Last Updated on May 1, 2025 12:27 pm
Lenoir, North Carolina (May 1, 2025) – The Board of Directors of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation has appointed Kelvin Gryder to fill the Watauga District Board seat that was left open when Tom Trexler stepped down from the Board following 13 years of service.
Gryder will complete the seat’s three-year term, which began on June 27, 2024, and runs through June 25, 2026.
Article III Section 3.09 of the Cooperative’s Bylaws requires the Board of Directors to appoint a replacement director for the open seat whenever there are one or more years remaining in the term. The Board also follows all Bylaw requirements for director qualifications as stated in Article III Section 3.02.
Gryder is an engineer based in Boone, with over four decades of experience in engineering and technical sales. Since 1998, he has operated Gryder Technical, an independent engineering consulting and technical sales company that provides specialized consulting services and technical representation across a range of industries.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from UNC Charlotte and earned his Professional Engineer certification in 1986.
Gryder has been a member of the Blue Ridge Energy Member Advisory Committee (MAC) since 2020 and recently served as Chair. He has also contributed through service on additional committees, including the Credentials and Election Committee and the Nominating Committee.
He is an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Boone, currently serving as an Elder. He has previously served as a Deacon and Clerk of Session and has participated in multiple disaster relief missions.
A graduate of Watauga High School, Gryder has remained a lifelong resident of Watauga County. He has been married to his wife, Rebecca Eggers-Gryder, for 39 years.
Gryder began his duties with the Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation Board of Directors on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Blue Ridge Energy is a member-owned electric cooperative, serving some 80,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Alexander, Avery, and Wilkes counties. The Cooperative’s subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energy Propane and Fuels, provides residential and commercial services in the Cooperative’s service area and beyond, with showrooms in each of the Cooperative’s district offices. The Cooperative’s telecommunications subsidiary, RidgeLink, provides broadband and telecommunications services to businesses providing end-use internet access services. Learn more at BlueRidgeEnergy.com
