From Our Readers

Four County EMC’s Mitchell Keel Retiring

Keel dedicated 27 years of service to electric co-ops

Keel (right) at a Poletop Rescue competition for NC electric cooperatives

Four County Electric Membership Corporation’s CEO Mitch Keel will retire effective June 30, following a 27-year career serving electric cooperatives.

“Working here at Four County EMC has been the highlight of my career,” Keel said. “We have a great board of directors to work with and very capable employees. They want to move the co-op forward, and that makes a big difference.”

A native of Eastern North Carolina, Keel joined Four County EMC in Burgaw as CEO in 2004. During his time with the co-op, he has focused on innovation and deploying new technology as a means of better serving members and the communities they call home.

Under Keel’s leadership, Four County EMC deployed an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) project, allowing two-way communication between the co-op and its meters. More than 200 miles of fiber optic cable, connecting substations and co-op offices, also improved communication between co-op systems and allowed for faster response times during outages.

Four County EMC and its members weathered several storms during Keel’s tenure, including devastating effects from Hurricane Florence in 2018. Nearly 90 percent of the co-op’s members lost power following Florence, and widespread flooding slowed restoration efforts. Building on that experience, the co-op recently enhanced a storm response process that includes partnerships with five strategic locations throughout its service territory – camps and community centers where visiting line crews can rest and recuperate during restoration efforts.

“With the unpredictability of Mother Nature, it’s crucial that we continuously improve our emergency plans to ensure that power is restored to our members as quickly and safely as possible,” Keel said of the initiative.

Keel has served North Carolina’s electric cooperatives on several statewide boards and committees throughout his career, including as president, vice president and secretary- treasurer of the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation Board of Directors.

Prior to joining Four County EMC, Keel was general manager of Lewis County Rural Electric Cooperative in Missouri for 10 years. He also managed electric utility systems for the cities of Kinston and Ayden, and was an electrical engineer for the Greenville Utilities Commission. He is a U.S. Army Veteran and was an honor graduate of the U.S. Army’s electrical engineering school. Keel also studied electrical engineering at NC State and earned his business degree from Mt. Olive College.

In retirement, Keel and his wife, Cindy, look forward to spending time with their three children and nine grandchildren.

“While we will miss his commitment and leadership, we are in a better position due to his many contributions,” said Four County EMC Board President Franklin Williams. “He has paved the way for the cooperative’s future.”

Keel at a Four County EMC annual meeting

Don Gatton Named Incoming CEO for Four County EMC

Don Gatton, who currently serves as Vice President of Human Resources for Four County EMC, has been named incoming CEO through a unanimous vote by the co-op’s board of directors. Gatton will assume the role July 6 following CEO Mitch Keel’s retirement. Gatton has served the co-op for a combined 13 years, both as director of Safety, Training and Loss Control and in his current role. From 2016 through 2018, Gatton served as Job Training & Safety Specialist with North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Mount Olive College and a Master of Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology.

NC State: Hurricane Season Could Be Above Average

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season could see 15 to 18 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin, according to researchers at NC State University. The Atlantic basin includes the entire Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

That number would put the season above average, even given a recent redefining of what “average” means. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced its current measure for average, based on the 30-year period between 1991 and 2020, is 14 named storms, with three major hurricanes. The previous measure for average, between the years 1981–2010, was 12 named storms.

Of the predicted storms this season, seven to nine may become hurricanes, with two to three possibly being major storms.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Visit ncstormcenter.coop for tips on how to prepare.

Pee Dee Electric CEO Elected to National Board

Donnie Spivey, CEO and executive vice-president of Wadesboro-based Pee Dee Electric, was recently elected to represent North Carolina on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Board of Directors. NRECA works on behalf of more than 900 local electric co-ops across the country.

“I am honored to have been selected to represent the electric cooperatives of North Carolina,” Spivey said. “I look forward to serving as a voice for North Carolina on the national level, as well as gaining perspective that I can bring back and apply here at home.”

Spivey began his career at Pee Dee Electric in 1985 as a staff assistant, and was promoted to District Manager in 1993. In 1999, he was promoted to CEO and executive vice-president. He is a past president of the NCEMC board of directors and currently serves as chair of the Power Supply Committee. In addition, he is a member of the boards of directors of NCAEC and ACES Power Marketing. Spivey also serves as secretary of the Board of Directors of Sandhills Utility Services, Inc., which owns, maintains and operates the electric distribution system on Fort Bragg Army Base.

In 2013, Spivey was appointed by Governor Pat McCrory to serve on the NC Rural Electrification Authority Board of Directors and currently serves as Chairman of that Board. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration from Wingate University.

Spivey’s two-year term will begin with the adjournment of the NRECA Board of Directors’ 2022 annual meeting, currently scheduled for March 6, 2022, at which time Roanoke Electric Cooperative President and CEO Curtis Wynn will step down from his current role on the national board (see “Reflections on Two Years of National Service,” April 2021, page 6).

Donnie Spivey

Has it Been 75 Years Already?

Carolina Farmer first hit mailboxes this month in 1946 A lot happened back in June 1946. The Blue Angels made its first performance in the sunny Florida skies. The BBC began broadcasting for the first time since the start of World War II. And

Carolina Farmer—the precursor to Carolina Country magazine—was first mailed out to members of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. In 1969 we debuted our new name (see “A Look Back at 50 Years of Carolina Country,” January 2019, page 8). Through it all, we’ve taken pleasure in sharing stories about the people and places that make North Carolina home. We’re looking forward to what the next 75 years will bring.