Last Updated on June 28, 2026 11:05 am

LENOIR, N.C. – June 25, 2026 – Business reports and director election results were announced at the Annual Meeting of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation held at the cooperative's corporate office in Lenoir on Thursday, June 25.

The meeting was available for members to participate by attending in person at the corporate office or members could view the live meeting online at Blue Ridge Energy's YouTube channel. A recording of the meeting will be available soon at BlueRidgeEnergy.com.

Director Election Results

Over 5,300 cooperative members voted in this year's director elections by mail and online. Director election kits including candidate biographies mailed to members in May and included a proxy, postage return envelope and instructions for members to vote by mail, online or during the annual business meeting. Members who opted to receive the electronic director election kit received it by email.

Elected to three-year terms on the Board of Directors were David Eggers, Caldwell district; Kelvin Gryder, Watauga district; David Boone, Ashe district; and John (Johnny) Wishon, Alleghany district.

Remembering Jeff Joines

Board President John (Johnny) Wishon opened the meeting by thanking those in attendance in person or watching on livestream and reminded members that a recording of the annual meeting will be available this week at BlueRidgeEnergy.com.

Wishon began with a moment of silence in memory of long-time Board member and president, Jeff Joines, who passed away earlier this year. Joines served 28 years on the Board, most recently as president since 2018.

“Jeff served this cooperative with a full heart and a steady hand,” Wishon said. “He gave decades of his life to Blue Ridge Energy, to our members, and to the communities he loved. He believed deeply in the cooperative spirit, and he lived it every day.”

90 Years of Service

Wishon began his remarks by saying: “This year marks 90 years since Blue Ridge Energy first brought electricity to the mountains. From those early days of stringing wire across rugged terrain to today's modern grid, one thing has never changed: our mission to serve our members with reliability, affordability, and care.”

In 2025, Wishon said significant investments were made to strengthen the electric system though major infrastructure upgrades, reinforcing critical lines, and preventative maintenance. He noted the efforts are resulting in fewer outages, faster restoration and a more resilient system for the future.

“Our linemen, engineers, energy specialists, and support teams work around the clock — often in the worst conditions — to ensure members have safe, reliable energy. They are the backbone of this cooperative, and I'm proud to work alongside them,” Wishon continued, adding that the cooperative earned national ranking results in the American Consumer Satisfaction Index.

“That recognition isn't about numbers — it's about trust,” he said. “It reflects the relationships our employees build with members every day, and the pride they take in serving you well.”

Wishon concluded with priorities for the future: keeping energy reliable and affordable, investing wisely in the grid, supporting communities and delivering exceptional service. “We honor the values that have guided us for 90 years as we continue to innovate, improve and put our members first.”

Financial Report and Helene Recovery

The business meeting included a report from Secretary-Treasurer Kelly Melton, who affirmed that the cooperative remains financially strong even with the lasting impacts of Hurricane Helene and rising costs in general.

“Our subsidiaries, Blue Ridge Energy Propane and Fuels and RidgeLink, continue to deliver tremendous value,” Melton said. “Their success helps keep member rates stable and supports programs that directly benefit our communities.”

Melton added that one very important program supported by the subsidiaries as well as members joining together in Operation Round Up, is the Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation. “The Foundation provided nearly $400,000 in community support last year, including over $119,000 for local Hurricane Helene relief. Through the Mountain Strong Helene Relief Fund, we provided assistance to members for energy bills and winter heating costs, as well as support to nonprofits providing direct assistance to affected members,” Melton added.

Chief Financial Officer Amy Crowder delivered the financial report. “Despite challenges, your cooperative continues its dedication to financial prudence and member-focused service,” Crowder said. “Recent years have been challenging due to rising costs; not only in wholesale power but also in the supplies we purchase to maintain the system. In addition, we continue to work with FEMA to receive reimbursement for Hurricane Helene,” Crowder explained.

“To date, we have received over $27 million towards recovery from this historic storm, which we now believe could carry a total cost of up to $34 million,” she added, saying the cooperative continues to work strategically to plan ahead to balance future reliability, affordability and sustainability.

