Blue Ridge’s Dalton to retire in January

Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative President and CEO Charles Dalton has announced plans to retire in mid-January of next year.  Dalton is only the second person to hold the utility’s top job during its 77-year history.  His predecessor, the late A.J. “Jud” Hurt, had served in that position from the organization’s chartering in 1940 until his retirement in 1982.  When Dalton assumed the helm, the cooperative was supplying service to 29,000 members.  During his 35-year tenure, that number has grown to 66,000 today. While providing power to the state’s most-challenging terrain, the cooperative has developed an excellent record of service reliability.   Under Dalton’s leadership, the co-op gave birth an annual charity fund-raiser, Blue Ridge Fest.  Conceived by Dalton as a way to support needs in local communities, the charity fundraiser over 20 years raised more than $2.5 million.  Those funds have been divided among scores of local human-help agencies. When Dalton steps away in January, he will be succeeded by the cooperative’s vice president of engineering, Jim Lovinggood.  As the second employee Dalton hired in 1982, Lovinggood has also been on the job at Blue Ridge for 35 years.  He and his wife, Denise, make their home in Anderson County and have two children and one grandson. The Blue Ridge board gave its unanimous endorsement to Mr. Lovinggood’s upcoming elevation to the top job.  “We didn’t need to look very far at all to arrive at the individual we see as best suited to take this co-op into the future,” Chairman Kenneth Southerlin said.  “Jim has a proven record as a tireless and productive employee, and he possesses attributes that are quite similar to those of Charles Dalton….”