Blue Ridge Recognizes Watauga District Employees

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

Recognized for their years of service from Watauga County were: 25 years: Robert “R.D.” Graybeal, Construction Layout Technician; and Hal Isaacs, Field Service Technician; 20 years: Nina Graybeal, Senior Member Services Representative; and Geri Styers, Consumer Accountant-General; 15 years: Keith Hensley, Line Technician A; 10 years: Jeff Evans, Line Technician A; and Greg Ward, Crew Leader; five years: Andrew Ellis, Line Technician A; and Marianna Isaacs, Senior Land Rights Specialist.

Richard Butler, line technician A with Blue Ridge Electric, and Brantley Taylor, sales and delivery for Blue Ridge Energies, were also recognized during the ceremony as two of only eight employees nominated by fellow co-workers to receive the distinguished Spirit of Blue Ridge Award. Taylor won the award, which 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 consumers in the northwest North Carolina counties of Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Alexander and Wilkes. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, is a propane, heating fuels, and commercial gasoline provider with offices in Lenoir, Boone, West Jefferson, and Sparta. Its showrooms located in Blue Ridge Electric’s district offices in Lenoir, Boone, West Jefferson, and Sparta feature gas logs, gas fireplaces, stoves and heaters.