Wired for Change: Marshall Cherry is Empowering Rural Communities

1 00:00:37,600 - > 00:00:39,600 SPEAKER_01: Marshall, thank you for joining me today. 2 00:00:40,240 - > 00:00:41,759 SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you for having me, Steve. 3 00:00:41,840 - > 00:00:43,439 I'm very honored to be here with you today. 4 00:00:43,679 - > 00:00:44,560 SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, man. 5 00:00:44,640 - > 00:00:45,359 I appreciate you. 6 00:00:45,520 - > 00:00:48,479 Before we get started, tell listeners a little bit about 7 00:00:48,719 - > 00:00:50,000 Marshall Cherry. 8 00:00:50,719 - > 00:00:53,600 SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, Marshall Cherry, uh certainly, 9 00:00:53,759 - > 00:00:57,119 you know, what's interesting, Steve, is the whole community 10 00:00:57,119 - > 00:01:00,719 aspect, as you just mentioned, goes very deep all the way back 11 00:01:00,719 - > 00:01:05,840 to my younger days, connected to Ronald Cooperative back in when 12 00:01:05,840 - > 00:01:09,120 I was in high school attending events, particularly camps and 13 00:01:09,120 - > 00:01:09,680 things like that. 14 00:01:09,840 - > 00:01:11,840 So really appreciative of those. 15 00:01:11,920 - > 00:01:14,799 But, you know, right here, born and raised, I'm honored to serve 16 00:01:14,959 - > 00:01:18,400 the very cooperative where my parents are actually member 17 00:01:18,480 - > 00:01:22,319 owners of the co-op from rural northeastern North Carolina, 18 00:01:22,480 - > 00:01:25,200 small town called Lewis and Woodville, North Carolina, in 19 00:01:25,200 - > 00:01:26,640 Berthe County. 20 00:01:26,959 - > 00:01:31,280 And just over time, after you know, spending some time going 21 00:01:31,280 - > 00:01:34,400 off to school, and of course, uh a little bit of you know 22 00:01:34,560 - > 00:01:38,000 experience in the military as well, very honored to have had 23 00:01:38,000 - > 00:01:39,920 the opportunity to join this team here at Bruno. 24 00:01:40,719 - > 00:01:43,840 And of course, that journey has really led to just a lot of 25 00:01:43,840 - > 00:01:48,159 experiential learning, leaning in to the work, being focused on 26 00:01:48,159 - > 00:01:50,719 the community, and and here we are today. 27 00:01:50,799 - > 00:01:53,599 And so I'm I'm very honored, obviously, to be in this role, 28 00:01:53,680 - > 00:01:58,000 to serve this very community where so many people uh I know 29 00:01:58,239 - > 00:02:00,159 based on the fact I grew up grew up here. 30 00:02:00,239 - > 00:02:03,680 My parents were very active, uh, particularly in Bertie County. 31 00:02:03,760 - > 00:02:05,359 I'm on a lot of different levels. 32 00:02:05,439 - > 00:02:08,319 And here in Herford County, we have a lot of footprint here in 33 00:02:08,319 - > 00:02:11,039 Northampton County, certainly a lot of connections there, 34 00:02:11,199 - > 00:02:12,080 Halifax County. 35 00:02:12,159 - > 00:02:15,840 So I've just really been involved in some level in just 36 00:02:15,840 - > 00:02:19,120 about every county, Gates County is another that we serve here in 37 00:02:19,120 - > 00:02:20,319 Northeast North Carolina. 38 00:02:20,479 - > 00:02:24,080 But but just you know, rural beginnings and looking forward 39 00:02:24,080 - > 00:02:27,759 to just continuing this work to finish out making impact and 40 00:02:27,759 - > 00:02:31,360 leaving a legacy that will show some kinds of growth here in an 41 00:02:31,360 - > 00:02:34,080 area that is is somewhat economically challenged. 42 00:02:34,479 - > 00:02:37,840 SPEAKER_01: Knowing you as a leader, you definitely will 43 00:02:37,840 - > 00:02:39,919 leave an impact, there's no doubt in my mind. 44 00:02:40,080 - > 00:02:41,680 So let's let's hop right in, man. 45 00:02:41,759 - > 00:02:44,479 So you've been with Roanoke north or south of 30 years, is 46 00:02:44,479 - > 00:02:44,800 that correct? 47 00:02:45,120 - > 00:02:48,319 SPEAKER_00: As a matter of fact, right at 32, just uh celebrated 48 00:02:48,319 - > 00:02:50,479 my 32nd anniversary working here a couple months ago. 49 00:02:50,800 - > 00:02:51,280 SPEAKER_01: Awesome, man. 50 00:02:51,439 - > 00:02:53,039 Well, congratulations on with that. 51 00:02:53,439 - > 00:02:59,840 What key experiences, pivotal moments or challenges over that 52 00:02:59,840 - > 00:03:05,840 32-year period have shaped your leadership philosophy during 53 00:03:05,840 - > 00:03:09,680 your progression now as CEO leading the co-op? 54 00:03:10,319 - > 00:03:10,639 SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 55 00:03:10,879 - > 00:03:14,639 So from a challenges standpoint, I mentioned in my introduction, 56 00:03:14,879 - > 00:03:17,840 we're we're here in Northeastern North Carolina, and yes, we're 57 00:03:17,840 - > 00:03:21,199 one of the most economically distressed regions, definitely 58 00:03:21,199 - > 00:03:24,080 in the state of North Carolina, and we compare against several 59 00:03:24,080 - > 00:03:25,199 throughout the country. 60 00:03:25,360 - > 00:03:30,000 And that in and of itself really brings about the empathy that we 61 00:03:30,000 - > 00:03:34,879 bring to the work to just really work toward bringing solutions, 62 00:03:35,199 - > 00:03:38,719 making investments that will lead towards some level of 63 00:03:38,719 - > 00:03:41,439 sustainability in the future of serving in this region. 64 00:03:41,520 - > 00:03:44,719 And I'm really glad to see some of the opportunities of 65 00:03:44,719 - > 00:03:46,000 discussions we're having now. 66 00:03:46,159 - > 00:03:49,680 But but from a leadership standpoint, defining moments, 67 00:03:50,159 - > 00:03:54,639 and I've I've held many roles here at Run Oak over time, but 68 00:03:54,879 - > 00:03:58,479 simply, again, leaning in and learning the business and 69 00:03:58,479 - > 00:04:02,479 honored to have been appointed as the chief operating officer 70 00:04:02,800 - > 00:04:04,159 back in 2014. 71 00:04:04,240 - > 00:04:06,879 And of course, you know, I've been the CEO now almost four 72 00:04:06,879 - > 00:04:08,639 years at the end of this year. 73 00:04:08,879 - > 00:04:13,120 But that was that gave me kind of a front row seat uh to the 74 00:04:13,120 - > 00:04:16,079 operational challenges and opportunities that we have to 75 00:04:16,079 - > 00:04:18,160 innovate as an entity and organization. 76 00:04:18,240 - > 00:04:21,279 And so I learned a lot during those times, particularly with 77 00:04:21,279 - > 00:04:21,600 crises. 78 00:04:21,839 - > 00:04:25,279 And of course, we all at your co-op, we deal with storms, 79 00:04:25,439 - > 00:04:28,560 particularly here on the East Coast, as well as some of the 80 00:04:28,560 - > 00:04:32,639 work we were doing around some large infrastructure projects 81 00:04:32,959 - > 00:04:36,480 that really kind of fell under my watch in terms of the 82 00:04:36,480 - > 00:04:39,839 measurement and the impact and how we would cascade all of that 83 00:04:39,839 - > 00:04:41,199 messaging out to our employees. 84 00:04:41,279 - > 00:04:44,879 And so we when you know you see how vital it is to be steady and 85 00:04:44,879 - > 00:04:47,600 collaborative and community-minded, it kind of 86 00:04:47,600 - > 00:04:48,319 speaks for itself. 87 00:04:48,399 - > 00:04:51,680 And so over time, my leadership philosophy is really centered on 88 00:04:51,680 - > 00:04:54,959 just being values-driven and obviously being transparent and 89 00:04:54,959 - > 00:04:58,240 being focused on long-term impact, not just the short-term 90 00:04:58,240 - > 00:05:02,160 wins, but we do celebrate those wins, but but we also understand 91 00:05:02,160 - > 00:05:05,120 that it's certainly uh a marathon and not a sprint. 92 00:05:05,600 - > 00:05:06,480 SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's great. 93 00:05:06,639 - > 00:05:10,560 And I'm going one question and I go off script, right? 94 00:05:10,639 - > 00:05:16,000 So tell me what kind of impact, what kind of influence Curtis 95 00:05:16,000 - > 00:05:18,639 win, your former CEO, your former boss. 96 00:05:18,879 - > 00:05:22,800 Tell me what kind of influence Curtis had on you. 97 00:05:23,279 - > 00:05:23,680 SPEAKER_00: Yes. 98 00:05:23,839 - > 00:05:25,759 Actually, yeah, you're that's a great question. 99 00:05:25,839 - > 00:05:30,319 And Curtis really was a major influence uh in my journey from 100 00:05:30,319 - > 00:05:31,120 my early days. 101 00:05:31,279 - > 00:05:34,560 I don't think many people know this, but I was actually on the 102 00:05:34,560 - > 00:05:38,639 team at Roanoke when Curtis joined back in 1997. 103 00:05:38,720 - > 00:05:42,879 So I had been here for about four years, almost five, when he 104 00:05:42,879 - > 00:05:43,600 joined. 