GLEN ALLEN, VA – The board of directors of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), the generation and transmission provider for Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative and 10 other electric cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, has announced its selection of Mr. Marcus Harris as the organization’s next president and CEO.
The hiring of Harris culminates a comprehensive search effort that began in August 2017 when ODEC’s board of directors selected a search committee, chaired by Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative President and CEO John C. Lee, Jr. The committee worked closely with leading executive search firm CarterBaldwin to identify and seek out the ideal executive for the role.
“The ODEC CEO job is a premiere position, at a premier Generation and Transmission Cooperative and, accordingly, attracted highly qualified candidates from throughout the nation,” Lee stated, adding “Mr. Harris rose to the top of a very impressive list of candidates, in a very disciplined, detailed, and thorough search process; and we strongly believe his demonstrated skills, experience, and leadership will bring great value to ODEC, and allow it to continue to successfully meet the needs of its membership.”
Prior to joining ODEC, Harris served as executive vice president and CEO of Kansas Electric Power Cooperative (KEPCo) in Topeka, Kansas, a position he has held since 2014. Prior to his tenure as KEPCo CEO, he served in a number of positions during a 23-year stretch at South Carolina Electric and Gas Company including general manager of renewable energy, director of wholesale power marketing, manager of operations planning, and manager of electric operations.
Harris joins ODEC as the organization’s eighth president and CEO and succeeds the retiring Jack Reasor who served in the role for 19 years. Harris' educational and executive accomplishments include a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's degree in Engineering with a business emphasis, both earned from the University of South Carolina. He is a South Carolina native, has a wife and two sons, is active in his church and community, and volunteers his time to work on behalf of the United Way and the American Heart Association among others.
As Harris and his family transition to the Richmond, Va., area, he notes that he and his wife, Allison, are "very excited to make Virginia our new home." In preparing to lead ODEC, Harris states, "I am honored that the ODEC Board chose me to lead their outstanding generation and transmission cooperative into its next chapter. Allison and I look forward to getting to know the ODEC family and to taking on the challenges that will face ODEC in the coming years as the utility industry continues to evolve." Harris will officially assume the reins at ODEC on April 2.
ODEC Board Chairman Bill Andrew, president and CEO of Delaware Electric Cooperative, says, "In order to continue to successfully fulfill its mission to provide reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible power to its 11 members, ODEC needs a strong servant leader with a proven background in operations, organizational leadership, resource development, and above all, a passion for the Cooperative business model and its principles. We are very confident that we have hired a person in Mr. Harris who possesses all those qualities and will competently move ODEC forward."
Headquartered in Glen Allen, Va., ODEC is a not-for-profit, member-owned, power supply cooperative and is one of the nation’s largest generation and transmission cooperatives (G&T). It is owned by Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative and ten other electric distribution cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. ODEC provides reliable and affordable electricity to 1.4 million people in 70 counties. Learn more at ww.odec.com.
Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (MEC) is the not-for-profit energy provider to over 31,000 meters located in portions of the Virginia counties of Brunswick, Charlotte, Greensville, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Pittsylvania, Southampton, and Sussex counties and the North Carolina counties of Granville, Person, Northampton, Vance, and Warren. It is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, headquartered in Chase City with district offices in Gretna, Emporia, and Chase City. MEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer. For more information, visit the Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative website.