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The J.C. Brown CEO Communication Leadership Award recognizes an electric cooperative or public power district CEO/general manager who is committed to advancing communication at the cooperative and in the electric cooperative industry. Established in 2003, the award memorializes the late J.C. Brown and his unwavering dedication to the importance of communication as a vital link connecting electric cooperatives with each other and with their consumers, and to advancing the cooperative business model.
The recipient of the J.C. Brown Award is announced at the CEO Close-Up conference. The award recipient and their communications team are also recognized at the Connect Conference.
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If your CEO or general manager champions exceptional communications at your cooperative, consider nominating them.
Individuals nominated for this award should demonstrate through their actions a clear understanding of and commitment to, the strategic role of communication in employee, member, and community relations. The executive should have a proven track record of advancing the role of communication at his or her electric cooperative, public power district, statewide association, or generation and transmission (G&T) system.
2026 entry info will be available later this year.
Helpful Resources
Ready for more inspiration as you consider a J.C. Brown award application? Check out the
list of past winners and highlights of recent winners.
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2025 Winner
Congratulations to Kevan Espy, president and CEO of Cobb EMC in Marietta, Georgia, recipient of the 2025 J.C. Brown CEO Communication Leadership Award. Read more about Espy in our
news article, and view the 
winning nomination materials.
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If you have any questions, please reach out to the following individuals for assistance.
The J.C. Brown CEO Communication Leadership Award is sponsored by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators (CREC) in conjunction with the Spotlight on Excellence Awards Program.
Interested in learning about the namesake for this award? Read about the legendary wit of J.C. Brown here.
Visit the Awards & Recognition page to learn about other communications awards programs sponsored by NRECA and the CREC.
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For any questions or concerns with your entry, please contact Alexis Woodhouse, Alexis.Woodhouse@nreca.coop, 703-907-5714.
The J.C. Brown CEO Communication Leadership Award is sponsored by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators (CREC) in conjunction with the Spotlight on Excellence Awards Program.
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