Dear Members,

Imagine this… You step out of the truck and into the darkness. The only light comes from the moon slipping between fast-moving clouds and the beam of your spotlight. The storm has passed, but its destruction remains, and now it’s your job to put the lines back together.

Ahead of you is a single-phase line stretching nearly a mile into the woods—no road, no easy path, just a long walk through rough terrain, guided only by the faint outline of poles disappearing into the tree line. You climb over the first fence, then another, both times wondering what might be inside the field. Cattle? Horses? Something else?

April 14 is North Carolina’s Lineman Appreciation Day, and while we recognize them year-round, this is a moment to pause and truly appreciate the skill, toughness and heart of service that goes into their work.

The only sounds are your boots crunching against the damp ground and the occasional rustling in the underbrush. When you finally reach the last pole, you scan the area, checking the lines, poles and transformer. That’s when you hear it.

A sound behind you.

You turn and see movement near the house up ahead. But no one lives here. No one has for years. The old man who once worked this land passed away right over there in the garden, or so the story goes.

The wind picks up. The clouds race across the moon. And then—something shifts again. A shadow. A shape. Moving. Coming toward you.

You don’t stop to think. You run. Faster than you knew you could. You hurdle the fences, boots barely touching the ground and your adrenaline fueling every step.

When you finally make it back to the truck, heart pounding, you laugh it off with the crew—just a trick of the light, right? Just the wind? Maybe. Maybe not.

You get the power back on to this line, and it’s your last call till morning. And after all that, you drive back to a hotel with no power, no hot water and nowhere to sleep but on the floor because there are not enough beds to house the lineman in town to help. But in the end, it’s just another night on storm trouble and another job well done.

This story I share with you is a real situation that one of our linemen experienced. There are so many stories that could be told, a book needs to be written. But not every challenge comes with a ghost story. For linemen, long nights, tough conditions and demanding work aren’t just part of storm trouble — they’re part of everyday life.

Before the sun rises, while most of us are still asleep, linemen are already up and moving— putting on their flame-resistant clothing, lacing up heavy boots and heading out to do a job that most people don’t think about until the lights go out.

April 14 is North Carolina’s Lineman Appreciation Day, and while we recognize them year-round, this is a moment to pause and truly appreciate the skill, toughness and heart of service that goes into their work. Being a lineman isn’t just a job— it’s a calling. It takes physical strength, sure, but more than that, it takes determination, resilience and a deep commitment to serving others.

Across our five-county service area, Randolph EMC linemen are out there every day—building, maintaining, and repairing the system that keeps homes, businesses, and critical services running. And when a storm rolls through the service territory and knocks out power, they’re the first ones out, climbing poles in the wind and rain, working tirelessly to get the lights back on. In those moments of crisis, they are more than just the folks who restore power—they are a steady presence, bringing reassurance and a sense of normalcy when people need it most.

But their service doesn’t stop at county lines. When disaster strikes in other communities, our crews answer the call, traveling wherever help is needed. Cooperation among cooperatives is a core principle, and no one lives it out better than linemen.

So this month, when you flip a switch, take a second to think about the workers who make it happen. Their efforts may not always be visible, but they are essential to keeping our lives running smoothly. Linemen are built to serve, and for that, I personally want to say thank you to all our linemen for their commitment and dedication to the communities we serve.

Cooperatively yours,
Dennis Mabe, Chief Executive Officer