March 8, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Marsch, Bolten & Calvert win
national award for youth program

Linda Bolten	Mike Marsch	Nikki Calvert

Three employees of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC) were on hand to accept accolades as the statewide organization’s Member Services Department was honored for a unique youth leadership program during a national meeting of electric cooperatives held recently in Orlando, Fla.

Mike Marsch, AMEC’s manager of professional training and youth activities, accepted the 2006 National Community Service Award from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Feb. 20, during the organization’s annual meeting. Joining Marsch in accepting the award were Linda Bolten, AMEC’s member services manager, and Nikki Calvert, the association’s member services and training coordinator.

AMEC won the award for a youth development program called C.Y.C.L.E. or Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience. The two-year-old program brings high school students from across Missouri to Jefferson City in July for three days of activities and discussion sessions focused on electric cooperative history, state government and leadership skill development.

AMEC Member Services staff, Mike Marsch, Linda Bolten and Nikki Calvert, lift their NRECA Community Service Award high in celebration. The department was honored for its CYCLE youth leadership program.

Activities during past C.Y.C.L.E programs have included mock legislative sessions, as well as presentations by judges, legislators and motivational speakers. Last year 41 students were selected by their local electric cooperatives to participate.

The Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives provides essential services to 47 member-owned, non-profit electric cooperatives around Missouri. In addition to C.Y.C.L.E, the association’s Member Services Department administers statewide marketing efforts, coordinates the electric co-ops’ presence at the Missouri State Fair and leads the Missouri Rural Electric Youth Tour, an educational tour sponsored by local electric cooperatives that sends nearly 80 Missouri high school students to Washington, D.C., each year.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which presented the award, is a national service organization representing more than 900 electric cooperatives in 47 states. Locally, Three Rivers Electric Cooperative of Linn, Callaway Electric Cooperative of Fulton, Boone Electric Cooperative of Columbia and Co-Mo Electric Cooperative of Tipton are members of both AMEC and NRECA. Each of these local co-ops sponsored students in the C.Y.C.L.E. program.

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March 8, 2006
For more information, contact:
Jim McCarty, (573) 659-3402
jmccarty@amec.coop