105 00:05:43,920 - > 00:05:48,720 And uh from day one of our relationship, I think he saw a 106 00:05:48,720 - > 00:05:53,199 lot in me in terms of potential, and particularly the focus and 107 00:05:53,519 - > 00:05:56,240 and the situativeness around projects. 108 00:05:56,399 - > 00:06:02,319 And so I'm really grateful as he and I journeyed together for 109 00:06:02,319 - > 00:06:05,680 some of the opportunities where I had to was where I was 110 00:06:05,680 - > 00:06:10,399 challenged to expand and really start leading more because in in 111 00:06:10,399 - > 00:06:14,240 my early days at Run Up, it was obviously communications is a is 112 00:06:14,240 - > 00:06:15,600 a very major focus. 113 00:06:15,680 - > 00:06:18,560 And some of the work we were doing that was external, facing 114 00:06:18,560 - > 00:06:21,519 the nature, energy audits, things like that, those are some 115 00:06:21,519 - > 00:06:24,000 of the things I was, you know, certainly I was doing back in 116 00:06:24,000 - > 00:06:27,920 those days to engage and just meet solutions wherever with the 117 00:06:27,920 - > 00:06:28,560 member owner. 118 00:06:28,639 - > 00:06:32,800 And then Curtis kind of helped me really expand in the work 119 00:06:32,800 - > 00:06:36,240 that I had structured foundationally for myself, but 120 00:06:36,240 - > 00:06:40,000 to allow it to start cascading with others that were that were 121 00:06:40,000 - > 00:06:40,639 under my watch. 122 00:06:40,720 - > 00:06:45,040 And so it kind of grew into you know leading some of a lot of 123 00:06:45,040 - > 00:06:47,360 our uh member-facing functions. 124 00:06:47,439 - > 00:06:51,920 You know, you you get billing, member services, collections, 125 00:06:52,160 - > 00:06:53,839 just run the gamut. 126 00:06:53,920 - > 00:06:57,759 And then I think years after that, of course, you know, I see 127 00:06:57,920 - > 00:06:59,199 kind of fell under my watch. 128 00:06:59,360 - > 00:07:01,680 HR has been on my under my watch as well. 129 00:07:01,920 - > 00:07:04,720 Certainly economic development, which is very crucial to the 130 00:07:04,720 - > 00:07:08,079 work that we do here at Run of, but certainly watching him as 131 00:07:08,079 - > 00:07:10,959 well and the work that he was able to do on a national stage 132 00:07:10,959 - > 00:07:14,240 to bring exposure and some of the things that we were able to 133 00:07:14,240 - > 00:07:18,720 work on together to bring even stakeholders to the table to 134 00:07:18,720 - > 00:07:19,600 support our work. 135 00:07:19,759 - > 00:07:23,839 So, yes, Curtis certainly has had a major influence on my 136 00:07:23,839 - > 00:07:26,879 career trajectory, and I'm you know certainly grateful for the 137 00:07:26,879 - > 00:07:29,839 opportunity to have partnered with him for so many years and 138 00:07:30,000 - > 00:07:34,480 looking forward to the legacy that we've we've built together. 139 00:07:34,560 - > 00:07:38,560 Um, now of course that I'm at the helm, really what I've been 140 00:07:38,560 - > 00:07:42,399 kind of focusing on is that foundation of the work, but 141 00:07:42,399 - > 00:07:45,360 continuing to build upon it because certainly it's it's a 142 00:07:45,360 - > 00:07:48,079 work that's certainly undone, but we've done a lot of great 143 00:07:48,079 - > 00:07:50,639 things together, and certainly there's more to it, the work 144 00:07:50,639 - > 00:07:52,800 that we've established and built together. 145 00:07:52,879 - > 00:07:55,920 So I'm very, very grateful for those opportunities of work with 146 00:07:55,920 - > 00:07:59,199 Curtis and certainly those his ability to you know really 147 00:07:59,199 - > 00:08:01,759 engage communities and engage stakeholders. 148 00:08:01,920 - > 00:08:05,279 I'm always I always admired him for that, and that's certainly 149 00:08:05,279 - > 00:08:07,759 something that I've worked toward bringing to the table 150 00:08:07,759 - > 00:08:10,959 here because I do see the importance of it as we continue 151 00:08:10,959 - > 00:08:13,360 to build on the work that we've established here at Ronald. 152 00:08:14,399 - > 00:08:16,879 SPEAKER_01: You mentioned something about Curtis, about 153 00:08:16,879 - > 00:08:18,240 bringing national exposure. 154 00:08:18,480 - > 00:08:22,160 Curtis Curtis served on you know on national boards, served as 155 00:08:22,160 - > 00:08:26,079 actually the president of uh of the electric cooperative trade 156 00:08:26,240 - > 00:08:26,560 association. 157 00:08:27,360 - > 00:08:28,079 NRCA. 158 00:08:28,720 - > 00:08:35,279 And you have followed and continued at legacy to serve in 159 00:08:35,519 - > 00:08:40,639 legacy roles and being a member of multiple trade and boards, 160 00:08:40,720 - > 00:08:44,159 whether it's at the AY level with electric cooperative or 161 00:08:44,960 - > 00:08:50,240 organizations like NRTA or even communication, organizations 162 00:08:50,480 - > 00:08:55,039 like INER utility resources with cooperative with marketing and 163 00:08:55,039 - > 00:08:56,240 communication efforts. 164 00:08:57,039 - > 00:09:01,919 The question is how do you balance the mission of your 165 00:09:01,919 - > 00:09:06,399 local cooperative with the broader and more regional or 166 00:09:06,399 - > 00:09:09,759 even national perspective of those organizations? 167 00:09:10,799 - > 00:09:11,840 SPEAKER_00: That's a great question. 168 00:09:12,080 - > 00:09:15,919 And for me, Steve, and I kind of saw this in Curtis as well, 169 00:09:16,080 - > 00:09:20,879 certainly it is great to receive the the recognition for the work 170 00:09:20,879 - > 00:09:26,080 that we're doing here locally in our regions on national stages. 171 00:09:26,240 - > 00:09:29,039 I know for me personally, it it really is all about staying 172 00:09:29,039 - > 00:09:32,159 grounded in purpose, going back to your question, whether it's 173 00:09:32,159 - > 00:09:36,960 sitting in any board meeting, whether it's with Pioneer or the 174 00:09:36,960 - > 00:09:41,360 work we're doing in Raleigh or locally here with chambers of 175 00:09:41,360 - > 00:09:44,639 commerce, economic development commissions, my the question for 176 00:09:44,639 - > 00:09:48,399 me at the end of the day is always is how does this 177 00:09:48,399 - > 00:09:50,879 ultimately serve our memoir owners back home? 178 00:09:51,039 - > 00:09:55,440 Because the very people who who we're really trying, where we're 179 00:09:55,440 - > 00:09:59,039 trying to win, are the very people that we serve. 180 00:09:59,519 - > 00:10:03,440 The challenge here at Roanoke, I'll just be up front. 181 00:10:04,159 - > 00:10:07,440 It can be a little different, you know, when it comes to the 182 00:10:07,600 - > 00:10:10,320 the demographics of the service territory. 183 00:10:10,480 - > 00:10:13,360 This is an area of a region that is just not growing. 184 00:10:13,519 - > 00:10:17,279 And so, and I get it, there are a lot of, let's just say, 185 00:10:17,440 - > 00:10:19,919 systems across the country where it's organic. 186 00:10:20,240 - > 00:10:23,840 And there may very well be something foundational there 187 00:10:24,080 - > 00:10:25,759 that brings growth to that region. 188 00:10:25,840 - > 00:10:30,000 And of course, serving in any electric utility, growth is key 189 00:10:30,080 - > 00:10:33,120 and it's crucial if you're really trying to continue to 190 00:10:33,120 - > 00:10:35,039 develop and build on things that you're doing. 191 00:10:35,120 - > 00:10:37,360 And so, you know, we're the only electric cooperative in the 192 00:10:37,360 - > 00:10:41,200 state of North Carolina that actually experienced less than 193 00:10:41,200 - > 00:10:44,639 0% growth in the last 10 years. 194 00:10:44,799 - > 00:10:48,320 And of course, we have the lowest density as well among you 195 00:10:48,320 - > 00:10:52,080 know meters for every mile of line and investment among all 196 00:10:52,080 - > 00:10:53,679 the electric cooperatives in the state. 197 00:10:53,759 - > 00:10:57,440 So for me, it's really a pat it's a mission, it's a calling. 198 00:10:57,519 - > 00:11:01,120 It's it's more to it than just sitting in the meetings. 199 00:11:01,279 - > 00:11:04,320 It's it's really about gleaning what we can from dumb meetings 200 00:11:04,320 - > 00:11:05,519 that we can bring back home. 201 00:11:05,679 - > 00:11:09,039 And so that that level of exposure, and I know it did the 202 00:11:09,039 - > 00:11:11,200 same for Curtis, but certainly me as well. 203 00:11:11,440 - > 00:11:14,320 Just you're able to, the more you're able to engage with 204 00:11:14,320 - > 00:11:18,159 others, and you in this network that we have um across the 205 00:11:18,159 - > 00:11:21,360 country, there's so many peers and colleagues. 206 00:11:21,519 - > 00:11:23,200 Uh, we all learn from each other. 207 00:11:23,279 - > 00:11:26,320 And of course, Roanoke has been a pioneer in a lot of things, 208 00:11:26,399 - > 00:11:31,440 but Roanoke also has learned a lot by by building a network of 209 00:11:31,440 - > 00:11:34,000 people who can undergurge the work we're trying to do here at 210 00:11:34,000 - > 00:11:34,480 Roanoke. 