Photo above is of Four County Electric Membership Corporation’s (FCEMC) Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Keel.
Contributed
After a 27-year career in the electric cooperative industry, Four County Electric Membership Corporation’s (FCEMC) Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Keel will retire effective June 30, 2021. Under Keel’s leadership, there was a significant focus on innovation and technology, assuring the cooperative’s abilities to meet its members’ needs for generations to come.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve Four County EMC and its membership for the past 17 years,” said Keel. “It has been a rewarding career, made easier by the support of a talented and dedicated workforce and hard-working board. The cooperative is well-positioned to transition to new leadership.”
The cooperative’s Vice President of Human Resources, Don Gatton, will take the helm as CEO when Keel retires. Gatton has over 30 years of experience within the electric utility industry and a broad knowledge of Four County EMC and the cooperative business model.
“Don is the right leader to take our cooperative into the future,” stated Franklin Williams, president of Four County’s board of directors. “He has a proven record as a dedicated and motivated employee and reflects the character of our organization.”
Born in Reidsville, NC, Gatton began his career as a First Class Lineworker for Duke Energy in 1987. He came to Four County EMC in 2001 as a lineworker, moving up to Director of Safety, Training and Loss Control and eventually Vice President of Human Resources.
Gatton graduated from Mt. Olive University with a B.S. degree in business administration and organizational development and earned his MBA with a concentration in management from the Florida Institute of Technology. He currently serves on the Friends of Camp Kirkwood board and is a volunteer fireman at the Wallace VFD. He and his wife, Adrienne, have three children and live in Wallace.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to lead this remarkable organization,” Gatton said. “Four County has a reputation for having a strong culture of service, trust, and commitment to our members; these will continue to be our focus. I look forward to building on the legacy of excellence left behind by Mitch Keel and feel privileged to help navigate the future of our cooperative.”
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