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Jason Loehr, Southside Electric Cooperative’s vice president of finance and corporate services, was announced Monday as the Cooperative’s new chief executive officer. His selection follows an extensive, nine-month nationwide search that drew more than 130 candidates.

The SEC Board of Directors voted unanimously to promote Loehr to the organization’s top post, finding him to be uniquely qualified to lead, said Dr. Frank Bacon, the board chair. Loehr will begin in his new role as CEO on Aug. 1.

“The board has complete confidence that Jason will continue our tradition of excellence and lead the Cooperative into the future,” Bacon said.

Loehr has nearly two decades of experience serving electric cooperatives. Before coming to SEC, Loehr worked in public accounting, leading audits and performing general consulting work for various businesses, including more than 20 electric cooperatives. Loehr began as SEC’s controller in 2014 and was promoted to vice president in 2019.

Loehr, 43, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Longwood University. He is a graduate of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program. He serves on the board for the Electric Cooperative Chapter of the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives. He also holds credentials as a certified public accountant.

“Our Southside Virginia communities are made up of exceptional people and businesses that rely on each other, and together we work toward a better quality of life. We energize our communities to create a place where families, neighbors and Main Street can prosper. Southside Electric is our locally owned energy Cooperative that brings us the safe, clean, affordable, and reliable power that is needed to achieve this quality of life, and the best part about it is we are doing it together,” Loehr said.

“I am both humbled and excited to take on this opportunity of leading SEC. It is an exciting time in our industry, and I look forward to working with the great people of Southside Virginia to make the essential service we provide an exceptional experience.”

Loehr and his wife, Rachel, have a son, Brayden, and a daughter, Mackenzie. The family lives in Chesterfield County, one of the counties served by SEC.

CarterBaldwin Executive Search assisted the SEC Board of Directors in the search for a new chief executive officer. Southside’s current CEO, Jeff Edwards, announced last year his intent to retire this summer after a 37-year career in the electric cooperative industry.

Southside Electric Cooperative, a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution company, has more than 57,600 active services across 18 counties in central and southern Virginia. Headquartered in Crewe, SEC has district offices in Altavista, Crewe, Dinwiddie and Powhatan. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. For more information, visit www.sec.coop.