National Awards Given to Two Blue Ridge Employees

Kansas City, Missouri (May 21, 2010) — The 2010 Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives Brand Champion Award was recently presented to Doug Johnson and Renee Whitener of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation during the annual Connect Conference in Kansas City.

The Brand Champion Award is a significant honor to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development, growth, and success of the Touchstone Energy brand.

Johnson, chief executive officer of Blue Ridge Electric, was recognized for his leadership in pioneering Touchstone Energy’s new Balanced Performance Scoreboard. This professional measurement tool of customer satisfaction, reliability, efficiency and other key areas help cooperatives track and improve their performance in areas that are most important to their members. Blue Ridge Electric has used the measurement tool for several years to help employees continuously improve all areas of service to its members.

Whitener, director of public relations for Blue Ridge Electric, was recognized for leveraging Touchstone Energy’s brand resources to improve member satisfaction and incorporating results of the Cooperative Difference research in communications planning. The research ensures that cooperatives hear the collective voice of their members and understand issues of value so that they are responding with their best interests in mind.
Both Johnson and Whitener have been speakers at national and state conferences as well as appeared on Touchstone Energy TV.

“Doug and Renee are shining examples of why the brand is as strong and successful as it is today,” said Jim Bausell, Chief Operating Officer of Touchstone Energy. “This type of leadership on behalf of the Touchstone Energy brand has had an impact in their local, regional and state communities.”

Blue Ridge Electric is an affiliate of Touchstone Energy, which is a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives providing affordable, reliable and safe energy to consumers large and small. Touchstone Energy cooperatives serve their members with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. Blue Ridge serves some 73,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes and Alexander counties.