211 00:11:34,559 - > 00:11:35,840 And so I'm very grateful for that. 212 00:11:36,000 - > 00:11:38,960 But but that's to me at the end of the day, is about how do we 213 00:11:38,960 - > 00:11:43,120 really bring that voice back to everything we learned in the 214 00:11:43,120 - > 00:11:46,639 form of a voice for rural North Carolina and bridging between 215 00:11:46,639 - > 00:11:50,559 some realities that we face and the larger eco energy ecosystem 216 00:11:50,639 - > 00:11:52,159 that we see across the country. 217 00:11:52,320 - > 00:11:54,320 So that's how I stay balanced. 218 00:11:54,399 - > 00:11:57,679 Uh that's how I continue to stay balanced, and just a firm 219 00:11:57,679 - > 00:12:01,200 believer that that's that is what will help us continue to 220 00:12:01,279 - > 00:12:03,679 you know really develop the region that we're trying to, 221 00:12:03,759 - > 00:12:06,320 whereas we want to just really improve quality of life here 222 00:12:06,480 - > 00:12:09,360 while our member owners and the and the communities that we 223 00:12:09,360 - > 00:12:09,679 serve. 224 00:12:10,000 - > 00:12:11,200 SPEAKER_01: So let's talk about the members. 225 00:12:11,360 - > 00:12:12,480 That's a great segue. 226 00:12:12,639 - > 00:12:16,240 At the heart of any electric cooperative is the member. 227 00:12:17,039 - > 00:12:21,840 And I'm curious to get your thoughts on that relationship 228 00:12:21,840 - > 00:12:26,240 with the members and how it's evolving in the future of 229 00:12:26,559 - > 00:12:27,279 electric cooperative. 230 00:12:29,200 - > 00:12:33,200 How do you stay in tune with your members evolving and 231 00:12:33,200 - > 00:12:38,159 changing the other time, especially in your situation 232 00:12:38,480 - > 00:12:42,879 rural in rural communities, maybe economically talented 233 00:12:42,960 - > 00:12:43,279 areas? 234 00:12:43,759 - > 00:12:45,759 How do you stay in tune with it? 235 00:12:45,840 - > 00:12:51,440 And how do you ensure that their voices are represented when you 236 00:12:51,440 - > 00:12:54,879 guys are making leadership decisions as a staff and 237 00:12:54,879 - > 00:12:57,840 ultimately taking them to the board for approval? 238 00:12:58,320 - > 00:12:58,799 SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 239 00:12:59,039 - > 00:13:01,360 Yeah, and you know, it's interesting, Steve. 240 00:13:01,519 - > 00:13:02,879 Great question again. 241 00:13:03,200 - > 00:13:06,000 This answer is going to sound very simple for this, but it's a 242 00:13:06,000 - > 00:13:08,240 lot packed into it, and I'll certainly expand on it. 243 00:13:08,320 - > 00:13:10,799 But the key word is just listening, right, to your 244 00:13:10,799 - > 00:13:11,519 membership. 245 00:13:11,679 - > 00:13:14,879 And for us, you know what one of the things that I learned, and I 246 00:13:14,879 - > 00:13:17,679 know you're a communicator by profession as well. 247 00:13:18,559 - > 00:13:22,559 When we when I was the chief operating officer at Rona, and 248 00:13:22,559 - > 00:13:26,399 again, we were one of my tasks was really leading our corporate 249 00:13:26,399 - > 00:13:27,039 strategy. 250 00:13:27,519 - > 00:13:32,240 And we we were practitioners of the strategy, strategy execution 251 00:13:32,240 - > 00:13:34,720 system that was kind of developed or managed by the 252 00:13:34,720 - > 00:13:35,840 Palladium Group. 253 00:13:36,000 - > 00:13:38,799 And we also use the performance dollar scorecard to help us 254 00:13:38,799 - > 00:13:39,759 measure success. 255 00:13:40,000 - > 00:13:44,240 But one of the things that was very crucial is the fact that 256 00:13:44,240 - > 00:13:47,039 you have to go wide and deep when it comes to your 257 00:13:47,039 - > 00:13:47,679 communications. 258 00:13:47,759 - > 00:13:49,039 And I know you get this. 259 00:13:49,440 - > 00:13:53,279 You can't just uh really lean on just one channel of 260 00:13:53,279 - > 00:13:56,000 communication, no matter how much that frequency is. 261 00:13:56,159 - > 00:14:00,639 Let's just say you may very well send out a bill suffer six 262 00:14:00,639 - > 00:14:04,480 months in a room to all of your member owners, and I can 263 00:14:04,480 - > 00:14:07,200 guarantee you that there will be a lot of them who will say, I 264 00:14:07,200 - > 00:14:11,279 never saw it, because that is not how I receive information. 265 00:14:11,440 - > 00:14:15,120 So the key is making sure we understand that we have to be 266 00:14:15,120 - > 00:14:19,360 multi-channeled in our approach, but then also be frequent as we 267 00:14:19,360 - > 00:14:20,320 are multi-channel. 268 00:14:20,639 - > 00:14:23,600 And one of the things, especially going back to that 269 00:14:23,600 - > 00:14:27,679 listening aspect, and we've we brought them back here at 270 00:14:27,679 - > 00:14:31,120 Roanoke, the pandemic actually slowed us down on some of the 271 00:14:31,120 - > 00:14:34,720 face-to-face work, and we took a pause, and of course, we were 272 00:14:34,720 - > 00:14:37,519 doing a lot of this when our chief operating officer Curtis 273 00:14:37,679 - > 00:14:38,159 was here. 274 00:14:38,320 - > 00:14:41,600 But but it's very important that we do this is that we have the 275 00:14:41,600 - > 00:14:45,200 face-to-face opportunities to speak with our memory owners. 276 00:14:45,360 - > 00:14:50,799 Now, granted, I get it, we we know that 100% of our memories 277 00:14:50,879 - > 00:14:55,200 are not coming to a town hall forum to listen to us, but but 278 00:14:55,440 - > 00:14:57,600 neither do we get the same at an annual meeting. 279 00:14:57,679 - > 00:15:00,080 And the same thing about that bill stuffer, we know some 280 00:15:00,080 - > 00:15:00,960 people did read it. 281 00:15:01,120 - > 00:15:03,200 But we just have to be multi-channeled in our approach. 282 00:15:03,360 - > 00:15:07,120 And we do surveys and we do pay attention to the verbatim 283 00:15:07,120 - > 00:15:10,399 comments that come back from surveys and try to and make sure 284 00:15:10,399 - > 00:15:13,600 that we're reaching back out to the member owners, even if it's 285 00:15:13,600 - > 00:15:16,240 something that we can't change right away, because we all get 286 00:15:16,240 - > 00:15:16,399 it. 287 00:15:16,480 - > 00:15:20,639 Uh rate costs is big, it's a major part, particularly here in 288 00:15:20,639 - > 00:15:21,840 an area like Run up. 289 00:15:22,159 - > 00:15:26,799 But if we have opportunities to at least kind of unpack what 290 00:15:26,879 - > 00:15:30,639 what all is involved with the cost and the value of things 291 00:15:30,639 - > 00:15:32,399 that actually come with it, i.e. 292 00:15:32,559 - > 00:15:35,039 our broadband initiative, and I'm sure we're gonna talk about 293 00:15:35,039 - > 00:15:36,080 that here shortly. 294 00:15:36,240 - > 00:15:39,440 But those that was another example of how we actually 295 00:15:39,440 - > 00:15:41,120 listen to our member owners. 296 00:15:41,200 - > 00:15:45,440 And so just really overall listening to the member owners 297 00:15:45,679 - > 00:15:49,759 and making sure that we're able to develop strategies around 298 00:15:49,759 - > 00:15:52,879 that, but communicate, communicate, communicate is very 299 00:15:52,879 - > 00:15:53,200 important. 300 00:15:53,600 - > 00:15:55,519 SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're gonna get to the broadband thing 301 00:15:55,600 - > 00:15:58,960 because that that is something that you guys have tackled and 302 00:15:58,960 - > 00:16:02,080 are tackling, and and I think it's it's just amazing. 303 00:16:02,399 - > 00:16:06,000 Last question concerning the the member engagement. 304 00:16:06,639 - > 00:16:12,159 What does modern member engagement look like in today's, 305 00:16:12,320 - > 00:16:15,759 and I'll just say it, ever-changing energy landscape. 306 00:16:15,919 - > 00:16:17,679 What does it look like to you? 307 00:16:18,320 - > 00:16:20,480 SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's definitely more dynamic. 308 00:16:20,559 - > 00:16:24,159 That that whole seven by seven model, um, I think when I say go 309 00:16:24,159 - > 00:16:27,360 wide and deep, just is communicate seven times, seven 310 00:16:27,360 - > 00:16:28,159 different ways. 311 00:16:28,320 - > 00:16:31,279 That's that's the mantra coming out of strategy execution. 312 00:16:31,360 - > 00:16:32,639 But certainly we all get it. 313 00:16:32,720 - > 00:16:35,440 We're in a digital world now, very dynamic from that 314 00:16:35,440 - > 00:16:35,919 standpoint. 315 00:16:36,000 - > 00:16:40,080 We're not just only sending out newsletters that are printed, 316 00:16:40,159 - > 00:16:43,360 but it's that's but it still has its place because there's 317 00:16:43,519 - > 00:16:48,080 there's a population who accepts that level of communication. 