NRECA honored co-op leaders with seven prestigious awards at PowerXchange this week. Lake Region Electric Cooperative in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, is the winner of the Electric Cooperative Purpose Award, which recognizes co-ops that have made meaningful contributions to their communities and exemplified the cooperative purpose. The co-op is led by CEO Tim Thompson.

“Tim has guided Lake Region Electric with a deft touch, and he’s been rewarded with great results,” [Outgoing NRECA President Chris] Christensen said. “Lake Region is successful because every employee possesses an unrelenting commitment to their members, always listening and striving to meet their needs.

“This commitment has allowed Lake Region to innovate, leading to advancements in the way electricity is produced and used with deployments of solar/wind hybrid facilities and community solar,” he continued. “The cooperative also has reimagined its off-peak water heater program as a grid-interactive resource, part of an effort to help members use energy in new and efficient ways. Lake Region Electric is truly the trusted energy adviser in the community it serves.”

Thompson said the co-op was “humbled to be nominated by the Minnesota Rural Electric Association and recognized by NRECA for this distinguished NRECA Cooperative Purpose Award, and we greatly appreciate the hard work that both organizations do on behalf of electric cooperatives.”

“I am so proud of our employees and board members for what we have accomplished as we are bringing to our members a portfolio of energy services, including natural gas service and a first-of-its-kind wind/solar hybrid project,” Thompson said. “It is very rewarding to bring natural gas to unserved areas today just like our pioneering founders did 86 years ago with electricity. We never take for granted how grateful we are for the opportunity to serve our members.”