Blue Ridge Electric Youth Tourist Speaks at National Conference

Sparta, North Carolina (February 18, 2010) - Alleghany High School senior Jacob Brooks spoke this week in Atlanta, Georgia, to a crowd of more than 6,000 key staff and locally-elected directors from the nation’s cooperative electric utilities during the annual membership meeting for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

Brooks spoke about the importance of life experiences and specifically about how his experiences during the Washington Youth Tour last year had enriched his life. Jacob wrote his speech and presented it Tuesday morning, sharing the stage with speakers including actor Ed Asner, former White House official David Gergin, and TV host John Walsh.

Brooks was originally selected by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation last year as one of the co-op’s Youth Tourists to attend an educational trip to Washington, DC, along with other youths from across the nation sponsored by their local electric cooperatives. The Youth Tour is one way cooperatives support local education as they sponsor rising high school seniors to attend a week-long trip to the nation’s capitol where they learn not only about cooperative business principles but also about government and history.

During the Youth Tour, Brooks was selected to be the national spokesperson for the Youth Leadership Council of NRECA. His responsibilities in this role included addressing the national annual meeting of electric cooperatives. During the three-day annual meeting, he and other Youth Leadership Council members organized a concentrated communications effort with state and national elected officials as part of Our Energy, Our Future, an effort of the national electric cooperatives to help elected officials understand the importance of ensuring any new legislation supports the nation’s need for affordable and adequate electricity. They also provided assistance to NRECA staff and co-op delegates; participated in the Parade of States at the opening General Session, and took part in a variety of educational activities.

Due to his leadership skills and speaking and writing abilities, Jacob has also been selected for several national honors, including being invited as a regular columnist for the North Carolina electric cooperative’s statewide magazine, Carolina Country.

See Brook’s speech online at Blue Ridge Electric’s web site: www.BlueRidgeEMC.com under the "Hot Topics" tab or http://www.blueridgeemc.com/hot-topics/2010/jacob_brooks_20100217.asp.

Blue Ridge Electric is a local, member-owned electric cooperative serving some 73,000 members in Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga, Caldwell, Alexander, Avery and Wilkes counties.