Feb. 28. Wayne Wilkins, chief executive officer of EnergyUnited, has announced his retirement after serving over 50 years in the energy industry. In addition to serving as chief executive officer of EnergyUnited for the past 15 years, Wilkins also notably served as chief executive officer of Davidson EMC for 16 years, prior to the cooperative’s merger with Crescent EMC in 1998.

Wilkins’ career began with Davidson EMC in 1971 when he accepted a position drafting truck and system working maps and continued while he attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a power system focus in 1976.

Wayne Wilkins

After he received his degree, Wilkins continued working for Davidson EMC in the cooperative’s Engineering Department, working closely with its substation construction, operations, maintenance and equipment testing divisions before he accepted the position of chief executive officer in 1982.

Wilkins will continue to serve as chief executive officer of EnergyUnited until the cooperative announces a successor, which is expected later this spring. The cooperative is currently conducting a national search for its next chief executive officer.