Vernell Roberts, MRES board chair (far left), and Matt Schull, MRES president and CEO (far right), presented POWER Awards to (from left) Clay Welchlin, journey lineworker – Jackson; Braydon Ripka, apprentice lineworker – Luverne; Pauline Roberts, senior accountant; Andrew Johnson, member services coordinator; Deven Houselog, facility services coordinator; Marisa Quick, human resources coordinator; Char Roth, director of accounting; and Blaire Andrews, HRIS administrator.

Eight MRES employees were recognized with Peer Ovation With Earned Recognition (POWER) awards. Given once a year, the POWER Award is the highest form of employee recognition at MRES. The awards were presented during a board-employee luncheon Dec. 4 at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Blaire Andrews, HRIS administrator; Char Roth, director of accounting; and Pauline Roberts, senior accountant, for their work integrating a new payroll processing system to ensure employees have access to up-to-date information.

Andrew Johnson, member services coordinator; Braydon Ripka, apprentice lineworker – Luverne; and Clay Welchlin, journey lineworker – Jackson, for all the coordination, dedication and follow-up with regard to the Light Up Navajo Project.

Marisa Quick, human resources coordinator, for her willingness to step into the executive assistant role without hesitation and keep things afloat in addition to her human resources duties.

Deven Houselog, facility services coordinator, for his dedication to ensuring the building addition was a success.