Energy Services Consultant Named At Blue Ridge

For Immediate Release 

Contact: Renee R. Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, Phone: (828) 758-2383, Pager 800-471-1323, or E-mail:  Renee Whitener


West Jefferson, North Carolina (August 31, 2001) – Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation has announced that Jeff W. Harper has been named Energy Services Consultant. 

Harper is responsible for working with customers regarding energy products, services, and programs. He also serves as a liaison with business partners and vendors of Blue Ridge. Initially, Harper’s primary focus will be to support the sales and strategic marketing program for Blue Ridge Energies in Ashe and Alleghany counties. 

Harper joins Blue Ridge from U.S. Buildings, LLC, in Boone, where his 11-year career focused on sales and sales team management. Harper also set up a regional sales office, created a sales support department, and coordinated customer service support with marketing, finance, and accounting teams to ensure a quality total sales effort. 

While at U.S. Buildings, Harper was named Rookie of the Year and received the Salesperson of the Year award for three consecutive years. 

“We’re excited about Jeff joining the Blue Ridge team,” said Gwynita Steele, director of customer service for Blue Ridge. “He is very familiar with our area, which will benefit him in his primary focus of serving Ashe and Alleghany county customers,” Steele added. 

Harper lives in Deep Gap with his 11-year-old son, Rhett. In addition to spending time with his son at AAU league baseball, he enjoys volunteering with the Heath Shuler Foundation. Shuler, a former quarterback with the University of Tennessee, Washington Redskins, and New Orleans Saints, established the foundation to help deserving youths attend college. 

“These may be kids who have lost a parent, have a severe medical condition, or are having a difficult time in life for some reason,” said Harper, who met Shuler as a customer and later became friends with him. “Heath meets with the kids to set up an agreement to stay out of trouble and keep good grades, and in return for the performance, he establishes a college scholarship for them. 
Western Carolina University and the University of Tennessee participate in the program by giving a discount on tuition and books,” he explained. Harper assists the foundation by acting as Shuler’s agent to arrange appearances and autograph sessions, with all proceeds going to the foundation. 

Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned cooperative serving more than 63,000 member accounts in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany counties. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, provides commercial and residential propane and heating fuels as well as hearth products from offices in Lenoir, Boone, West Jefferson, Sparta, and Hickory. The company also provides branded and unbranded commercial gasoline to locations ranging from northwest North Carolina to upstate South Carolina. For more information, visit www.BlueRidgeEMC.com or www.BlueRidgeEnergies.com. 

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