Members of the SCREC communications staff were recognized during the 2024 Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA) Communications Awards Ceremony, held October 2 in Bedford, PA. The program is sponsored by the statewide organization representing 13 electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey.

Awards were presented by Pete Fitzgerald, PREA vice president, public affairs and member services, and Colleen Taylor, a regional vice president for the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation.

SCREC received two Awards of Excellence, one for Best Feature Story, "Remembering Craig Harting," by Sarah Parrish, and Best News Story, "Co-op Connects First Electric Vehicle Meter," by Sarah Parrish. The co-op was also awarded three Honorable Mentions for Best Website; Best Use of Cooperative Principle, "Giving Back to Our Members and Communities," by Sarah Parrish; and the Craig Harting Leadership Award, "Capital Credits and You," by CEO John Lykens.

The awards program was held in conjunction with the 2024 PREA Communications Institute. During the two-day-and-a-half educational event, cooperative communicators learned about nonverbal communication and the effective use of artificial intelligence. They also participated in a day-long media training session as well as a roundtable that included reports from their respective electric cooperatives.

Thirteen representatives from ten Pennsylvania cooperatives attended the institute. Representing SCREC was Sarah Parrish, Cooperative Communicator.

SCREC's Penn Lines pages are posted monthly on our website, which can be read here.