318 00:16:48,399 - > 00:16:53,279 But text messaging now certainly is huge and and social media, we 319 00:16:53,440 - > 00:16:56,799 we all know the value there, and we all understand somewhat 320 00:16:56,960 - > 00:16:59,360 somewhat of the feast of family that goes with that as well, as 321 00:16:59,600 - > 00:17:03,200 well as mobile apps to meet people where they are. 322 00:17:03,519 - > 00:17:07,519 I was just actually I'm just coming back from attending a 323 00:17:07,519 - > 00:17:11,839 conference last week, and I was very intrigued by listening to 324 00:17:11,839 - > 00:17:16,640 our existing enterprise system provider talk about some of the 325 00:17:16,640 - > 00:17:20,240 work that they're starting to develop around, let's just say, 326 00:17:20,400 - > 00:17:26,640 uh some bots and being able to incorporate some AI into 327 00:17:27,279 - > 00:17:30,240 communications that we will have or engagement we will have with 328 00:17:30,240 - > 00:17:31,039 the member owner. 329 00:17:31,200 - > 00:17:31,839 I get it. 330 00:17:32,400 - > 00:17:35,680 Every person, every member owner of ours, and I'm that person 331 00:17:35,680 - > 00:17:36,160 sometimes. 332 00:17:36,240 - > 00:17:40,640 I don't personally feel like every time I need to call in and 333 00:17:40,640 - > 00:17:44,799 talk to somebody about a matter, if there's a way that we're 334 00:17:45,039 - > 00:17:48,480 through some type of messaging system, whereas you you can have 335 00:17:48,480 - > 00:17:51,359 your prompts allow me to push, you know, type in my 336 00:17:51,359 - > 00:17:54,319 information, sometimes that works for me, versus you know, 337 00:17:54,400 - > 00:17:56,400 having to wait to talk to someone personally. 338 00:17:56,480 - > 00:17:59,599 So, so yeah, it's just really multifaceted. 339 00:17:59,759 - > 00:18:03,359 We just have to really make sure that we're expanding on how we 340 00:18:03,359 - > 00:18:05,039 do that so that we can be effective. 341 00:18:05,200 - > 00:18:06,880 But but it's continuing to grow. 342 00:18:06,960 - > 00:18:10,880 It's definitely not an easy task because communication never has 343 00:18:10,880 - > 00:18:12,079 been an easy task. 344 00:18:12,160 - > 00:18:15,119 Because I can guarantee you, whether you're speaking 345 00:18:15,119 - > 00:18:18,240 internally from your employees or externally from your 346 00:18:18,240 - > 00:18:21,039 membership, in many cases you're going to always hear people say 347 00:18:21,039 - > 00:18:22,400 they want more communication. 348 00:18:22,559 - > 00:18:26,400 So it's never ending, but certainly we we get it that we 349 00:18:26,400 - > 00:18:29,680 have to make sure that we own our part in ensuring that we're 350 00:18:29,680 - > 00:18:32,000 doing everything we can to get that message out. 351 00:18:32,240 - > 00:18:34,640 SPEAKER_01: So you mentioned technology. 352 00:18:35,519 - > 00:18:37,759 And I want to talk a little bit about that. 353 00:18:37,920 - > 00:18:43,119 So technology is transforming how electric utilities produce, 354 00:18:43,279 - > 00:18:45,279 manage, and deliver energy. 355 00:18:45,839 - > 00:18:49,119 Rural co-ops, folks-based challenges and exciting 356 00:18:49,359 - > 00:18:50,079 opportunities. 357 00:18:50,319 - > 00:18:55,200 So with all these rapid shifts and energy technology, how is 358 00:18:55,200 - > 00:19:00,000 your co-op leveraging innovation to serve its members better? 359 00:19:00,720 - > 00:19:01,920 SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely. 360 00:19:02,160 - > 00:19:03,440 Yes, it's interesting. 361 00:19:03,599 - > 00:19:07,680 So going back in my earlier comments, I think I was talking 362 00:19:07,680 - > 00:19:11,200 about serving as the chief operating officer and some of 363 00:19:11,200 - > 00:19:14,319 the infrastructure projects that we were taking on. 364 00:19:14,960 - > 00:19:20,960 And it it the 2010s was was just really a transformational decade 365 00:19:20,960 - > 00:19:23,839 of a foundation that we're setting and that we're 366 00:19:23,839 - > 00:19:25,200 continuing to build. 367 00:19:25,359 - > 00:19:29,680 But but that was a multifaceted, let's just say, technology plan 368 00:19:29,839 - > 00:19:33,440 that we implemented, whereas going back to even a statement 369 00:19:33,440 - > 00:19:37,279 you just made, in better serving our member owners, we actually 370 00:19:37,279 - > 00:19:43,200 uh work toward a a new, well, our second second generation of 371 00:19:43,200 - > 00:19:47,680 an advanced leader in the infrastructure investment, which 372 00:19:47,680 - > 00:19:51,200 really, again, helps us operationally to do a lot of 373 00:19:51,200 - > 00:19:54,160 things, to engage the member to help understand their usage 374 00:19:54,160 - > 00:19:57,839 patterns, but also being able to manage outages response and 375 00:19:57,839 - > 00:19:58,720 things like that. 376 00:19:58,960 - > 00:20:05,039 Um, we did a uh a full conversion of an LED, outdoor 377 00:20:05,039 - > 00:20:06,480 LED conversion. 378 00:20:06,799 - > 00:20:12,559 We we took on starting to provide getting access to 379 00:20:12,559 - > 00:20:16,799 capital that allowed us to invest in our member owners' 380 00:20:17,039 - > 00:20:20,799 homes to help them on some of their consumption because there 381 00:20:20,799 - > 00:20:23,599 were so many of our member owners who were marginalized 382 00:20:23,599 - > 00:20:26,400 from an energy efficiency financing standpoint. 383 00:20:26,559 - > 00:20:31,519 So the cooperative actually took on that investment by by 384 00:20:31,519 - > 00:20:33,920 subscribing to this program we called Upgrade and Save. 385 00:20:34,079 - > 00:20:36,880 And one of the things we learned even about that program was I 386 00:20:36,880 - > 00:20:39,359 know that there are, and I know many people, you know, would 387 00:20:39,359 - > 00:20:42,640 certainly challenge the losses and kilowatt hour sales, but the 388 00:20:42,640 - > 00:20:47,680 key and all of it was for us was some of the subscribers to a 389 00:20:47,680 - > 00:20:51,599 program like that were some of our highest contributors to our 390 00:20:51,599 - > 00:20:52,559 peak demand costs. 391 00:20:52,640 - > 00:20:56,960 So the more we can support them, even in peak demand periods, we 392 00:20:56,960 - > 00:21:00,079 were seeing some reduction in some of our demand costs that 393 00:21:00,079 - > 00:21:03,599 was a savings that also helped stand up our ability to continue 394 00:21:03,599 - > 00:21:04,559 to manage the program. 395 00:21:04,720 - > 00:21:08,079 And then finally, you know, the big ones, um, we we call them 396 00:21:08,079 - > 00:21:09,200 the big four projects. 397 00:21:09,359 - > 00:21:13,759 And that fourth one was the work we were trying to do to set the 398 00:21:13,759 - > 00:21:14,880 stage for broadband. 399 00:21:14,960 - > 00:21:20,160 It's interesting to see broadband has been a topic at 400 00:21:20,160 - > 00:21:24,720 Roanoke that we have really just monitored for many years, at 401 00:21:24,720 - > 00:21:26,000 least 25 years. 402 00:21:26,160 - > 00:21:30,960 Um we we saw the values, but of course, we we certainly did not 403 00:21:30,960 - > 00:21:33,759 be, we did not need to be the business, right? 404 00:21:33,839 - > 00:21:35,519 When we were looking at all of this. 405 00:21:35,920 - > 00:21:40,400 And so with what happened over time, we realized in order for 406 00:21:40,400 - > 00:21:44,960 Roanoke as an organization to be more effective in how it manages 407 00:21:44,960 - > 00:21:48,880 these technologies that I just laid out, we had we had to 408 00:21:48,880 - > 00:21:51,200 strengthen our communication infrastructure. 409 00:21:51,279 - > 00:21:56,240 And so we built out a core network to bring some level of 410 00:21:56,240 - > 00:21:58,720 efficiencies to our overall operation. 411 00:21:58,880 - > 00:22:02,400 And so what that did was is it helped us to be more efficient 412 00:22:02,400 - > 00:22:04,240 in how we manage roundos. 413 00:22:04,480 - > 00:22:08,559 But what was interesting on the back end of that, we also knew 414 00:22:08,559 - > 00:22:12,799 that that could set the stage for us to really bring another 415 00:22:12,799 - > 00:22:16,640 game changer to our communities in the fact that now we want to 416 00:22:16,640 - > 00:22:20,960 start working toward a community like the counties we serve 417 00:22:21,119 - > 00:22:24,880 having access to high-speed internet access, like many of 418 00:22:24,880 - > 00:22:28,720 their family members in other cities and towns, Raleigh's, the 419 00:22:28,720 - > 00:22:31,839 Durham's, the Greensboro, this stuff is second nature to you 420 00:22:31,839 - > 00:22:32,960 know their family members. 