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Bill Logan receives Matson Award from NRECA President Jack Wolfe.

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Anaheim, Calif., February 25 – The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) today presented Bill Logan, of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA), the William F. Matson Democracy Award at the Association’s Annual Meeting.

The William F. Matson Democracy Award gives recognition to outstanding accomplishments and service to rural electric cooperatives through political action, political education and participation in the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE).

As the vice president for Public Affairs & Member Services at PREA, Bill Logan is following in the footsteps of William Matson, the man who hired him 35 years ago as an associate editor of the statewide magazine. 

NRECA honored Bill Logan for his achievement not only in expanding ACRE membership but also for strengthening the political presence of Pennsylvania and New Jersey cooperatives. 

Under Logan’s leadership, ACRE membership in Pennsylvania has increased by one-third over the past six years. In 2002 and every year since, Pennsylvania has led the nation in President’s Club memberships. 

Said NRECA President Jack Wolfe: “Under Logan’s leadership, an ACRE endorsement has become a ‘must’ for candidates running in cooperative service territory and an important and sought-after endorsement for statewide legislative candidates.”

William Matson was the first CEO of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association where he served for 22 years. 

Matson schooled Logan on the importance of politics in the history and identity of the rural electric program.  Following in his mentor’s footsteps, Logan worked to integrate political action into the regular work of cooperatives by educating linemen, administrative staff, management and directors on the importance of being politically active.

It took ten years before initially skeptical linemen contributed to the political action fund.  And now 97 percent of candidates endorsed by Pennsylvania ACRE win their elections.

Logan sees ACRE as more than just a vehicle for making political contributions: “ACRE is about voting, about educating employees on political issues, about the importance of being politically involved, and about getting to know elected officials.”

Nearly 9,000 representatives from cooperative electric utilities across the nation are attending the NRECA Annual Meeting, February 24-27, at the Anaheim Convention Center, during which they will set NRECA’s legislative and organizational agenda for 2008.  In addition to considering and acting upon policy resolutions, delegates receive reports from NRECA officials, hear addresses by key public figures and business experts, and attend panel sessions on major issues affecting electric cooperatives and their consumer owners.

NRECA is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 40 million people in 47 states.

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