Wayne Wilkins Receives The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award

STATESVILLE, N.C. – EnergyUnited’s longtime CEO who retired earlier this year, Wayne Wilkins, has been awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. The award was presented on Thursday to Wilkins by EnergyUnited Board Chairman Dr. Max Walser, who is also a past recipient of the award, at the cooperative’s headquarters in Statesville.

“I am proud to present this prestigious award to Wayne in recognition of the incredible impact he has had on the communities that we serve,” Walser said. “Over the course of his storied career in the industry, Wayne continually demonstrated a strong commitment to serving EnergyUnited members. His leadership philosophy reflected a sincere belief in the benefits of the cooperative business model.”

Since 1963, North Carolina’s governors have reserved their highest honor, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, for persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments. Persons named to The Order become North Carolina “Ambassadors” with their names and award dates recorded on a Roster maintained by The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Society.

Wilkins has served as an ambassador for cooperative members throughout his career in the industry. He joined the cooperative in 1971 when it was operating as the former Davidson Electric Membership Corporation and served for 16 years as the executive vice president. In this role, he was part of the leadership team that spearheaded the effort to consolidate Crescent and Davidson EMCs to form EnergyUnited in October 1998.

In addition to his service to EnergyUnited members, Wilkins also served on the board of directors of the Davidson County Economic Development Commission, UNC Charlotte EPIC Advisory Board, E-4 Carolina Board, the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation board and the board of the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives.

About EnergyUnited
EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is the largest electric cooperative in North Carolina serving over 135,000 metering points. Headquartered in Statesville, EnergyUnited provides electric service in portions of nineteen counties in west central North Carolina which include Alexander, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Wilkes and Yadkin. Visit energyunited.com to learn more about the cooperative’s energy services and community programs.

EnergyUnited’s longtime CEO Wayne Wilkins (left) received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. The award was presented to Wilkins on Thursday by EnergyUnited Board Chairman Dr. Max Walser, who is also a previous recipient of The Order of the Long Leaf Pine.