421 00:22:33,119 - > 00:22:37,200 But then back home with dealing with Dallop, DSL, and things 422 00:22:37,200 - > 00:22:37,519 like that. 423 00:22:37,599 - > 00:22:41,119 So that really kind of started that whole foundation around the 424 00:22:41,119 - > 00:22:46,400 work that led us to making that decision to become basically go 425 00:22:46,400 - > 00:22:49,440 ahead and get in the space of delivering broadband service 426 00:22:49,680 - > 00:22:51,839 because we saw the need here in our communities. 427 00:22:51,920 - > 00:22:54,079 And it was and it's been a part of our growth strategy since 428 00:22:54,079 - > 00:22:55,119 I've been the CEO. 429 00:22:55,519 - > 00:22:57,759 SPEAKER_01: And that's you know, great segue because that's my 430 00:22:57,759 - > 00:22:58,240 next question. 431 00:22:58,400 - > 00:23:00,960 I mean, you answered some of it about broadband. 432 00:23:01,039 - > 00:23:04,000 You guys have popped in, and it's it's amazing what you guys 433 00:23:04,000 - > 00:23:04,400 have done. 434 00:23:04,480 - > 00:23:08,160 You've you know you've hopped in in your area as well as beyond 435 00:23:08,160 - > 00:23:09,680 your your service territory. 436 00:23:10,319 - > 00:23:14,000 To offer broadband and rural communities, talk a little bit 437 00:23:14,000 - > 00:23:18,000 about the process moving forward, so not only was that 438 00:23:18,240 - > 00:23:24,160 something from a a strategic for the internal delivery of 439 00:23:24,160 - > 00:23:28,640 services for the member, but also potentially moving forward, 440 00:23:29,200 - > 00:23:33,920 offering it outside and offering a quality of life development 441 00:23:34,640 - > 00:23:36,000 impact with broadband. 442 00:23:36,960 - > 00:23:42,160 Tell folks where you guys are at in the process now, and are you 443 00:23:42,160 - > 00:23:46,400 starting to see the impact that this is having on communities? 444 00:23:46,559 - > 00:23:48,079 So can you discuss that a little bit? 445 00:23:48,480 - > 00:23:49,759 SPEAKER_00: Yeah, a lot of great anecdotes. 446 00:23:49,839 - > 00:23:51,279 And you know, Steve, it's very interesting. 447 00:23:51,440 - > 00:23:53,759 My very first year as the CEO. 448 00:23:53,920 - > 00:23:57,279 Now, again, mind you, I've already shared with you the 449 00:23:57,759 - > 00:23:59,839 economic challenges that we face, right? 450 00:23:59,920 - > 00:24:03,359 I mean, certainly, so that means elect energy costs are going to 451 00:24:03,359 - > 00:24:07,920 be a significant portion of my membership household budget. 452 00:24:08,400 - > 00:24:13,839 But by and large, 90% of the complaints that I received as a 453 00:24:13,839 - > 00:24:19,039 CEO in 2022, those questions were, when are you gonna get 454 00:24:19,039 - > 00:24:21,039 fiber to my community? 455 00:24:21,279 - > 00:24:23,039 Those are the questions that I field it. 456 00:24:23,119 - > 00:24:26,559 By and large, I mean, at my very first year as a CEO. 457 00:24:26,799 - > 00:24:31,759 And, you know, those those types of inquiry, some of the demands 458 00:24:31,759 - > 00:24:35,519 that even predated my tenure, of course, and Curtis was with us. 459 00:24:35,599 - > 00:24:38,559 We did a lot of work to start sourcing to determine the 460 00:24:38,559 - > 00:24:41,279 likelihood of individuals wanting to take on the service. 461 00:24:41,519 - > 00:24:46,240 So Fiber, we committed to Fiber in 2022 because we tried other 462 00:24:46,480 - > 00:24:50,559 technologies that really were a little less seller than fiber. 463 00:24:50,880 - > 00:24:55,119 And also we made the decision, I didn't say this earlier, to 464 00:24:56,079 - > 00:25:00,559 stand off our own broadband business because we could not 465 00:25:00,559 - > 00:25:04,000 find another entity who would ride the backbone that we had 466 00:25:04,000 - > 00:25:05,599 built to deliver the service. 467 00:25:05,759 - > 00:25:08,799 So that's almost like the 20, the 1930s, and I know you get 468 00:25:08,799 - > 00:25:09,039 this. 469 00:25:09,200 - > 00:25:12,000 When when no one else would do it, the co-op did it. 470 00:25:12,079 - > 00:25:13,440 And here's another example. 471 00:25:13,680 - > 00:25:16,079 When no one else would do it, the electric co-op did it. 472 00:25:16,160 - > 00:25:19,839 SPEAKER_01: Well, and and and let me chime in right there, 473 00:25:19,920 - > 00:25:20,079 too. 474 00:25:20,640 - > 00:25:27,279 Co-ops, especially co-ops with the innovation mindset also 475 00:25:27,920 - > 00:25:32,559 think in their mind that if we partner with somebody to help 476 00:25:32,640 - > 00:25:35,119 us, are they gonna do it as good as we can do it? 477 00:25:35,359 - > 00:25:37,759 Even though they're in the business, but are they gonna in 478 00:25:37,759 - > 00:25:40,880 the end, not only can they do it as good as we can do it? 479 00:25:42,079 - > 00:25:44,480 Not if they do it as good as we can do it, but are they gonna 480 00:25:44,480 - > 00:25:48,960 have the same mindset of the member in mind and that if that 481 00:25:48,960 - > 00:25:53,200 member a lot of times when you partner outside your walls with 482 00:25:53,200 - > 00:25:57,279 someone, there's a there's a lot of risk because you spent years 483 00:25:57,279 - > 00:26:00,799 and years and years of that co-op building that reputation, 484 00:26:00,960 - > 00:26:03,359 building that relationship with the member. 485 00:26:03,680 - > 00:26:09,119 And one maybe one or two bad experiences can really erode 486 00:26:09,119 - > 00:26:09,359 that. 487 00:26:09,519 - > 00:26:13,759 So definitely, I definitely know why you guys went the route that 488 00:26:13,759 - > 00:26:14,319 y'all did. 489 00:26:14,640 - > 00:26:14,799 SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 490 00:26:14,960 - > 00:26:17,839 And you're you're so right to that point, Steve, when it comes 491 00:26:17,839 - > 00:26:18,319 to others. 492 00:26:18,480 - > 00:26:22,480 I mean, because the cooperative DNA, and you get to, it's all 493 00:26:22,480 - > 00:26:23,119 about service. 494 00:26:23,200 - > 00:26:27,599 Yes, we have to meet certain financial covenants in order to 495 00:26:27,599 - > 00:26:32,079 continue to receive investment opportunities from our funders. 496 00:26:32,400 - > 00:26:35,839 But other entities, there are other companies that are in our 497 00:26:35,839 - > 00:26:38,000 service territory who have built out another part. 498 00:26:38,400 - > 00:26:40,880 Some even built overbuilt us. 499 00:26:41,039 - > 00:26:45,119 But what we're finding through surveys is we're we're 500 00:26:45,119 - > 00:26:50,799 outperforming incumbent entities by about 10 points when it when 501 00:26:50,799 - > 00:26:52,960 it comes to level of satisfaction. 502 00:26:53,119 - > 00:26:56,880 Because again, when people call, they're not waiting, and this is 503 00:26:56,880 - > 00:26:59,599 the reality, they're not waiting for someone to get to them in 10 504 00:26:59,599 - > 00:26:59,920 days. 505 00:27:00,000 - > 00:27:03,599 And that's that's a reality that many people face with a lot of 506 00:27:03,599 - > 00:27:05,519 these companies that are already out there. 507 00:27:05,680 - > 00:27:09,039 The level of service is just not at the same level that we will 508 00:27:09,039 - > 00:27:10,400 bring as an electric cooperative. 509 00:27:10,640 - > 00:27:13,839 So we've seen times where folks would actually call us because 510 00:27:13,839 - > 00:27:17,519 they were probably with an incumbent prior to, they get 511 00:27:17,680 - > 00:27:18,640 they had a problem. 512 00:27:18,799 - > 00:27:20,400 They told us person they had a problem. 513 00:27:20,720 - > 00:27:24,319 If the entity said, Well, we we'll see you in 10 days, they 514 00:27:24,319 - > 00:27:25,039 will call us. 515 00:27:25,200 - > 00:27:27,440 We're out there the same day, they have service. 516 00:27:27,759 - > 00:27:28,880 So, you know, you have that. 517 00:27:28,960 - > 00:27:31,680 And and so, and then other anecdotes, going back to your 518 00:27:31,680 - > 00:27:34,480 original question, has has really bowed well as well. 519 00:27:34,640 - > 00:27:37,920 And and many, we have a lot of people in our corner who are 520 00:27:38,079 - > 00:27:41,279 really uh supportive of it because we see the opportunity 521 00:27:41,279 - > 00:27:42,160 to grow the region. 522 00:27:42,240 - > 00:27:44,799 And so we've been very grateful for many of the partners along 523 00:27:44,799 - > 00:27:47,680 the way and the responses that we receive from the membership 524 00:27:47,680 - > 00:27:50,079 of all as well in terms of understanding it. 525 00:27:50,240 - > 00:27:55,279 The key now is the education because fiber is future-proof. 526 00:27:55,440 - > 00:27:59,039 It is the the standard when it comes to connectivity, and we 527 00:27:59,039 - > 00:27:59,359 get it. 528 00:27:59,599 - > 00:28:01,759 Everyone does not really understand that value. 