Powerful Sponsors NRECA CONNECT Conference, Joins Arkansas Living Magazine to Present Case Study on Choosing the Right Web Partner
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — Powerful, the web design, website hosting, security and support firm serving electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, broadband providers, and statewide trade associations, proudly sponsored the NRECA CONNECT Conference held May 5th through 7th, 2026 in San Diego. The annual gathering brings together communicators from electric cooperatives across the country to share best practices, learn from peers, and advance the cooperative communications profession.
As part of its sponsorship, Powerful’s Caleigh Pickard, Website Solution Consultant, joined Jennifer Christman Cia, Editor of Arkansas Living Magazine, and Nancy Moore, Associate Editor, both of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), to present a featured case study session titled “From Accessibility to Support: How to Choose a Web Partner.”
The session addressed a reality that has reshaped the cooperative web landscape: co-op websites are no longer just marketing tools, they are mission-critical infrastructure. From ADA compliance and cybersecurity to outage communications, backend management, and ongoing support, vetting the right web partner has never been more important. Drawing on the real-world partnership between AECI’s flagship statewide publication, Arkansas Living Magazine, and Powerful, the panel walked attendees through what truly matters when evaluating a web partner.
Attendees learned how to assess accessibility practices beyond surface-level claims, understand what enterprise-grade security actually looks like, evaluate staffing and support models, and identify the operational markers of a partner built for long-term reliability rather than short-term sales. Whether issuing an RFP, evaluating new vendors, or reassessing a current provider, attendees left with a practical framework for vetting a trusted web partner who can support a co-op’s technical, governance, and member communication needs for years to come.
A Conference Built for Cooperative Connection
Powerful’s Beth Knudson, Charlie Stanley, and Caleigh Pickard all attended the conference, spending meaningful time with fellow sponsors Cooperative Response Center, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, Meridian Cooperative, Inside Information, and BrillIT. The team also built and deepened relationships with electric cooperative communicators from across the country.
“NRECA CONNECT creates an incredible opportunity to be in the same room with the people doing the hardest, most important communications work in our industry,”
“Co-op communicators are the connective tissue between their cooperatives and the members they serve, and the conversations that happen here — about accessibility, about security, about how to actually take care of members — are conversations you can’t have anywhere else. We come to listen, to collaborate, and to learn from communicators who know their communities better than anyone. Every year we leave with new ideas, new partnerships, and a renewed sense of why this work matters.” said, Charlie Stanley, CEO, of Powerful.
About Powerful
Powerful Web is a Portland, Oregon-based web design, hosting, security, and support firm specializing in mission-critical websites for electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, broadband providers, and statewide trade associations. With more than 20 years of experience serving cooperative organizations, Powerful has supported over 300 civic and utility organizations with accessibility-first design, enterprise-grade security, and the kind of long-term partnership co-ops depend on.
About Arkansas Living Magazine
Arkansas Living Magazine is the flagship statewide publication of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), serving cooperative members across Arkansas with award-winning editorial coverage of the people, places, and stories that define cooperative life in the state.
