Alumni Spotlight
The Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership is proud of the of our graduates and their accomplishments. The 'Alumni Spotlight' allows us the opportunity to showcase success stories while allowing students to gain personal insight into the professional industry and possible career opportunities after graduation.
Mary Kate Scott
B.S. Agricultural Communications '07
| Scott (second from left) pictured receiving the Edgar F. Chesnutt award at the May 2009 Connect Conference in Las Vegas. |
A 2007 graduate of Oklahoma State University, Mary Kate Scott found her career nestled in the piney woods of East Texas. With a degree in agricultural communications and a minor in rangeland ecology and management, Scott has put her education to work at an electric cooperative headquartered 60 miles northeast of Houston.
Scott says the fundamentals of her OSU education apply to a broad spectrum of careers and made for an easy transition into her current position as communications specialist for Sam Houston Electric Cooperative.
Just six weeks after Scott joined the cooperative family, Hurricane Ike slammed the Gulf Coast and caused the largest power outage in Texas history. All of the Cooperative’s 66,000 meters were without power as thousands of miles of power lines were destroyed. During the crisis, Scott was responsible for media and member relations via television, radio, Internet and printed news. She also represented the Cooperative at daily meetings with emergency personnel and elected officials, including the Governor's office.
At the May 2009 Connect Conference in Las Vegas, Scott was on hand with the Cooperative’s chief executive officer and chief communications officer to receive the Edgar F. Chesnutt Award in recognition of their communications work before, during and after the storm. The Chesnutt Award is the highest honor bestowed through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Spotlight on Excellence Awards program.
The annual Spotlight on Excellence Awards recognize electric cooperatives across the country for their high-quality communication and marketing efforts. More than 700 entries were submitted in this year’s competition. Scott's cooperative received the Chesnutt Award for the category of "Best Total Communication Program," and took home awards of excellence and merit in nine other categories; more awards than any other cooperative in the nation.
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Scott pictured at the Sam Houston Electric Cooperative in Livingston, Texas. |
