Blue Ridge Vice President, Beverly Finney, Retires

Professional.  Mentor.  Leader.  Inspirer.  These are the words used over and over again by those describing Beverly Finney, who is retiring as vice president of member services after 25 years with Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation.
“Beverly has contributed greatly to the special spirit of Blue Ridge Electric,” said Doug Johnson, chief executive officer of Blue Ridge Electric, a member-owned cooperative serving 70,000 consumers in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany counties.  “She is deeply committed to the members of this cooperative, and her full focus the past few years has been specifically on building an even stronger customer service culture,” he added, noting that Blue Ridge members have rated the cooperative as one of the best in customer service in the electric utility industry.
 “Customer service is spiritual for me,” said Finney. “It’s about being there for each other. It’s about a relationship of trust. And it’s about treating others as you would want to be treated.”
 If Finney sounds like a preacher, she admits she’s been “accused” of standing on her soap box in the past. It’s just in her nature; several ancestors have been ministers.
  “When Beverly is passionate about something, everyone is going to know about it,” said Lee Layton, chief operating officer. “She’s been a driving force for many initiatives here at Blue Ridge that have benefited our members and our employees. Her passion is contagious and this has enabled her to be an effective public and internal spokesperson and cheerleader for change.”
  One of those initiatives is the leadership development program now in place. Several years ago, Finney began preparing for what will eventually become a wave of retirements—and the loss of many years of experience and valuable knowledge—at Blue Ridge and other cooperatives across the country. She implemented the Blue Ridge Leadership Institute, a series of basic and advanced leadership training courses for employees who want either to advance in the company or grow in their current role.
“At the time I took Beverly’s leadership class, I was a crew leader and didn’t know I would have the opportunity to move into another position in the company,” said Jeff Benfield, operations manager of Caldwell district. “I came away from that experience with more than I ever expected.  I learned about understanding others and first leading myself before I can lead others. I try to use these tools every day in my current job.”
  Electric services manager Rand Smith says his experience in Finney’s leadership course was also life changing. “Beverly’s class was one of the best I’ve ever taken anywhere,” Smith said. “I think it’s because she ‘lives’ the concepts she teaches others—she believes in them that much. 
“One of the reasons she’s had such an impact with her leadership classes is that through the principles she teaches she not only enriches the lives of those taking the class, she also the lives of their families, co-workers, and ultimately the members of this cooperative,” added Smith.
“I’ve always loved learning and I never really left the classroom,” explained Finney, who started her career as an English teacher at Ashe County High School for one year after graduating from Mars Hill College and earning her graduate degree from Appalachian State University (ASU). She then moved to Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (CCC&TI) where she had the opportunity to design their developmental English program to the extent that it was shared with ASU. At the community college, she also served in administration and coordinated the college’s public relations program.
“I’ve loved helping others learn,” said Finney. “I love the feeling of helping others be the best they can be; of helping them dream dreams for themselves that they may never have considered. One of my favorite comments from a leadership class student was that the class made him think about things he’d never thought about thinking about before. Giving to others, seeing the light in their eye when they learn something new in an ‘aha’ moment, and watching their excitement as they begin to recognize their own potential is the way my life has been enriched,” she said.
  Finney credits her parents for her achievements in life. “I had parents whose vision for their children was a college education. They instilled that dream in us and sacrificed so that we could achieve it. My father set the example for having a strong work ethic—he worked 40 hours a week until he was 69 years old and continued working 40 hours ‘part time’ until his health began failing at 72. I like to think I inherited my mother’s joy of living and her compassion for others. Everyone she meets is her friend and she gives so much of herself to others. She loves giving people a second chance and watching them bloom. ”
  Finney also credits a Mars Hill professor who “bubbled with excitement and first dreamed the dream for me” of getting a master’s degree in English from ASU.  “She went so far as to arrange a graduate assistantship for me without my knowledge,” Finney said. 
“And, of course, I have had strong love and support from my husband and daughter who have sacrificed more than I’d like to admit to my passion for Blue Ridge.
My daughter recently said, with a laugh, that Blue Ridge’s loss is their gain--finally,” Finney added.
  Finney’s desire to make a difference in others’ lives is what compelled her to accept a position at Blue Ridge Electric in 1982 as director of member relations and communications. Throughout the years as she advanced in management to vice president, she had roles overseeing marketing, human resources, economic development, public relations, legislative relations, community relations and a wide variety of member outreach programs as well as involvement in the cooperative’s propane subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies.
“I have loved the guiding purpose of Blue Ridge Electric, which is to be a major shaper of the future for this area,” explained Finney.  “It was exciting thinking that I could be part of a legacy of helping so many people improve their lives.
  “This was a wonderful place to invest my life, and this region is a wonderful place to live. I feel very lucky. I can’t think of anything that would have been more energizing and fulfilling than being a part of this cooperative and the communities it serves,” said Finney.
  Finney has also been involved in the community by serving on the boards of Caldwell County Hospice and Caldwell County Education Foundation. She was chairperson of the Advancement Board of the Reich College of Education at ASU and a member of the CCC&TI Business Advisory Committee and the Caldwell County Career Center. She is a past president and volunteer for Caldwell Friends.  After taking several months off to relax and spend more time with her parents, husband Michael and daughter April, Finney plans to spend part of her time in retirement continuing to use her teaching skills.  As a certified Stephen Covey facilitator, she will facilitate future leadership training classes at Blue Ridge Electric.   She’ll also continue to invest her life in helping others grow and develop by fulfilling her own personal mission to: Live abundantly…Love without explanation or reservation…Learn and share with others…and Leave a legacy that is positive and timeless.