Richard J. Nelsen, CEcD, Nebraska Public Power District, Columbus, NE

2020

• Organization Excellence Award – Phelps County Development Corporation, Nebraska
• President's Award –Nick Poels, Director, Remote Work & Entrepreneurship, NetWork Kansas

2019

• Organization Excellence Award - Mercer County Community and Economic Development Department
• President's Award – Lynn Harkin, CAE, Account Executive for Association Management, Ltd, Ankeny, Iowa
• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - JoAnn Knight, Executive Director, Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation

2018

• Organization Excellence Award - Kentucky's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, Winchester, Kentucky
• President's Award – Brittany Dickey, EDFP, Development Finance Director for Corn Belt Power Cooperative, Humboldt, Iowa
• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Rick Whalen, EDFP, Director of Economic Development, Butler-Franklin REC’s, Latimer, Iowa

 
2017

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Dennis Mingyar, Director of Economic Development, Ohio's Electric Cooperatives, Columbus, OH and Charlie Walker, President & CO, Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation, Chippewa Falls, WI
• President's Award - Trista Fugate, Director of the Connections & Community Engagement, Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc., Johnson City, TX and Mary McLaury, formerly with Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, Arlington, VA
• Organization Excellence Award - South Carolina Power Team, Columbia, SC and Kossuth/Palo Alto County Economic Development Corporation, Algona, IA

2016

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Mike Meissen, Iowa Area Development Group, Des Moines, Iowa
• President's Award - Mendi Alexander Anschutz, NEX-TECH, Hays, KS

2015

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - John Bradford, formerly with Valley Telephone Cooperative Inc., Raymondville, TX
• President's Award - Newsletter Editor, Shawnna Silvius, iShine Productions LLC, Nebraska, NE
• President's Award - Dana Baker, GVNW Consulting Inc., Colorado Springs, CO
  

 
2014

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Linda Salmonson, East River Electric Cooperative, Madison, SD
• President's Award - Administrator John Padalino, Administrator for Rural Utilities Service, USDA Rural Development, Washington DC
  

 
2013

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Gordon Ipson, CEcD, FM, Northeast Missouri Electric Power Cooperative, Palmyra, MO
• President's Award - Bruce Nuzum, EDFP, Iowa Area Development Group, West Des Moines, IA
  

 
2012

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Clare Gustin, Sunflower Electric Power Corporation
• President's Award - Richard J. Nelsen, CEcD, Nebraska Public Power District, Columbus, NE
  

 
2011

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Jim Vermeer, Corn Belt Power Cooperative
• President's Award - G. Mark Gaddy, Berkeley Electric Cooperative
  

 
2010

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Dennis G. Hall, CEcD, CKAE, Economic Development Manager, Nebraska Public Power District, Columbus, NE
• President's Awards - Georgia Electric Membership Corporation, Atlanta, GA And Sherry Rose, Wabash Valley Power Association, Indianapolis, IN
  

 
2009

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - James T. "Tim" Mood, Electric Power Associations of Mississippi
• President's Award - Mary Logan Wolf, Former Editor, The Rural Developer
  

 
2008

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Allegra Brigham, Four County Electric Power Association, Columbus, MS
• President's Award - Rand Fisher, Iowa Area Development Group, Des Moines, IA
• President's Award - Molly Lopez, Association Management, Ltd., Des Moines, IA
  

 
2007

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award- Dennis Krueger, Kiwash Electric Cooperative, Cordell, OK
• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award-JoAnne Lewis, Douglas-Coffee Co. Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development Authority, Douglas, GA
• President's Award - William F. Hagy, III, USDA Rural Development, Washington, DC
• President's Award - National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), Arlington, VA
  

 
2006

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Eric Phillips, Union County Chamber of Commerce, Marysville, OH
• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Joe "Max" Higgins, Columbus-Lowndes Development LINK, Columbus, MS
• President's Award - Loren Medley, Kansas Electric Power Co-op, Topeka, KS
  

 
2005

• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - F. Eugene Williams, Berkeley Electric Co-op, Goose Creek, SC
• Rural Economic Development Leadership Award - Randall S. Jones, Lumbee River Electric Co-op, Red Springs, NC
• President's Award - Linda Salmonson, East River Electric Power Co-op, Madison, SD
• President's Award - Dena Stoner, NRECA, Arlington, VA
• President's Award - Rich Larouchelle, CFC, Herndon, VA
  

 
2004

• Economic Developer of the Year - Bruce Hensley, North Central Missouri Electric Co-op, Milan, MO
• Rural Leadership Award - Bobby Koepplin, Cass County Electric Co-op, Valley City, ND
• President's Award - Jane Marden, NRECA, Arlington, VA
• President's Award - Bob McLaury, CFC, Herndon, VA
  

 
2003

• Economic Developer of the Year - Henry H. Johnson, III ("Hal") - Orangeburg County Development Commission, Orangeburg, SC
• Rural Leadership Award - Marci Penner, Kansas Sampler Foundation, WE-Kan, and Kansas Explorer's Club, Inman, KS
• President's Award - Pat Merritt, Georgia Elec. Member Corp., Atlanta, GA
  

 
2002

• Economic Developer of the Year - Larry Sevier, Rural Telephone Service Co., Lenora, KS
• Rural Leadership Award - Stephen Miller, Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, Hays, KS
• President's Award - LaDonna Boyd, Dakota Electric Assn., Farmington, MN
  

 
2001

• Economic Developer of the Year - Jack Rhodes, Electric Power Assn. of Mississippi, Jackson, MS
• Rural Leadership Award - Ralph Thomas, Palmetto Econ. Dev. Corp, Columbia, SC
• President's Award - Jerry Andrews, Alabama Electric Co-op, Inc., Andalusia, AL
  

 
2000

• Economic Developer of the Year - Jack Briggs, NW Electric Power Co-op, Cameron, MO
• Rural Leadership Award - Michael Treadwell, Lindsay, Oklahoma
• Founders' Award - No record of recipient
  

 1999

• Economic Developer of the Year - Bruce Nuzum, Iowa Area Development Group, Des Moines, IA
• Rural Leadership Award - Tom Seth Smith, Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma, Inc., Durant, OK
• Founders' Award - Gene Williams, Berkeley Electric Co-op, Goose Creek, SC