Community pride, progress in action
Nominee: Angie Kritzer • Nominator: Russell Naeve
Organization: Gilmore City Hometown Pride
Each year, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa highlights outstanding volunteers across the state through their Shine the Light contest. In 2025, Midland Power Cooperative members nominated eight individuals whose service strengthens communities across our service areas. We are proud to recognize each of these nominees with a $625 donation to their respective organizations. We appreciate the partnership of our wholesale power providers — Central Iowa Power Cooperative and Corn Belt Power Cooperative — for helping make this support possible.
Our eighth and final nominee, Angie Kritzer, has played a central role in advancing Gilmore City’s Hometown Pride initiatives for more than a decade, helping transform Sunset Park into a more accessible and welcoming community space.
Through her strong grant-writing expertise, Kritzer has secured tens of thousands of dollars in funding to support park enhancements. These funds have made possible several significant improvements, including a concrete parking lot, an outdoor pavilion, approximately 250 feet of new sidewalk, and — most recently — the construction of a shelter house.
In addition to her success in securing funding, Angie has served as secretary of Hometown Pride for the past 12 years. In this role, she has consistently attended monthly meetings and contributed hands-on support during annual park cleanups and community projects. Her positive attitude, organizational skills, and dedication to fundraising have made her a trusted and valued leader within the group.
The donation will support additional community improvements currently being planned for 2026, ensuring that Gilmore City continues to benefit from the momentum Angie has helped build through years of local service and commitment.