Two Watauga County residents recently received top honors
from Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation during the cooperative’s
annual employee service awards dinner held at the Broyhill Inn
and Conference Center.
Susan Jones, Watauga district
manager, was awarded the Touchstone Commitment to Community
award.
Susan Jones, Watauga district manager, was awarded the Touchstone
Commitment to Community award and Harold Huffman, Watauga district
operations manager, was awarded the Touchstone Overall Excellence
Award.
Each year, employees of Blue Ridge Electric and its heating fuels
subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, nominate and select outstanding
employees to receive the company’s top awards recognizing
qualities such as inspiring customer service, motivational team
spirit, operational excellence, and generosity to the community.
“There is no greater compliment than to be nominated and
ultimately selected by your peers for the highest awards our company
presents,” said chief executive officer Doug Johnson, referencing
awards given for spirit, community service, and overall operational
excellence.
Harold Huffman, Watauga
district operations manager, was awarded the Touchstone
Overall Excellence Award.
The award given to Jones recognizes the example she sets in improving
the quality of life in Watauga County through her contributions
to the community, including serving seven years with the Kiwanis
Club where she has served as president and treasurer.
She also was instrumental in starting the Kiwanis Action Club
for mentally challenged individuals who want to build confidence
and leadership within their peer group.
She is a member of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, the Watauga
Education Foundation, and previously served 16 years as a Girl
Scout troop leader.
She is a certified instructor with American Red Cross and has
taught first aid and CPR. I
Involved in her church, Jones also started an Angel Tree Christmas
gift program, organized blood drives, and spearheaded an effort
to send care packages to troops in Iraq.
Co-workers describe Jones as having a “gift to care for others,”
and noted her dedication to turning “bad situations into
positive experiences.”
Fellow employees say she builds office morale.
Linemen noted her special expressions of care when they work long
hours during storms, and Jones makes homemade sandwiches and “goodie
bags” and ensure they have hot meals lined up.
In recognizing Huffman for his honor, Johnson said Huffman has
had a tremendous impact on the cooperative during his 48-year
career with Blue Ridge Electric, including reliability efforts
and customer service.
His award recognizes those who make exemplary contributions to
the operations and customer service efforts of the cooperative,
showing care for the members and building employee morale.
Huffman was instrumental in creating the cooperative’s Transmission
training school, which helps employees obtain specialized skills
that further improve electric reliability and reduce outage times.
Huffman was also recognized for his contributions on the cooperative’s
district leadership team, which includes members of management
who work on internal and external process improvements and in
other ways to better serve the members of Blue Ridge with affordable,
reliable electricity and personalized customer care.
Co-workers say Huffman keeps team spirit high in the Watauga district,
partially due to involving employees in decision making, ensuring
they have adequate training opportunities, as well as the chance
to demonstrate their leadership skills.
Fellow employees also say Huffman “eats, sleeps, and breathes
Blue Ridge Electric.”
They described him as a champion of the members, making sure that
employees are always in touch with what members need or desire
from their cooperative.
Blue Ridge Electric’s Touchstone Commitment to Community
and Operational Excellence awards honors employees who contribute
in an outstanding way to the development and operation of the
cooperative, to the members and to the communities served by the
cooperative and its subsidiary.
Recipients exemplify traits including community involvement, innovation,
exceptional and innovative customer service, and integrity in
all aspects of their lives.
A committee of employees selects award winners out of a pool of
nominations also submitted by employees.
Blue Ridge Electric is a not-for-profit electric cooperative serving
some 73,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes
and Alexander counties.
Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, provides propane and heating
fuels from hearth products showrooms in the district offices of
Blue Ridge Electric in Lenoir, Boone, West Jefferson and Sparta.
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