Crowder said at the end of 2025, the cooperative's asset base was $544 million with member equity of $211 million, or 39 percent of total consolidated assets. “Given the financial stability, your Board of Directors approved the return of more than $6.3 million of equity back to members during the capital credits retirement process last month,” she said.

“The subsidiaries continue to contribute to the overall financial health and have helped us to strategically manage costs to benefit you, our member-owners,” she said.

Crowder outlined more highlights from 2025, including 1.15 billion kilowatt-hours sold; healthy margins of $11.9 million; meter growth of one percent; and the two subsidiaries contributing a record total of $6.7 million in benefit as well as an extra $2 million in excess cash that benefit members by helping keep member's bills as low as possible.

Details on financial results for 2025 can be found in the annual report published in the June issue of Carolina Country magazine and online at BlueRidgeEnergy.com.

CEO Report — Brighter Future Strategy

Wishon introduced Blue Ridge Energy CEO, Katie Woodle, to deliver her remarks.

“For nine decades, this cooperative has powered homes and farms, supported local businesses and strengthened local communities across our region,” she said. “That legacy is something we all share and it is something I'm deeply honored to carry forward as your CEO,” Woodle added.

“The execution of strategy continues to be the way we approach running your cooperative, with the main objective and guiding purpose to make life better,” Woodle said. Across all three companies, she said they delivered outstanding results last year:

Based on member feedback, the cooperative scored 89 throughout 2025, ranking among the top five electric utilities in the country.
Propane and Fuels earned a 4.89 on a 5-point scale on customer after-service surveys.
Reliability improvements following Hurricane Helene resulted in lower outage minutes in 2026.
The subsidiaries provided a record $6.7 million in after-tax net benefit to the cooperative.

“While I'm proud of our performance, I'm even more excited about where we're headed,” Woodle said. “Through our Brighter Future strategy, we continue to focus on three core priorities:

Member and Community Enrichment. “We believe in providing top level service and investing in communities we serve, including being a partner in community initiatives, economic development, and youth programs,” Woodle said, adding that “we were excited to be the conduit for six zero-interest USDA loans for fire departments and other local organizations in 2025.”
Innovation and Sustainability: “We are embracing innovation and modernizing our grid while taking a balanced, thoughtful approach to sustainability that keeps reliability and cost in focus,” said Woodle.
Reliability and Affordability: “We continue to see major reliability improvements, yet rising costs in many areas are a challenge,” Woodle said. “While we have taken a disciplined and proactive approach and we are encouraged by the strong performance of our subsidiaries, it is difficult to overcome inflationary increases that have hit all of us and we are currently working through the financial modeling process for the future,” she said, adding that a rate adjustment is anticipated this fall due to the challenging cost environment and will be made with a commitment to continued affordability.

In closing, Woodle thanked employees of all three companies saying “What you have accomplished this past year speaks volumes. Through challenge and change, you continue to show up with commitment, professionalism and heart. You are the reason this cooperative remains strong and continues to serve our members and customers so well.”

Woodle also thanked the Board for their leadership, stewardship and dedication to the cooperative. “As we reflect on this year, we are especially mindful of the lasting impact of Jeff Joines,” she said. “His leadership helped shape who we are today, and his legacy will continue to guide us as we move forward.”

Finally, Woodle thanked members for their trust, saying “It is an honor to serve you! Here's to a bright future for our cooperative, our communities and to all those we serve!”

Find annual meeting videos and information at BlueRidgeEnergy.com.

About Blue Ridge Energy

Under the market name of Blue Ridge Energy, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation serves over 80,000 electric cooperative members in northwest North Carolina. Blue Ridge Energy's Propane and Fuels subsidiary provides residential and commercial propane, fuels and related hearth and outdoor living products in each local district office showroom as well as Morganton, North Carolina. RidgeLink is a business-to-business dark fiber telecommunications subsidiary. More information about Blue Ridge Energy can be found at BlueRidgeEnergy.com.

📷 Newly elected directors, l to r: David Eggers, Kelvin Gryder, David Boone and Johnny Wishon (Blue Ridge Energy)