Blue Ridge Honors Alleghany District Employees for Service

Sparta, North Carolina (April 29, 2010) — Employees from Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation and Blue Ridge Energies, LLC, were honored for their years of service during the company’s annual employee awards dinner recently held at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center in Boone.

Recognized from Sparta were: 25 years: Thomas Witherspoon, Field Service Technician; 20 years: Steve Carpenter, Crew Leader; Leonard Church, Field Service Technician; and Beverly Poole, Operations Coordinator.

Church was also recognized during the ceremony as one of only five cooperative employees nominated by fellow co-workers to receive the distinguished Spirit of Blue Ridge Award. The award recognizes outstanding employees who demonstrate the key quality that service to others is the highest calling in life. It also honors qualities such as motivational team spirit, going above and beyond the call of duty, knowledge and expertise, community involvement, and leadership in attitude and dealings with others.

Blue Ridge Electric is a member owned electric cooperative serving some 73,000 member-owners in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Avery and Alexander counties. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, is a propane and heating fuels provider with offices in Lenoir, Hickory, Boone, West Jefferson, and Sparta. Blue Ridge Energies’ showrooms, located in the district offices of Blue Ridge Electric in Lenoir, Boone, West Jefferson, and Sparta, feature gas logs, fireplaces, heaters and stoves.