CHELCO recently promoted two employees to serve in elevated management roles at the cooperative. Kevin Jones has been named Director of Engineering, and Chelsea Blaich has been promoted to Manager of Communications and Community Affairs.

After serving with another electric cooperative, Jones joined CHELCO in 2019 as the Manager of Engineering, a role that oversees Engineering Design and Power Quality. In his new role as the Director of Engineering, he will also oversee the the GIS and Easement Departments.

“Kevin has done a great job in managing our Engineering and Power Quality departments,” said Matthew Avery, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations. “We determined the best organizational structure was to include GIS and Easements under his direction to keep all engineering functions under one director. I’m confident that Kevin will step into this role seamlessly and continue to be a great leader at our co-op.”

Blaich joined the CHELCO team in January 2023 and has served as the Communications and Community Affairs Supervisor during her time with the co-op. She oversees the Communications Department, responsible for member communications, event coordination, advertising, and more. Emily Cowan, Vice President of Member Services and External Affairs, says her promotion to Manager is well-earned.

“Since joining CHELCO, Chelsea has empowered her staff to accomplish great things,” Cowan said. “As this department grows under Chelsea’s leadership, I look forward to the contributions this department will make to our members and community.”