4-County Electric Power Association CEO and General Manager Joe Cade plans to retire on Sept. 30, according to a cooperative press release Tuesday.
Cade, who began his tenure as CEO in 2010, said it was the right time for him to step down.
“I have enjoyed my time here, and I am proud of what we have accomplished but I feel like it is a good time to get out of the way and let the next generation move us forward,” Cade said in a released statement.
During Cade’s eight years at the helm, 4-County has undergone technological changes to make the cooperative more efficient, including setting up options such as prepay, kiosks at locations around the service territory and online payments, allowing the cooperative to consolidate from five district offices to one, the press release said. 4-County also added a Call Center to help solve member issues, saving hundreds of dollars in overhead.
According to the press release, the money saved allowed 4-County to absorb a TVA rate increase in 2016 rather than passing it to members. Under Cade, 4-County also worked with local development groups and the Tennessee Valley Authority on the creation of TVA megasites.
The accomplishment Cade is most proud of, according to the press release, is the formation of the 4-County Foundation and Operation Roundup in 2015, which since then has awarded $645,000 in grants to schools, law enforcement and fire departments and other organizations.
4-County Board of Director President Jay Gilliland said Cade “pushed the cooperative to be better.”
“Joe Cade is one of the finest men I have had the pleasure of working with,” Gilliland said in the press release. “In the eight years he has served as CEO, he has earned the respect and trust of the board and employees and he has worked tirelessly for our members.”
Cade says he plans to use his retirement to “kick back,” spending time with grandchildren and great-grandchildren and working on his Mustang.
“Leaving really is bittersweet,” he said.”These are the best people I’ve ever worked with, the line folks, the staff, the board, everyone. I’d even say they are best of any I’ve ever worked with. I will miss them all.”
Gilliland said the board has already begun the process of finding Cade’s replacement and plans to have the new CEO installed in early fall.
“We know we have some big shoes to fill, but we are confident that we will find the right person very soon,” he said.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.