529 00:28:01,920 - > 00:28:03,839 So again, it's on us as a co-op, right? 530 00:28:03,920 - > 00:28:07,119 As communicators to actually share and continue to educate. 531 00:28:08,000 - > 00:28:08,400 unknown: Yeah. 532 00:28:08,720 - > 00:28:10,880 SPEAKER_01: Man, you guys are rocking and rolling with that, 533 00:28:10,960 - > 00:28:13,039 man, and that and I just applaud you for that. 534 00:28:13,279 - > 00:28:18,079 You mentioned earlier you have been exposed to so much in your 535 00:28:18,079 - > 00:28:19,839 years at Roanoke. 536 00:28:20,480 - > 00:28:21,519 You've worked across tech. 537 00:28:22,400 - > 00:28:25,920 You've worked across you know, you've worked within and served 538 00:28:25,920 - > 00:28:28,480 on nonprofit boards, you've worked in economic development, 539 00:28:28,559 - > 00:28:32,000 and that that could be a whole nother uh uh podcast with you, 540 00:28:32,160 - > 00:28:35,599 man, because you you've just made just a major impact with 541 00:28:35,599 - > 00:28:37,599 economic development and workforce development. 542 00:28:38,079 - > 00:28:40,720 And of course you've worked in tech communications, and that's 543 00:28:40,880 - > 00:28:42,000 that's just a rare mix. 544 00:28:42,160 - > 00:28:47,200 So how do you build a culture where different skill sets and 545 00:28:47,279 - > 00:28:52,400 and backgrounds can collaborate effectively? 546 00:28:53,839 - > 00:28:57,680 SPEAKER_00: And that's yeah, that's definitely uh I don't 547 00:28:57,680 - > 00:28:58,799 want to call that a challenge. 548 00:28:58,880 - > 00:29:01,759 It's a great opportunity, particularly at the cooperative 549 00:29:01,759 - > 00:29:04,240 level, because there are, to your point, so many. 550 00:29:04,480 - > 00:29:07,680 So many different skill sets, so many different jobs. 551 00:29:08,000 - > 00:29:10,720 You you we get it, uh, particularly at election co-ops, 552 00:29:10,799 - > 00:29:15,599 you have trade staff who go through some very intentional 553 00:29:15,599 - > 00:29:18,559 training for about a good four or five year run to get 554 00:29:18,559 - > 00:29:19,839 proficient at the job. 555 00:29:19,920 - > 00:29:23,039 You have internal team members who are trying to make sure that 556 00:29:23,039 - > 00:29:26,480 they're at their best when it comes to engaging one with 557 00:29:26,480 - > 00:29:28,799 another, but also engaging with our membership. 558 00:29:29,039 - > 00:29:33,759 But for me overall, uh I do as much as I can uh to share the 559 00:29:33,759 - > 00:29:37,440 purpose with our employees, as well as working toward building 560 00:29:37,440 - > 00:29:37,759 trust. 561 00:29:37,839 - > 00:29:40,640 And and that's that's intentional effort. 562 00:29:40,720 - > 00:29:42,960 I mean, because you know, individuals are who they are, 563 00:29:43,119 - > 00:29:43,359 right? 564 00:29:43,519 - > 00:29:47,279 But but the key for me is is I've I've always tried to work 565 00:29:47,279 - > 00:29:51,440 from uh just a state of transparency whenever the 566 00:29:51,440 - > 00:29:52,640 questions is are asked. 567 00:29:52,720 - > 00:29:54,960 I mean, because certainly, yeah, there are a lot of different 568 00:29:54,960 - > 00:29:55,920 things that we're dealing with. 569 00:29:56,000 - > 00:29:59,200 I mean, when we talk about having a looking to go into 570 00:29:59,519 - > 00:29:59,839 vesting. 571 00:30:00,319 - > 00:30:04,799 Investing in broadband organizationally and in the 572 00:30:04,799 - > 00:30:07,119 culture, Steve is very different. 573 00:30:07,279 - > 00:30:10,000 I mean, because we're talking about a for-profit business now 574 00:30:10,000 - > 00:30:14,319 that we're integrating into a legacy electric utility that, 575 00:30:14,400 - > 00:30:16,640 you know, has a captive service territory. 576 00:30:16,880 - > 00:30:19,039 But really working toward just building trust. 577 00:30:19,200 - > 00:30:22,880 And then as we continue to develop, because, you know, 578 00:30:22,960 - > 00:30:27,039 again, I'm in at the end of my fourth year here, but I really 579 00:30:27,039 - > 00:30:31,200 want to start working on developing next gen leaders 580 00:30:31,200 - > 00:30:35,279 here, making sure that we're being a little more customized 581 00:30:35,279 - > 00:30:39,680 in how we approach each individual as much as we can on 582 00:30:39,680 - > 00:30:40,720 what's next for them. 583 00:30:40,880 - > 00:30:43,680 How do they continue to be more proficient in their roles? 584 00:30:43,839 - > 00:30:47,359 How do we prepare them for when you know there may be these 585 00:30:47,359 - > 00:30:48,799 opportunities that may come? 586 00:30:49,039 - > 00:30:52,240 I'm personally working toward my commitment to our board of 587 00:30:52,240 - > 00:30:52,799 directors. 588 00:30:52,960 - > 00:30:57,119 I kind of know what my timeline looks like at this seat, and 589 00:30:57,119 - > 00:30:59,119 particularly in this role as a CEO. 590 00:30:59,200 - > 00:31:02,880 And I want to make sure that we have some very strong talent and 591 00:31:03,119 - > 00:31:07,680 options internally that can really just take what has been 592 00:31:07,680 - > 00:31:11,359 built under my watch and continue to build and really 593 00:31:11,599 - > 00:31:13,440 take this organization to the next level. 594 00:31:13,599 - > 00:31:15,839 But that's but that that doesn't happen by accident. 595 00:31:16,160 - > 00:31:18,640 You really have to get focused in on individuals. 596 00:31:18,720 - > 00:31:21,920 And it takes some external partners to help as well, 597 00:31:22,079 - > 00:31:26,000 because certainly I'm I'm not the workforce development is not 598 00:31:26,000 - > 00:31:26,480 easy work. 599 00:31:26,559 - > 00:31:27,680 And I know you get this. 600 00:31:27,920 - > 00:31:31,119 And so it takes partnerships, the community colleges, all the 601 00:31:31,119 - > 00:31:33,920 entities who specialize, the state of North Carolina through 602 00:31:33,920 - > 00:31:34,960 this NC Works program. 603 00:31:35,200 - > 00:31:36,960 I mean, it the lift just goes on and on. 604 00:31:37,119 - > 00:31:41,039 So it just takes a lot of external support, but also some 605 00:31:41,039 - > 00:31:44,160 level of intentionality to ensure that we're giving our 606 00:31:44,160 - > 00:31:46,319 employees the resources that they need to be stuff. 607 00:31:46,480 - > 00:31:48,799 Because I'd love to see everyone win as much as we can. 608 00:31:49,119 - > 00:31:52,240 SPEAKER_01: I do want to ask you, you mentioned workforce 609 00:31:52,240 - > 00:31:52,720 development. 610 00:31:52,960 - > 00:31:56,400 The type of employee that Roanoke Electric is looking to 611 00:31:56,400 - > 00:32:00,480 hire today is not necessarily the type of employee Roanoke was 612 00:32:00,480 - > 00:32:02,799 looking to hire five years ago, ten years ago. 613 00:32:02,960 - > 00:32:05,519 I mean that and that goes for all all co-ops. 614 00:32:06,000 - > 00:32:08,640 The just the rapid technology shift. 615 00:32:08,880 - > 00:32:12,319 And you've mentioned obviously the economically challenged 616 00:32:12,319 - > 00:32:12,960 area. 617 00:32:13,440 - > 00:32:18,480 What strategies are you using to attract and prepare the next 618 00:32:18,480 - > 00:32:21,359 generation of electric cooperative workers? 619 00:32:21,599 - > 00:32:22,079 SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 620 00:32:22,319 - > 00:32:22,799 Yeah. 621 00:32:23,119 - > 00:32:26,799 So with our existing team, and I'll and I'm really putting a 622 00:32:26,799 - > 00:32:31,920 lot of focus there because you know, my first year in this role 623 00:32:31,920 - > 00:32:36,240 and trying to build a team, yes, definitely we we put effort into 624 00:32:36,400 - > 00:32:40,559 making sure we can recruit accordingly to to add to the to 625 00:32:40,559 - > 00:32:44,400 the team who can help us, you know, continue to move uh things 626 00:32:44,400 - > 00:32:44,880 forward. 627 00:32:45,119 - > 00:32:48,319 But see, for me, and I know you say the word strategy, but I 628 00:32:48,319 - > 00:32:51,279 guess I'll lead with with some core values that are very 629 00:32:51,279 - > 00:32:52,240 personal to me. 630 00:32:52,559 - > 00:32:54,480 And that's number one is respect. 631 00:32:54,799 - > 00:32:59,200 I think if if we all can can at least get that one down, then 632 00:32:59,359 - > 00:33:03,039 then we're that that journey, we're we're very far along in 633 00:33:03,039 - > 00:33:03,519 our journey. 634 00:33:03,599 - > 00:33:06,799 If we can just learn all, and that's for everyone, America, 635 00:33:06,880 - > 00:33:08,720 whatever the case may be, respect. 