• Public Relations Manager
• Randolph EMC
• Asheboro, North Carolina
  
• Co-op employee since: July 2025
  

How did your interest in communications and meteorology come together?

I didn't have formal weather training, but I jumped in ready to learn. I worked alongside the chief meteorologist, often coming in during his dinner breaks to learn, and quickly realized how much I loved studying weather. That experience led me to Penn State, where I earned my meteorology certification.

During my time in television, I met so many people across our local communities, and I discovered that while I enjoyed weather, what I loved most was serving the place I call home. I realized that being the local morning meteorologist just happened to be the way and the opportunity God had given me to do that.

How do you use both skillsets in your role at the co-op?

Randolph EMC is rooted in serving our members and our communities, and weather plays a critical role in how we do that; whether it's preparing for storms, managing the system or restoring power safely and efficiently. My communications background helps me clearly share important information, and my meteorology experience helps me understand and explain the “why" behind it.

Your connection to the co-op actually started with a conversation over coffee well before there was even an opening. Have any suggestions for folks looking to get their foot in the door?

My connection to the co-op really did start over a cup of coffee. Michael Trent, our vice president of member services and public relations, has been a longtime friend of my parents and a big supporter of my local band. We both share a love for good coffee, so we met simply to catch up and talk about how my background in communications and weather might be useful to the co-op someday.

There was no opening and no expectation that there would be. It was just a great conversation. We talked about how the cooperative model works, the role Randolph EMC plays in serving the community, and how important weather is in the utility world. We both walked away having learned something new.

About six months later, completely unexpectedly, God opened the door at Randolph EMC. It was just as surprising for Michael as it was for me. He reached out to grab coffee again, this time to talk about an opportunity he felt would be a great fit for my skill set and the cooperative. From there, everything fell into place.

For anyone looking to get their foot in the door, my advice is simple: don't be a stranger. Take the initiative to meet someone from your local co-op, learn how the cooperative business model works and don't be afraid to share how your skills could add value. If you have a heart for serving people, you already have the cooperative spirit in you.

How does your forecasting background help shape Randolph EMC's public relations and member communications?

Weather is one of the biggest drivers of how and when we communicate with our members. My forecasting background helps us be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to weather.

Whether that's preparing members ahead of a major storm, explaining potential impacts in an easy-to-understand way or helping set realistic expectations during extended outages. Understanding how weather systems form and evolve allows me to turn forecast details into information that's timely, accurate and easy for members to understand.

Having an in-house meteorologist also allows us at Randolph EMC to take even more of a local approach to our specific communities. Instead of relying solely on external service providers, we can analyze conditions specific to our service territory and provide clear, concise, and frequently updated information tailored to our members. Localized forecasting helps with both our planning and communication; supporting internal storm planning and decision-making while giving members reliable, relevant updates they can trust.

It also helps shape the tone of our communications. People don't just want data, they want to know how the weather is going to affect them and the impact that it will have on their power. We can be up front and transparent, answering the “why" before it happens. Having been on the other side as a meteorologist makes it easy to understand how to communicate urgency without causing unnecessary alarm, and how important trust is when conditions are changing quickly.

Outside of work, you perform in a band. Can you tell us about the band and what music means to you today?

Music has been a part of my life for nearly 20 years, and it's even more special because I've been doing it with my brother and my dad. What started as a three-person band in the basement has grown into what we call “Bantum Rooster," a 10-piece powerhouse party band playing oldies, beach hits, classic rock and Top 40 favorites. We especially love the local town summer concert series, playing outside, to a crowd, and just enjoying some of the best parts of summer. It's where we get to be ourselves the most, performing the tunes we love while feeding off the energy of the audience. It's a wonderful way to break away from the routine of the week, and for our audience, it's an opportunity to escape for a little while, smile, and just enjoy the music. When they're having fun, we're having fun too!

Music has been a constant in my life from singing in a local choir as a kid, to now performing with the band, to playing and singing in church and serving the Lord. It's been one of the biggest blessings in my life. Along the way, it has created lifelong friendships, allowed us to travel to some really amazing places, and introduced us to some incredible people.

What words of advice would you share with someone who's brand new to working at an electric co-op?

The possibilities are truly endless! Whatever your strengths are, there's an opportunity to use them to serve both our members and our communities. It's a fun environment; you'll love the people you work with and the sense of teamwork that comes from doing meaningful work. You really feel that what you do makes a difference and has an impact. My advice? Jump in, be ready to learn, stay curious, embrace the opportunities that come your way, and the sky is the limit!

Know someone who should be profiled? Contact Alexis Woodhouse.