Roanoke Cooperative has a proud history rooted in the rural electrification movement that transformed life across eastern North Carolina. Following the passage of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, the cooperative was organized in 1938 to bring reliable electric service to communities long overlooked by investor-owned utilities. On May 29, 1939, Roanoke Cooperative energized its first 56 miles of line, serving 317 original member-owners.
Over the decades, the system steadily expanded in response to community need. Today, the cooperative owns and maintains more than 2,200 miles of electric distribution line serving approximately 14,200 member-owners, along with approximately 2,300 miles of fiber infrastructure through its wholly owned fiber subsidiary, RoanokeConnect Holdings. The fiber network makes high-speed broadband service available throughout the cooperative’s service territory. What began as a mission to deliver electricity has grown into a broader commitment to strengthening rural communities through infrastructure, innovation, and economic opportunity.
Leadership Through the Years
The cooperative’s progress has been shaped by strong, forward-thinking leadership. L. Weeks Anderson served as Roanoke Cooperative’s first manager beginning March 21, 1939. Vernon Taylor—who set the cooperative’s first pole in late 1938—became general manager on March 20, 1944, and led the organization until his retirement in 1981.
Eugene W. Brown Jr. joined the cooperative in 1970 as Director of Member Services and was appointed general manager in 1981, serving until 1997. He was succeeded by Curtis Wynn, who began his tenure in October 1997 as the first African American in history to lead an electric cooperative. During his tenure, the cooperative gained significant national recognition, and Wynn later served as President of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
In December 2021, Marshall Cherry became President & CEO. He first joined Roanoke Cooperative in 1993, serving in member services and later as Chief Operating Officer.
Expanding Beyond Electricity
Beginning in 2020, Roanoke Cooperative expanded its mission to address another critical rural need: high-speed internet access. Through RoanokeConnect Holdings, the cooperative invested in building a robust fiber network across its service territory and operated retail broadband service under the Fybe brand, extending connectivity to unserved and underserved communities.
By 2025, with a strong fiber foundation in place, the cooperative completed a strategic transition out of retail broadband operations. Roanoke Cooperative retained ownership of the fiber network through its fiber subsidiary, RoanokeConnect Holdings, and began leasing fiber to a partnering entity, eNCore, which continues to operate services and expand the network.
Broadband service continues to be delivered under the Fybe brand, which was established during the cooperative’s operation of retail broadband service and remains the customer-facing brand today.
To learn more about the cooperative’s fiber network and its role in expanding connectivity across the region, visit Our Fiber Story.
Renewed Momentum and Looking Forward
Historically, electric growth across Roanoke Cooperative’s service territory reflected long-term population and economic trends that were especially challenging for the region. Serving some of the most sparsely populated areas in North Carolina, the cooperative experienced limited growth for an extended period. Investments made by the cooperative during this time helped position the system for emerging economic opportunities. In recent years, those opportunities have begun to generate renewed momentum, signaling a more promising path forward.
In 2025, the cooperative concluded its Vision 2025 strategy and began laying the groundwork for its next long-term plan, Connect 2030. This new chapter reflects Roanoke Cooperative’s readiness to build upon decades of infrastructure investment—electric and fiber alike—as the organization prepares for sustained growth, innovation, and expanded opportunity across the communities it serves.
Grounded in cooperative principles and guided by its member-owners, Roanoke Cooperative remains a cornerstone of progress in northeastern North Carolina—connecting people, places, and possibilities… today, tomorrow, together.
Read Our Fiber Story