636 00:33:08,880 - > 00:33:12,240 I mean, we're going with when you're different people, you're 637 00:33:12,240 - > 00:33:14,480 gonna have different perspectives, and and everything 638 00:33:14,480 - > 00:33:16,640 is not gonna be exactly the same. 639 00:33:16,880 - > 00:33:20,880 And as a CEO, I really work toward listening as much as I 640 00:33:20,880 - > 00:33:24,319 can across the organization, but at some point I'm gonna make an 641 00:33:24,319 - > 00:33:27,759 informed decision, and it's not gonna be to everyone's favor, 642 00:33:27,839 - > 00:33:28,079 right? 643 00:33:28,240 - > 00:33:31,359 Because if you're dealing with numerous employees, everyone 644 00:33:31,359 - > 00:33:32,480 doesn't think the same. 645 00:33:32,640 - > 00:33:33,359 So respect. 646 00:33:33,519 - > 00:33:36,400 But then this next one is collaboration. 647 00:33:36,559 - > 00:33:39,519 And I and I've you know shared this with our employees often, 648 00:33:39,599 - > 00:33:41,119 particularly my first year in this role. 649 00:33:41,200 - > 00:33:43,519 I would sign off on a lot of my talks with that. 650 00:33:44,000 - > 00:33:48,480 But collaboration, again, respect, lead with that, but 651 00:33:48,480 - > 00:33:50,480 also know how to work well with others. 652 00:33:50,640 - > 00:33:54,160 And and again, if you're just being respectful in in your 653 00:33:54,160 - > 00:33:57,920 overall engagement with another individual, there are 654 00:33:57,920 - > 00:34:00,640 perspectives that to that are to be shared, there are some things 655 00:34:00,640 - > 00:34:03,759 that can be learned, opportunities for you to grow as 656 00:34:03,759 - > 00:34:04,240 an individual. 657 00:34:04,400 - > 00:34:08,159 But then that last one for me, which kind of takes it to the 658 00:34:08,159 - > 00:34:11,360 employee we're looking for, is curiosity. 659 00:34:11,920 - > 00:34:16,480 Steve, I I love getting challenged by employees with 660 00:34:16,800 - > 00:34:18,159 strategic concepts. 661 00:34:18,480 - > 00:34:19,280 That's great, man. 662 00:34:19,440 - > 00:34:21,519 SPEAKER_01: That's a gem right there, curiosity. 663 00:34:21,920 - > 00:34:22,079 SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 664 00:34:22,320 - > 00:34:23,199 Well, I appreciate it, man. 665 00:34:23,280 - > 00:34:23,760 I appreciate it. 666 00:34:23,920 - > 00:34:27,599 I mean, because for me, let's be honest, and you've been in 667 00:34:27,599 - > 00:34:29,360 cooperative cultures as well. 668 00:34:29,599 - > 00:34:32,800 I mean, we're we're gonna take care of our employees. 669 00:34:32,880 - > 00:34:35,599 I mean, benefits, comp, things like that. 670 00:34:35,840 - > 00:34:40,079 If you see me in the hallway, and if the question is about 671 00:34:40,079 - > 00:34:44,320 something that is emerging that could have impact on our 672 00:34:44,320 - > 00:34:46,639 organization, you you really have my attention. 673 00:34:46,880 - > 00:34:48,960 Because now you're forcing me to think. 674 00:34:49,119 - > 00:34:52,559 And I and I really like that because that makes me better uh 675 00:34:52,559 - > 00:34:54,079 as the leader of the organization. 676 00:34:54,159 - > 00:34:55,679 So I love curious people. 677 00:34:55,840 - > 00:34:59,119 You know, so the questions that are if we you know can change 678 00:34:59,119 - > 00:35:01,760 the some of the line of questioning, you know, from 679 00:35:01,760 - > 00:35:05,119 things like what are you doing for me as an individual, to how 680 00:35:05,119 - > 00:35:08,320 can we grow the organization, then that takes care of 681 00:35:08,320 - > 00:35:10,639 everything that's needed for you as an individual. 682 00:35:10,719 - > 00:35:13,760 So I just love those types of questions, and I and I'll be 683 00:35:13,760 - > 00:35:15,199 challenged to the team to ask those. 684 00:35:15,280 - > 00:35:19,119 We you know, we do we meet we meet once a month and we have 685 00:35:19,119 - > 00:35:23,039 anonymous QA opportunities where employees can submit questions 686 00:35:23,119 - > 00:35:26,239 and I kind of answer them live, and those that are very 687 00:35:26,239 - > 00:35:29,119 strategic in nature are those are the one are the ones that 688 00:35:29,119 - > 00:35:30,320 really get my attention. 689 00:35:30,639 - > 00:35:32,239 SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's man, that's great. 690 00:35:32,400 - > 00:35:36,239 The I've got a I've got a new nugget now, the curiosity 691 00:35:36,239 - > 00:35:36,719 nugget. 692 00:35:36,800 - > 00:35:38,079 That's I mean, that's great. 693 00:35:38,239 - > 00:35:39,920 So let's talk big picture, man. 694 00:35:40,239 - > 00:35:41,679 Next five, ten years. 695 00:35:41,920 - > 00:35:45,360 What's your vision for Roanoke Electric? 696 00:35:45,920 - > 00:35:50,159 SPEAKER_00: You know, Steve, now that we have really, we're 697 00:35:50,159 - > 00:35:54,000 almost finished with this major undertaking of investing in 698 00:35:54,000 - > 00:35:56,239 fiber in our service territory. 699 00:35:56,320 - > 00:36:00,719 We're about we're about 80% past all of our member owners, and 700 00:36:00,719 - > 00:36:04,960 uh, and we should be past every member owner in 2026. 701 00:36:05,280 - > 00:36:07,760 To me, that's a big part of our growth strategy. 702 00:36:07,840 - > 00:36:10,480 And we also we are, I did say this earlier, we are working 703 00:36:10,480 - > 00:36:14,400 with a partner now to help us continue with those investments. 704 00:36:14,559 - > 00:36:18,559 We we still own fiber that we built out, but we we have been 705 00:36:18,559 - > 00:36:22,639 able to model a partner to help continue to build further as 706 00:36:22,639 - > 00:36:24,960 well as deliver the service to individuals. 707 00:36:25,119 - > 00:36:28,719 But the key for us is the fact now that we have connectivity. 708 00:36:28,880 - > 00:36:33,440 We're currently working on our our corporate strategy, and I've 709 00:36:33,440 - > 00:36:35,519 already named it Connect 2030. 710 00:36:35,599 - > 00:36:39,840 Uh, in the fact that we are, we have gig connected communities 711 00:36:39,840 - > 00:36:40,159 now. 712 00:36:40,559 - > 00:36:42,559 And there's a lot to be said about that. 713 00:36:42,639 - > 00:36:45,840 And and I really want people to understand the value in 714 00:36:45,840 - > 00:36:49,039 promoting such that we are gig connected, we have gig, 715 00:36:49,199 - > 00:36:51,119 multi-gig connected communities. 716 00:36:51,280 - > 00:36:55,440 So from there, the goal for me is I want to see growth. 717 00:36:55,519 - > 00:36:58,079 And we're we're seeing some signs through communications, 718 00:36:58,239 - > 00:37:01,760 but but I know that it's gonna take intentional effort to just 719 00:37:01,760 - > 00:37:05,119 go to these places to say, hey, we're here. 720 00:37:05,440 - > 00:37:09,920 I'll be honest, you know, we we have entertained so many 721 00:37:09,920 - > 00:37:13,760 conversations around some of the larger accounts or loads like 722 00:37:13,920 - > 00:37:16,880 app centers, you know, that hadn't really brought one on. 723 00:37:17,519 - > 00:37:20,960 Nothing at a hyper scale level, but if there's something, you 724 00:37:20,960 - > 00:37:25,280 know, on a smaller scale with some good load factor that can 725 00:37:25,280 - > 00:37:29,519 help uh us shit uh spread, let's just say the cost of this entire 726 00:37:29,519 - > 00:37:33,360 system that we have here with our residential accounts much 727 00:37:33,360 - > 00:37:35,840 better, much more affordable than we've been able to do over 728 00:37:35,840 - > 00:37:36,800 the past several years. 729 00:37:36,960 - > 00:37:38,639 I'd really appreciate that as well. 730 00:37:38,880 - > 00:37:42,400 But I've already shared this with the board of directors to 731 00:37:42,400 - > 00:37:46,480 see that I'm already in a mode of development, economic 732 00:37:46,480 - > 00:37:48,719 development, business development, whatever you want 733 00:37:48,800 - > 00:37:49,920 to call it for this region. 734 00:37:50,000 - > 00:37:53,280 And I'm gonna take that up a notch over these next five to 735 00:37:53,599 - > 00:37:56,159 make sure that people are aware because there are so many folks 736 00:37:56,159 - > 00:38:00,000 who do not know that we we have, I mean, when you think of this 737 00:38:00,000 - > 00:38:03,360 region, I have one of the largest, we I serve one of the 738 00:38:03,360 - > 00:38:06,800 largest landmass service territories in the state of 739 00:38:06,800 - > 00:38:08,960 North Carolina when it comes to the electric co-op. 740 00:38:09,199 - > 00:38:10,880 We just don't have the people here, right? 741 00:38:11,039 - > 00:38:12,079 So we have land. 742 00:38:12,800 - > 00:38:13,519 We have land. 743 00:38:13,760 - > 00:38:16,480 SPEAKER_01: You've got you've got yeah, you've got land that 744 00:38:16,480 - > 00:38:19,360 can be developed and can be built on, which is which is 745 00:38:19,360 - > 00:38:22,639 something it which is a very valuable asset. 746 00:38:23,119 - > 00:38:23,519 SPEAKER_00: Right. 