New Caldwell County Director Elected at Blue Ridge Electrics Annual Meeting
Oren Teague Retires, Jimmy Hemphill Elected to Seat
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager: 1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
West Jefferson, North Carolina (June 10, 2006) – Jimmy Hemphill of Caldwell County was among four directors elected to the board of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation during the cooperative’s Annual Membership Meeting held June 10 at Ashe County High School.
Hemphill fills the seat of retiring director Oren Teague, who was recognized during the meeting for his 40 years of faithful service on the board.
Hemphill is a retired executive vice president of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute and began his career there as a teacher. He is also a commissioner for the Town of Hudson, a member of the board of the Hudson Branch of Bank of Granite, a board member and volunteer with Caldwell County Hospice, a Cooperative Advisory Committee member for Caldwell County Schools/CCC&TI, and a policy board member for Western Piedmont Community College. He was a 2005 finalist in the “Nine Who Care” Awards, sponsored by WSOC TV. Hemphill received his masters and bachelors degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Hudson and have two grown children, David and Amy.
Re-elected to serve three-year terms on the board were: Kenneth Greene of Ashe district; Joy Coffey of Watauga District; and Charity Gambill, director-at-large.
During the meeting, President John Woodruff welcomed the crowd of approximately 1,500 members and their families. He was followed by Jeff Joines, secretary-treasurer, who reported that the cooperative is in sound financial condition and remains one of the strongest cooperatives in the nation.
Chief Financial Officer Lee Chase reaffirmed that message, adding that Blue Ridge Electric retired $1.2 million in capital credits to members in December, providing additional savings for the member-owners of the cooperative.
In his CEO report to the membership, Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson reaffirmed that the cooperative is committed to member satisfaction and is also working to contain rising energy costs.
“There is no single item that affects your power bill more than wholesale power—it makes up over 60 percent of our total cost structure,” he said. The recent wholesale power agreement signed by the cooperative with Duke Energy Carolinas is a long term strategy to help contain rising wholesale energy costs.
Not related to the Duke agreement but in another move to help members, Johnson noted that the wholesale power cost adjustment on members’ bills has been reduced in June as a result, in part, of wholesale power costs moderating, although at higher than previous levels.
Blue Ridge Electric has also been focused on helping members conserve energy, he said. Information available through local offices, in the monthly newsletter and on the cooperative’s web site is helping members learn how to more wisely use energy.
In other updates, Johnson said the cooperative is also using technology to help control costs and provide superior customer care. In addition to a new financial and member services system, next year the cooperative will begin a three-year implementation of automated meter reading. This automation will enable automatic connection of power and the devices will even let the cooperative know when a members’ power is out.
Johnson also updated the crowd on their propane and heating fuels subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies. With over 17,000 customers, “the subsidiary is also providing 40 good, full time jobs with benefit for local people,” he said. He told the group that a portion of Blue Ridge Energies’ profits will be used to help fund the Blue Ridge Members Foundation. The foundation will provide support to Operation Round Up, a new program that is an expansion of the cooperative’s successful BREMCare program. Operation Round Up, which goes into effect later this summer, will help keep more people warm but will also help fund many various quality of life services in local communities. The Members Foundation will be made up of Blue Ridge Electric members to help evaluate applications and disperse funds for Operation Round Up.
After the meeting, prize drawings were held. Caldwell County winners of a $50 bill were Keith Dillard of Lenoir, Richard Triplett of Ferguson, Mikeal Pendergrast of Granite Falls and James Kirby of Granite Falls. Grand prize winner of a retired fleet 1998 Buick LeSabre was Ronard Elrod of Blowing Rock. Winner of the Carolina Country gift basket was Hiram Miller of Laurel Springs. Winners of the family four pack of tickets to the John Michael Montgomery concert as part of An Appalachian Summer Festival was Jerry Witherspoon of Jefferson and Joshua Eller, Jr. of Warrensville.
To learn about more Blue Ridge Electric’s 2005 operations, see its annual report online at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.
