2023 Jay York Scholarships awarded

The Jay A. York Scholarship was established in recognition of the first Minnesotan to head the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Jay York was a prominent figure in rural electric cooperative issues for nearly 30 years. He was elected in 1964 to the Nobles Cooperative Electric (NCE) Board. Mr. York was not only well-known for his great leadership ability but also great dignity, a deep understanding of the issues and an unyielding dedication to his fellow rural Americans.

This year, seven distribution cooperatives, along with Great River Energy and the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, participated in the scholarship in honor of Jay. They were Federated Rural Electric, McLeod Cooperative Power, Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative, Nobles Cooperative Electric, Redwood Electric Cooperative, Renville-Sibley Cooperative Power Association, and South Central Electric Association. From the seven distribution cooperatives, 6 winners were randomly selected. They were Cole Johnson (Federated), Marea Maki (McLeod), Megan Bakke (Nobles), Elizabeth Fultz (Redwood), Cora Watson (Renville-Sibley), and Kari Matejka (South Central).

Each winner receives a $500 scholarship that is made available from the participating cooperatives.