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The Autry Leadership Award for "Always On" Communication (Autry Award) is a lifetime achievement recognition acknowledging an electric cooperative communicator who has made extraordinary impact and contribution to the practice of "Always On" communication (review the Always On Report​). The award was established in 2017 in honor of Jimmy Autry, who retired after a distinguished and impactful career as an electric cooperative communicator. The Autry Award is sponsored by the Certified Cooperative Communicator (CCC) Program Board and the Council of Rural Electric Communicators (CREC) and will be awarded as warranted at the annual CONNECT Conference.

An Autry Leadership Award nominee is someone who is well-known and respected across Co-op Nation and who has worked a minimum of 20 years in electric cooperative communications, including time at a strategic management level. An individual may be nominated within one year of ending service if the nominee meets the qualifications and standards for which the award was created. The nominee’s cooperative must be a voting member of NRECA, and a recipient may receive it only once. Potential candidates may be nominated by any industry peer who is currently employed by an electric cooperative that is a voting member of NRECA.

To submit a candidate for consideration, complete the Nomination Form and include three letters of reference. Nominations will be accepted at any time and directed to members of the CREC and CCC Executive Committees, each of whom will independently evaluate and score the nominee. With a unanimous affirmative vote of the joint executive committees, the nomination will move to the full CREC and CCC boards for approval. A nominee receiving a majority vote from both groups in favor of his/her nomination will be named an Autry Leadership Award winner.

Visit https://www.cooperative.com/programs-services/communications/autry%20award/Pages/default.aspx for more details.

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