N.F. LEIFER MEMORIAL JOURNALISM AWARD
Every edition of Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News contains each electric co-op's own, personalized pages. Found on pages 15-18, the local news is developed by personnel at each co-op. Local pages have been a part of the magazine since May 1950.
In the spirit of friendly competition and as a way to encourage local editors and reward their efforts, each year since 1966, WECA has presented awards to individual co-ops for excellence in presenting their local news. Annually we present an award for overall excellence--the N. F. Leifer Memorial Journalism Award, named for "Lefty" Leifer, former manager of Vernon Electric. Lefty was instrumental in the founding of the REA News back in the spring of 1940, making the statewide electric co-op publication the first of its type in the nation.
The Leifer Award winner is determined by an outside communications professional, who evaluates three chosen selections of each co-op’s local pages and determines which co-op was most successful in presenting local news.
Seen here in 1953, Lefty Leifer works on one of the first pieces of load-management gear installed at his co-op—it was called the Norwec Level-Load. The N. F. Leifer Memorial Journalism Award was named for the former manager of Vernon Electric.Lefty was instrumental in the founding of the REA News back in the spring of 1940, making the statewide electric co-op publication the first of its type in the nation.
Past Leifer Award Winners
| 1966 | Crawford Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Pearl Swiggum | |
| 1967 | Crawford Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Pearl Swiggum | |
| 1968 | Crawford Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Pearl Swiggum | |
| 1969 | Richland Electric Cooperative | ||
| 1970 | Crawford Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Pearl Swiggum | |
| 1971 | Columbus Rural Electric Cooperative | ||
| 1972 | Barron Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Donna Stokke | |
| 1973 | Crawford Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Pearl Swiggum | |
| 1974 | Rock County Electric Cooperative Association | Local Editor: Helen Carroll | |
| 1975 | Eau Claire Electric Cooperative | ||
| 1976 | Barron Electric Cooperative | ||
| 1977 | St. Croix County Electric Cooperative | ||
| 1978 | Crawford Electric Cooperative | ||
| 1979 | Buffalo Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: LaCroix Johnson | |
| 1980 | Vernon Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Lyle Lund | |
| 1981 | Buffalo Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: LaCroix Johnson | |
| 1982 | Grant Electric Cooperative | ||
| 1983 | Head of the Lakes Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Don Foucault | |
| 1984 | Oakdale Electric Cooperative | ||
| 1985 | Barron Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Wayne King | |
| 1986 | Jackson Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Toddy Porath | |
| 1987 | Barron Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Wayne King | |
| 1988 | Barron Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Wayne King | |
| 1989 | Grant Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Cal Lambert | |
| 1990 | Vernon Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Gary Ekern | |
| 1991 | Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Keith Wohlfert | |
| 1992 | Oakdale Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Bonnie Peterson | |
| 1993 | Oakdale Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Bonnie Peterson | |
| 1994 | Grant-Lafayette Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Cal Lambert | |
| 1995 | St. Croix Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Ada Adams | |
| 1996 | Oakdale Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Bonnie Peterson | |
| 1997 | Grant-Lafayette Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Cal Lambert | |
| 1998 | Eau Claire Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: JoAnne O’Donohoe | |
| 1999 | Vernon Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Dave Maxwell | |
| 2000 | Oconto Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Pam Langlay | |
| 2001 | Adam-Columbia Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Keith Wohlfert | |
| 2002 | Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Keith Wohlfert | |
| 2003 | Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Keith Wohlfert | |
| 2004 | Vernon Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Dave Maxwell | |
| 2005 | Dunn Energy Cooperative | Local Editor: Jesse Singerhouse | |
| 2006 | Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Keith Wohlfert | |
| 2007 | Richland Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Ed Lund | |
| 2008 | Richland Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Ed Lund | |
| 2009 | Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Keith Wohlfert | |
| 2010 | Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Keith Wohlfert | |
| 2011 | Richland Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Ed Lund | |
| 2012 | Rock Energy Cooperative | Local Editor: Barb Uebelacker | |
| 2013 | Clark Electric Cooperative | Local Editors: Tim Stewart (CEO/Manager) and Tracy Nelson (Administrative Assistant) |
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| 2014 | Eau Claire Energy Cooperative | Local Editor: Mary Kay Brevig | |
| 2015 | Jackson Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Carol Blaken | |
| 2016 | Eau Claire Energy Cooperative | Local Editor: Mary Kay Brevig | |
| 2017 | Eau Claire Energy Cooperative | Local Editor: Mary Kay Brevig | |
| 2018 | Eau Claire Energy Cooperative | Local Editor: Mary Kay Brevig | |
| 2019 | Eau Claire Energy Cooperative | Local Editor: Mary Kay Brevig | |
| 2020 | Eau Claire Energy Cooperative | Local Editor: Mary Kay Brevig | |
| 2021 | Oakdale Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Deana Protz | |
| 2022 | Vernon Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Dave Maxwell | |
| 2023 | Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services | Local Editor: Liz Gunderson | |
| 2024 | Vernon Electric Cooperative | Local Editor: Trevor Clark |
