Board of Directors

District Number 1 - Bethel, Edwards Cove, Hidden Valley, Cathey Cove to the gap of the mountain (High Cliff Dr.), Pigeon Gap Road on Hwy. 276 south to Blue Ridge Parkway, Peters Cove, Sunny Drive, Hwy. 215 to Stamey Cove, the west side of NC-110 to Murray Road and Hwy. 215/Lake Logan Road to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Including surrounding communities.

Bio
Lucas is a native of Haywood County and a lifelong resident in the Bethel Community. Lucas and his wife Kelly Thomason Sorrells have three children, Isabella, Emma, and Brock. He is the son of Steve and Phyllis Sorrells, of Bethel. Lucas graduated from Pisgah High School in 1996. He attended North Carolina State University from 1996 to 1999. In 1999, he began working for Bellsouth as an Installation and Repair Technician. He worked as a technician for 5 years in Haywood and Buncombe County. In 2004, he accepted a management position with Bellsouth, which later became AT&T. He was a Network Manager over a Special Services Installation and Repair crew. His crew covered Haywood, Buncombe, Henderson, and some of Polk County. He held that position for three years. In the fall of 2007, he resigned from AT&T and began working for his current employer, Jerue Truck brokers, of Clyde. He is an active member of Riverside Baptist Church and a member of the Bethel Rural Community Organization.

Contact
Vice President
Mr. Lucas Sorrells
lucas@jerue.com
342 Indian Hills Loop
Waynesville, NC 28786
(828) 734-4099 (Cell)
(828) 235-2004 (Home)

District Number 2 - North of US 64 from Brevard to the Haywood County line and US 64 to the intersection of NC 281/Lower White Water Road then northwest to the Jackson County line including the communities of Cold Mountain, Lake Toxaway Country Club, Balsam Grove, Bear Lake, Caney Fork, Charlie's Creek, Cradle of Forestry, Davidson River, Quebec, Silversteen, Tuckasegee, Cherryfield. Including surrounding communities.

Bio
James P. Boyette and Alice have two children, 4 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. Jim served twenty-four years with the City of Tampa Fire Department in Florida, retiring in October of 1976 with the rank of captain.  During his time in rescue, he helped to expand from one mobile rescue unit to six rescue units and one heavy-duty rescue unit.  As station captain, he was responsible for the day-to-day training of his personnel in safety, rescue practices, and firefighting tactics and techniques.  While with the Tampa Fire Department, Jim attended personnel and management courses at the Hillsborough County College.  He was very active with the Tampa Red Cross, volunteering many hours teaching First Aid and Water Safety.  He also trained First Aid graduates to become First Aid instructors.  Jim also served for twenty-eight months as chief of the Brandon Fire Department.  Brandon is a community just east of Tampa, with a population then of over twenty thousand.  Jim has owned and operated his own business, Boyette’s Tractor and Mowing Service, Inc., a heavy mowing, land clearing, construction-site preparation, and landscaping business.  He owned and is familiar with the operation of heavy equipment, such as front loaders, bulldozers, dump trucks, and tractors.  He is a licensed pilot, holding a private and commercial license with instrument rating in single and multi-engine aircraft and taught Aviation Ground School for the Blue Ridge Community College.  He has 25 years of experience as a flight instructor.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Balsam Grove Fire Department. 

Contact
Mr. James Boyette
jandaboyette@citcom.net
2767 Tanasee Gap Road
Balsam Grove, NC 28708
(828) 884-6316 (Home)

District Number 3 - All of the Cashiers community.  Buck Knob Road, Blue Valley, Clear Creek, Dillard Road, Hale Ridge, Highlands, Middle Creek, Otto, Pine Mountain, Satolah, Scaly Mountain, Sky Valley, South Tryphosa, Tessentee, Turtle Pond, Walking Stick, Wade Hampton Country Club, Whiteside Cove, Chattooga Country Club.

Bio
Clay Talley represents the 8th district which includes the community of Scaly Mountain, where he and his wife reside. Clay enjoys gardening and hunting. He and his wife attend the Scaly Mountain Church of God where he serves as an elder. 

Clay has over 37 years of experience as an electrical utility worker. After having worked for both an investor-owned utility and a municipal utility, Clay can truly appreciate the values of a cooperative system. He says, “I count it a privilege to serve my community by effectively representing them on the HEMC board.” His chief goal is to ensure reliable service while keeping rates affordable for all members of the co-op.

Contact
Secretary/Treasurer
Mr. Clay Talley
claytalley@ymail.com
25 Chestnut Mountain Road
Scaly Mountain, NC 28775
(828) 526-4506 (Home)
(828) 421-7248 (Cell)

District Number 4 - Beantown, Black Camp Gap, Cherokee, Fie Top, Heaths Peak, Hemphill, Jonathan Creek, Maggie Valley, Sheepback, Shelton Cove, Soco, Sutton Town, Utah Mountain, south side of Hwy. 209 at the intersection of Hwy. 209 and I-40. The southwest side of Iron Duff Road to Coleman Mountain to Hwy. 276 Jonathan Creek and south of wind tunnel to Heaths Peak. Including surrounding communities.

