Texas Cooperative Awarded Spotlight Award for Design of a Core Values Logo

By: Jerri Imgarten, The Victory Electric Cooperative Assn., Inc. 

This article is part of a series highlighting winning Spotlight on Excellence entries. We hope to capture the spirit of an entry and inspire others to submit their work in the Spotlight on Excellence Award contest.

Core values are the qualities wired into our minds and culture and lead to our natural behavior. In essence, they reflect who we are and are reflected in our daily actions. Texas-based Victoria Electric Cooperative recently updated their mission statement before shifting their focus to determining the cooperative’s core values. The 22,000-meter cooperative, based in Victoria, decided on the four core values of Safety, Integrity, Excellence, and Collaboration, and created an award-winning logo to remind them of the high standards their members have come to expect.

“Logos and images are memorable. VEC wanted the logo to mean something, to stick out in the minds of our employees, and be used as a daily reminder of what was most important to management and the board of directors,” said Brittany Marsh, VEC communications specialist. The logo represents each of the core values, how they are equally important, and that we must work together to keep VEC successful.”

Marsh, who earned her CCC in 2015, was responsible for conceptual design ideas, creation and editing of the logo. She decided upon a brightly colored logo with the four core values placed around the VEC cooperative logo to signify that the values represent the cooperative as a whole. The circle is made up of arrows, indicating each of the values leads to the next and not one value is more important than another.

“The logo was well received with employees and is a constant reminder of safety and the importance of serving our membership,” Marsh said. “We had four-foot vinyl decals of the logo made, which are now displayed on the walls in each of the departments' work areas. The logo is also present at every meeting where employees are present.”

VEC’s mission to exceed member’s expectations of providing safe, reliable, affordable electricity earned them a Gold Spotlight on Excellence Award for Best Graphic Design.

As the lone employee in VEC’s communications department, Marsh encourages communicators to learn from others and to surround yourself with great teachers who will help you grow as a communicator. “Make every choice and decision intentional, it will reflect in the finished product.”

Don’t forget you can now view the Spotlight on Excellence Award entries on cooperative.com.