James M. Reynolds of Community Electric Cooperative will retire April 30, after 36 years as the cooperative’s president, co-op officials announced this week.

After working as an engineer with Virginia Electric & Power Company and then as director of electric utilities for the city of Lumberton, N.C., the North Carolina State University graduate moved to Windsor to lead the cooperative in April 1977.

When Reynolds came to CEC, there were 31 full-time employees and 6,300 members. CEC now has 34 employees and serves more than 11,000 members.

“There have been many significant changes in the cooperative over the years,” Reynolds said. “Those changes include tremendous advancements in technology and the increased efficiencies that come with them. My tenure goes back to before there were computers, back to when you did all the calculations by hand. No emails or texts.”

“Jim has always carried out the business of the cooperative in the most professional manner,” said Jeannette S. Everett, the chairman of CEC’s board of directors. He put our consumers first in his decision recommendations to the board. I and the board will truly miss him and the leadership he provided.”

During his years of service, Reynolds represented CEC on the board of the Virginia Maryland Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives. He is the only co-op manager to serve two terms as chairman of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, the not-for-profit power supplier to 11 member distribution cooperatives.

CEC’s board of directors began searching for Reynolds’ successor earlier this year and plans to make announce a selection soon, officials said in a press release.

Headquartered in Windsor, Community Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric-distribution utility that serves residential and commercial customers in portions of Suffolk, Isle of Wight, Southampton, Sussex and Surry.