Jim Lovinggood is retiring as President and CEO of Blue Ridge Electric Co-op after more than four decades of distinguished service. The Board of Trustees unanimously named Zachary Hinton as his successor — only the fourth in the cooperative's history, a testament to the organization’s long-standing stability. Hinton will step into his new role in January 2027.
Lovinggood joined Blue Ridge in 1982. Throughout his 44-year tenure, he played a foundational role in making the transition to digital mapping, a move that supplies data to engineering models that the cooperative still uses today, while also pioneering Blue Ridge Security and Upcountry Fiber. Since assuming the role of President and CEO in 2018, Lovinggood has overseen a period of historic growth; the cooperative has nearly doubled in scale, now serving more than 75,000 meters across 7,500 miles of power lines.
His legacy is defined by a commitment to innovation and member service, most notably the landmark partnership with West Carolina to launch Upcountry Fiber, an industry-leading collaboration that brought high-speed fiber internet to the Blue Ridge territory. This visionary project stands as a hallmark of his legacy as president and CEO. He will continue in his current role through the end of the year to ensure a seamless transition of leadership.
Hinton, a Pickens native and Wofford College graduate, has been a driving force within the cooperative, serving as Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff since February 2024. He is now acting Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Hinton's track record over the last decade made him a natural choice to lead the organization. Since joining the co-op in 2015, he has managed an expansive portfolio spanning economic development, facilities, operations, safety, purchasing and government relations.
He spearheaded the execution of the largest cooperative initiative in South Carolina: the rollout of Upcountry Fiber, a project that over the last five years has successfully deployed over 7,000 miles of fiber optic cable bridging the digital divide for rural communities.
Hinton’s career has been rooted in public service. Before joining Blue Ridge, he served as a congressional aide and spent several years with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office serving in the Uniform Patrol Division, Public Information Office and K-9 Unit. With a foundation built on decades of reliable service and a clear vision for an innovative Upstate, Blue Ridge Electric Co-op is well-positioned for its next era of leadership under Hinton.
Quotables
“This is the right time for my family and me to enter into this next phase of life, and it’s hard to put into words just how thankful I am to have had the opportunity to work with so many great people. I will have more time to reflect about my career here over these next months, but I'm excited for Zach to pick up the torch and carry this cooperative forward.” - Jim Lovinggood, President and CEO
“I will be eternally grateful to Jim for his mentorship and support, and our Board’s vote of confidence in me to lead Blue Ridge Electric Co-op. This co-op, our employees and members have blessed my family. I will continue to work hard every day to make our members and employees proud.” - Zachary Hinton, Executive Vice President and COO
“We are thankful for Jim’s lifetime of service to Blue Ridge. Zach has proven himself a dedicated leader with a deep understanding of our members' needs, and we are confident that the cooperative is well-positioned for its next era of growth under his leadership.” - Len Talley, Chairman of the Board of Trustees
About Blue Ridge Electric Co-op:
For 85 years, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative has powered rural communities through quality service and reliability. On January 7, 1941, Blue Ridge energized its first section of power line. The co-op served 1,680 members and 486 miles of power lines at the time. Today, the co-op serves over 75,000 meters and maintains 7,500 miles of power lines. Blue Ridge employs locals who support the greater community through volunteerism and philanthropy. Blue Ridge provides power to communities in Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens and Spartanburg counties. The co-op remains committed to its mission of “service second only to safety.”