747 00:38:23,679 - > 00:38:26,639 And then shout out, you know, to our team here. 748 00:38:26,800 - > 00:38:29,360 Yeah, we have a very reliable electric system. 749 00:38:29,440 - > 00:38:31,679 So we have some very reliable electricity here. 750 00:38:31,840 - > 00:38:34,000 And most co-ops, you know, pride themselves on that. 751 00:38:34,079 - > 00:38:35,599 We do here as well, that run-up. 752 00:38:35,920 - > 00:38:38,400 And then finally, we're we're connected. 753 00:38:38,480 - > 00:38:43,280 We we have fiber that that can provide service to large 754 00:38:43,280 - > 00:38:46,800 accounts, or hopefully we can start seeing people move back to 755 00:38:46,800 - > 00:38:47,280 the region. 756 00:38:47,440 - > 00:38:49,519 We, you know, COVID was a game changer. 757 00:38:49,599 - > 00:38:51,360 Many folks are working remotely now. 758 00:38:51,440 - > 00:38:55,280 I know, I know personally that we have members, member owners 759 00:38:55,280 - > 00:39:00,400 on our system now who depend on this fiber that we built because 760 00:39:00,400 - > 00:39:02,960 they said that, yes, I work 100% remote. 761 00:39:03,119 - > 00:39:05,679 I need to make sure that this service is always working. 762 00:39:05,840 - > 00:39:08,719 And most of the folks I talk to who have that service, they 763 00:39:08,719 - > 00:39:09,440 really enjoy it. 764 00:39:09,519 - > 00:39:13,519 But now the key is educating our communities, selling our 765 00:39:13,519 - > 00:39:17,760 communities, because that's the key to our success is how do we 766 00:39:17,760 - > 00:39:18,079 grow. 767 00:39:18,320 - > 00:39:20,159 Some good conversations right now, right? 768 00:39:20,239 - > 00:39:21,760 But you know how this stuff goes. 769 00:39:22,079 - > 00:39:23,519 It doesn't just happen overnight. 770 00:39:23,760 - > 00:39:25,039 There has to be intentional effort. 771 00:39:25,199 - > 00:39:26,079 So that's what I see. 772 00:39:26,400 - > 00:39:30,880 I see the future being in our ability to be able to sell more 773 00:39:30,880 - > 00:39:36,159 kilowatt hour across these 2,200 miles of electric line that we 774 00:39:36,159 - > 00:39:40,559 have to get to get more on our system, been able to sell more 775 00:39:40,719 - > 00:39:45,119 in the fact now that we have really done something major that 776 00:39:45,119 - > 00:39:48,800 should allow us to recruit um more development here in these 777 00:39:48,800 - > 00:39:52,239 counties like Bertie, Hurford, Northampton, and Gates and Alsax 778 00:39:52,320 - > 00:39:52,559 Counties. 779 00:39:52,880 - > 00:39:55,119 SPEAKER_01: And you and your staff, and you know, Curtis was 780 00:39:55,119 - > 00:39:57,679 obviously involved when he was there, but you guys have done a 781 00:39:57,679 - > 00:40:03,360 masterful job at strategically positioning yourself and your 782 00:40:03,360 - > 00:40:05,679 area, your community for growth. 783 00:40:05,920 - > 00:40:10,239 And, you know, there's something to be said about rural areas 784 00:40:10,480 - > 00:40:13,920 that the the quality of life, the cost of living, you know, 785 00:40:14,000 - > 00:40:17,360 the price breaker, whatever you want to call it, and if you have 786 00:40:17,360 - > 00:40:18,559 that infrastructure in it. 787 00:40:18,719 - > 00:40:21,599 You and I have been to many economic development meetings 788 00:40:21,599 - > 00:40:25,679 over the years, and you guys have done a masterful job at 789 00:40:25,920 - > 00:40:30,000 positioning Roanoke Electric and your area for the future. 790 00:40:30,079 - > 00:40:33,119 So you're definitely to be commended for that. 791 00:40:33,599 - > 00:40:34,480 Last question, man. 792 00:40:34,880 - > 00:40:40,800 What advice would you give to emerging leaders, especially 793 00:40:40,800 - > 00:40:46,800 those who might work in rural spaces or work public service or 794 00:40:47,039 - > 00:40:49,360 in the community service type areas? 795 00:40:50,800 - > 00:40:52,000 SPEAKER_00: Very brief on this one. 796 00:40:52,159 - > 00:40:56,000 So overall, just stay rooted in purpose. 797 00:40:56,320 - > 00:40:57,599 Stay rooted in purpose. 798 00:40:57,679 - > 00:41:01,519 You know, rural leadership is not always flashy, but the work 799 00:41:01,519 - > 00:41:02,719 is very foundational. 800 00:41:03,280 - > 00:41:06,880 Listen deeply, internally, externally, to your 801 00:41:06,880 - > 00:41:10,559 stakeholders, continue to build trust and stay committed to the 802 00:41:10,559 - > 00:41:12,159 long haul because it is a journey. 803 00:41:12,400 - > 00:41:14,000 It's a marathon, it's not a sprint. 804 00:41:14,159 - > 00:41:18,000 But but the impact of of these tenants and and foundational 805 00:41:18,000 - > 00:41:21,119 components I just shared, they might not always be immediate. 806 00:41:21,199 - > 00:41:25,280 So you may not see the immediate win, but it will be a lasting uh 807 00:41:25,280 - > 00:41:25,760 return. 808 00:41:25,840 - > 00:41:29,039 So just stay stay committed, continue to grow with the 809 00:41:29,039 - > 00:41:31,039 community, stay focused. 810 00:41:31,519 - > 00:41:33,280 SPEAKER_01: Marshall, amazing man. 811 00:41:33,440 - > 00:41:34,559 Thank you for joining me today. 812 00:41:34,639 - > 00:41:35,760 It's been amazing. 813 00:41:36,079 - > 00:41:36,960 SPEAKER_00: I appreciate you. 814 00:41:37,519 - > 00:41:38,880 Thank you so much, Dick, for that one. 815 00:41:39,199 - > 00:41:39,679 SPEAKER_01: Yes, sir. 816 00:41:39,760 - > 00:41:44,159 And listeners, I didn't say this at the beginning, but when I 817 00:41:44,159 - > 00:41:48,400 decided to take on this project to talk to leaders, not just in 818 00:41:48,400 - > 00:41:51,360 the electric utility industry, but in but in the community, and 819 00:41:51,360 - > 00:41:55,599 just leaders that I have uh been exposed to over my 35 years. 820 00:41:55,679 - > 00:41:59,199 Uh Marshall Cherry was one of the first two names. 821 00:41:59,360 - > 00:42:01,440 I can't say that you were number one, but you were one of the 822 00:42:01,440 - > 00:42:04,719 first two names that came to my mind. 823 00:42:05,119 - > 00:42:07,039 Marshall, and and I didn't go into it. 824 00:42:07,119 - > 00:42:13,039 Uh Marshall is a is and has been a wonderful friend, a a peer. 825 00:42:13,280 - > 00:42:18,880 The great thing about working in the cooperative world is you're 826 00:42:18,880 - > 00:42:19,760 able to pick up the phone. 827 00:42:20,000 - > 00:42:22,559 You're not comp I'm not competing for for customers, 828 00:42:22,719 - > 00:42:25,039 members, whatever you want to call them with Marshall. 829 00:42:25,519 - > 00:42:29,199 I can pick up the phone and call Marshall and bounce something 830 00:42:29,199 - > 00:42:29,599 off him. 831 00:42:29,760 - > 00:42:33,119 He can he can do the same and just that that peer network. 832 00:42:33,840 - > 00:42:37,760 And over the 35 years that I was in the business, Marshall was 833 00:42:37,760 - > 00:42:38,559 one of my best friends. 834 00:42:38,960 - > 00:42:40,639 I mean, honestly, one of my best friends. 835 00:42:40,880 - > 00:42:43,280 And I admire him so you know so much. 836 00:42:44,079 - > 00:42:46,800 This has been inspirational, it's been an eye-opening 837 00:42:46,800 - > 00:42:47,440 conversation. 838 00:42:47,679 - > 00:42:50,480 Your commitment to rural innovation, workforce 839 00:42:50,480 - > 00:42:55,199 development, and your commitment to being a people first leader 840 00:42:56,000 - > 00:43:00,639 is a powerful example of what it's meant to lead with purpose 841 00:43:00,639 - > 00:43:02,159 in today's world. 842 00:43:03,119 - > 00:43:06,239 Whether that's with broadband expansion or nurturing the next 843 00:43:06,239 - > 00:43:09,840 generation of cooperative leaders or simply listening to 844 00:43:09,840 - > 00:43:14,079 the members, your work is a reminder that real impact often 845 00:43:14,079 - > 00:43:18,239 begins at the local level with the vision consistency and 846 00:43:18,239 - > 00:43:19,760 community at the center. 847 00:43:20,719 - > 00:43:25,519 So to our listeners, if today's episode has sparked new ideas or 848 00:43:25,519 - > 00:43:28,800 challenged you to think differently, we'd love to hear 849 00:43:28,800 - > 00:43:29,280 from you. 850 00:43:29,519 - > 00:43:34,320 Be sure to follow the show at blcconsulting lc.com. 851 00:43:35,039 - > 00:43:35,920 Leave a review. 852 00:43:36,639 - > 00:43:42,000 But more importantly, share this with someone that might be 853 00:43:42,000 - > 00:43:46,320 passionate about leadership, about community development, or 854 00:43:46,320 - > 00:43:47,840 even the future of energy. 855 00:43:48,800 - > 00:43:51,519 So until next time, I'm Steve Gibson, and this is Big 856 00:43:51,599 - > 00:43:55,920 Consulting from the Calcutta, or Leadership Le Authenticity and 857 00:43:55,920 - > 00:43:57,679 Innovation Starts with Conversation. 858 00:43:58,320 - > 00:43:58,639 Thanks.