Curtis Wynn, president and CEO of Roanoke Electric Cooperative, was elected 39th president of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association‘s Board of Directors during its annual meeting this week.
“It’s a tremendous honor to serve as NRECA president in order to advance the work of Roanoke Electric Cooperative and the 900 electric cooperatives across the nation,” said Wynn. “The electric cooperative future is filled with opportunity, as well as with challenges. During my two-year term as NRECA board president, I will challenge the nation’s electric co-ops to embrace the rapid pace of industry transformation, to collectively strengthen our network and to create even more opportunity for the people and rural communities we serve.”
Since 2007, Wynn has served as the NRECA board director representing North Carolina. In recent years, he has also carried out the roles of board vice president and secretary-treasurer. The association’s board of directors, representing each state, elected him to serve as president. This is the first time in the organization’s 77-year history that an African American has been elected to serve in this top leadership post.
“Strong leadership is essential to helping NRECA and the entire cooperative family navigate the many opportunities and challenges facing our industry,” said NRECA CEO Jim Matheson. “Curtis is an extremely thoughtful and capable leader, and I’m looking forward to his continued leadership as president.”
A 55-year old Florida native, Wynn began his cooperative career washing trucks for his hometown electric co-op in Graceville. He rose through the professional ranks at West Florida Electric Cooperative and went on to serve in various management positions there. In 1997, he moved to North Carolina to assume the post as Roanoke Electric Co-op’s president and CEO.
Wynn sits on a number of national and local boards, including NCAEC and as past president, vice president and secretary-treasurer for NCEMC. He is also on the board of directors for The National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC).