Bio
Your board of directors are members just like you. We want what you want--- affordable energy bills and the comfort of knowing that lights will turn on when you flip a switch. We work throughout the year to invest in our electric system to keep power reliable. We focus on educating members on how to use energy efficiently. We talk to you in the grocery store, on the street and public gatherings, listening to your concerns and ideas. We value the trust and confidence you have placed in us to protect your best interest in all decisions we make. The goal and responsibility of your board of directors, staff and employees is to provide each of its members with safe, reliable electric service at an affordable cost. Today, with constant changes in technology as well as in federal and state regulations, we must remain focused on our goal with a much keener sense of awareness and responsibility.  The staff and employees are constantly exploring and evaluating better ways to serve our members while continuing to keep our costs as low as possible. The board is continually looking at changes in regulations and the impact of those changes on our business while assuring that prudent financial and organizational management remains intact.  We are fortunate at HEMC to have an extremely dedicated group of employees and staff, each well trained and always working diligently and efficiently to maintain our system while keeping the power flowing uninterrupted to you.  As your representative on the board of directors, your best interest will always be the driving factor and primary consideration in all of my actions and decisions. I appreciate the trust and confidence you have shown by allowing me to serve as your director. 

Contact
President
Mr. Larry Clark
lclark@clarkandleatherwood.com
330 Flat Rock Gap Road
Waynesville, NC 28786
(828) 627-8064 (Home)
(828) 452-4500 (Business)
(828) 452-3411 (Business Fax)
(828) 627-9708 (Home Fax)
(828) 421-4515 (Cellular)

District Number 5 - Betsy’s Gap, Crawford Road, Fines Creek, Hepco Road, Iron Duff, Max Patch, Panther Creek, Riverside, Rush Fork, Silvers Cove, White Oak, Cove Creek. Northwest side of Hwy. 209 from Upper Crabtree Road to the intersection of Hwy. 209 and I-40.  North side of Coleman Mountain Road to Hwy. 276 Jonathan Creek.  North of the wind tunnel at Bob Boyd Road, Sutton Town, Cove Creek, to the Tennessee state line.  Including surrounding communities.

Bio
About 92 percent of the co-op's revenue comes from residential customers. When our members tell us they need something, we listen. Our surge suppression and back-up generator programs came as we tried to respond to what the members wanted. I like that the co-op communicates and listens to what our members say they need. I'm a retired dairy farmer, so I also know how important reliable, modern electric service is to a farm or business. I represent the members in my district, but I keep an eye out for our farmers system-wide, too. Everybody is equal in a cooperative, and no member is more important than another.

Contact
Assistant Secretary/Treasurer
Mr. David Noland
noland@brinet.com
2471 Fines Creek Road
Clyde, NC 28721
(828) 627-1561 (Home)
(828) 627-6394 (Fax)
(828) 507-1991 (Cellular)

District Number 6 - All HEMC member-owners in Buncombe County

Bio
Mr. Israel is a lifelong resident of Upper Hominy, graduated from Enka High School, and in 2002 graduated with a B.S. in Horticulture Science at NC State University.  Mr. Israel is the co-owner at Jesse Israel and Sons Garden Center in Asheville, the Asheville Chamber of Commerce 2022 Family Business of the year, and still operates a six-generation century farm.

Mr. Israel resides in Candler with his wife Heather and daughter McKinley. In his spare time, he enjoys being active in Boy Scouts of America as an assistant den leader with his daughter.

Contact
Mr. Alan Israel
a.israel@haywoodemc.com
77 Lon Israel Rd.
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 273-4580

District Number 7 - South of U.S. 64 from Brevard to the South Carolina State line and U.S. 64 to the intersection of NC 281/Lower White-Water Road then northwest to the Jackson County line. Sapphire Lakes, Connestee Falls, East Fork, Flat Creek, Frozen Creek, Indian Camp, Lyons Mountain Road, Middle Fork, Nancy Mountain, Old Toxaway, Rosman, Walnut Hollow. Including surrounding communities.

This District's Board of Director office is Currently Vacant

Bio
Mr. Batchelor brings over 28 years of cooperative knowledge and experience to this position. He began in the electrical utility business in 1982 after graduating from NC State University with the City of Monroe and has since worked for two other cooperatives and an electrical consulting firm before coming to HEMC in 1999 as Assistant General Manager/Manager of Operations and Engineering. He is a registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Batchelor is married to his wife Robin with three grown children and 2 grandchildren.

Contact
Executive Vice President & CEO
Mr. Tom Batchelor, PE
tom.batchelor@haywoodemc.com
376 Grindstone Road
Waynesville, NC 28785
828-452-2281