CoBank’s Schoniger named
top co-op communicator
or her “drive, wisdom
and relentless pursuit of
excellence,” Janet H.
Schoniger, vice president
of corporate communications
for CoBank in Denver, Colo., has
been named the 2005 winner of the
H.E. Klinefelter Award, the highest
honor bestowed on a cooperative
communicator.
Terri Faulkner, communications
coordinator for
Dixie Electric Cooperative,
received the Michael
Graznak Award, which recognizes
the outstanding
young co-op communicator
(under 36) of the year.
The awards were presented
at the annual institute of
the Cooperative Communicators
Association
(CCA) in Denver, Colo.,
in June.
Schoniger is the 47th
recipient of the Klinefelter
award, which recognizes contributions
in furthering the cooperative system
and for raising the standards of cooperative
communications. She was recognized
for the key role she plays in
ensuring CoBank’s communications
advance the bank’s mission and vision.
Schoniger focuses on communication
efforts that support CoBank’s
strategic plan, and even coined the
bank’s tagline, Rural America’s
Cooperative Bank. She is active in CCA,
where she is past committee chair of
the CEO Communicator of the Year
award, and the National Council of
Farmer Cooperatives.
Faulkner is responsible for all
aspects of her 18,000-member cooperative’s
communications, including publications,
media relations and Web
sites. She also handles cooperative
advertising and is responsible for all
school programs, community and public
relations and special projects.
Faulkner was saluted for “demonstrating
the seven
cooperative principles
in her work
ethic and attitude
on a daily basis,
and for bringing
creativity and a
high level of professionalism
into all the communications
efforts.”
CCA’s annual
cooperative communications
competition
attracted nearly
800 entries in
four classes:
writing, publications, photography and
programs & special projects (the latter
of which includes everything from
advertising to web sites). The grand
award winners in each class were:
- Writer of the Year – (tie) Allison
Morgan and Mark E. Johnson, both
of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative;
- Photographer of the Year – Robin
Conover of the Tennessee
Association of Electric Cooperatives;
- Publication of the Year – Bonnie
Jones of Jackson Electric
Membership Corporation for its
2004 annual report.
- Special Projects, Best of Class –
Joseph W. Richardson, Southwestern
Electric Cooperative, for a “smallshop
portfolio” of communications
work.
USDA’s Rural Cooperatives magazine
won the first place feature article
award from a field of nearly 50 entries
for “Flying the Coop,” by Catherine
Merlo, which addresses
strategies for retaining co-op
members. It also won third
place for best overall member
magazine or newspaper,
while Stephen Thompson,
the magazine’s assistant editor,
won the third place
award for digitally manipulated
photos for an illustration/
photo showing a farm
inside a bank vault. For the
complete list of award winners,
visit: www.communicators.
coop.
CCA is a national organization
of more than 350 professional
communicators who
work for cooperative businesses and
organizations throughout the United
States and a number of other nations.
For more information, visit the Web
site above or call Executive Director
Susie Bullock in Lubbock, Texas, at
(806) 795-2783.
