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Blue Ridge Energy Announces Retirement of COO Alan Merck and Leadership Transitions
Alan Merck
Mike High
Blake Herman
Blue Ridge Energy has announced that Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Senior Vice President Alan Merck will retire in June with a transition plan underway, concluding a distinguished 43-year career in the electric utility industry. In conjunction with Merck’s retirement, the cooperative has named Mike High as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer–Elect and Blake Herman as Director of Engineering Services.
Merck has played a pivotal role in shaping Blue Ridge Energy’s operational success, guiding the cooperative through critical infrastructure growth to serve members for decades to come, technological advancements, and industry change. Under his leadership, Blue Ridge Energy consistently earned national top-quartile rankings for power reliability and customer service and successfully navigated the most significant natural disaster in its history—Hurricane Helene.
“Alan’s steady leadership, deep industry knowledge, and unwavering commitment to our members have left a lasting impact on this organization,” said Chief Executive Officer Katie Woodle. “He has helped build a strong operational foundation we rely on today.”
Succeeding Merck as COO is Mike High, who has served as Director of Engineering Services at Blue Ridge Energy for the past 22 years. High brings 37 years of electric utility experience, including engineering and senior leadership roles at Clay Electric Cooperative and Central Florida Electric Cooperative. His expertise spans engineering, system reliability, and strategic planning, positioning him well to lead operations as the cooperative navigates an increasingly complex energy landscape. High earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida in 1989. He is a registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina and Florida.
Replacing High as Director of Engineering Services is Blake Herman, who joined Blue Ridge Energy in 2018 as an engineering intern while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Herman has advanced through positions of increasing responsibility, most recently serving as Transmission and Distribution Engineering Manager. He is recognized for his exceptional engineering capabilities, leadership skills, and dedication to the cooperative’s mission. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina.
“I’m incredibly proud of the team we’ve built at Blue Ridge Energy,” said Merck. “I have full confidence in Mike, Blake, and the leadership team to continue serving our members with the same focus on safety, reliability, and excellence.”
These leadership changes reflect Blue Ridge Energy’s commitment to thoughtful succession planning and ensure continuity in service, operational excellence, and long-term stability for the communities it serves.
Blue Ridge Energy serves some 80,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Wilkes and Alexander counties. Learn more at BlueRidgeEnergy.com.