Marshall Cherry

About Marshall Cherry

Marshall Cherry, a native of Bertie County, has dedicated more than three decades of service to Roanoke Cooperative, beginning his career with the organization in 1993. He has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since December 2021, following his tenure as Chief Operating Officer, a role he held from 2014 through his appointment as CEO.Marshall’s connection to Roanoke Cooperative began even earlier. As a high school student, he represented the cooperative as a youth leader—an early experience that shaped his long-standing commitment to cooperative principles, community service, and member-owner value.As President & CEO, Marshall provides strategic leadership for the cooperative and its family of companies, guiding the organization through a period of modernization, infrastructure investment, and long-term planning. He led the completion of Vision 2025 and is now advancing Connect 2030, the cooperative’s current corporate strategy focused on electric system reliability, data-driven operations, economic development, and long-term sustainability.Under his leadership, Roanoke Cooperative expanded its role in regional connectivity by investing in fiber infrastructure, strengthening electric operations, and ultimately transitioning retail broadband services to an operating partner while retaining long-term ownership of the fiber network through its wholly owned subsidiary, RoanokeConnect. These efforts reflect a disciplined approach to infrastructure stewardship and positioning the region for future growth.Beyond the cooperative, Marshall is actively engaged in civic, workforce, and economic development initiatives across North Carolina. He serves on the board of myFutureNC, supporting statewide efforts to strengthen educational attainment and workforce readiness. Marshall is also actively engaged with North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, collaborating across the cooperative system on initiatives related to power supply, system reliability, innovation, and workforce development.Marshall earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Livingstone College and completed executive and economic development leadership programs, including the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center’s Leadership Institute and Leadership North Carolina. Earlier in his career, he also served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserves, receiving an honorable discharge.

Experience

1. President and CEO

   Roanoke Cooperative

   Dec 2021 — Present · Aulander, NC, US

   As President and CEO of Roanoke Cooperative and its affiliated companies, I am responsible for leading the organization\'s overall strategic direction, operational performance, governance engagement, and member-owner value. Since assuming this role, one of our most transformative accomplishments has been ensuring universal access to fiber connectivity for all member-owners across our service territory—positioning our communities for long-term digital equity, economic development, and quality-of-life improvements.I work in close partnership with our Board of Directors to set vision, strengthen governance, and align investments with the needs of our rural membership. Under my leadership, Roanoke has expanded its focus on innovation through our Connect 2030 roadmap, advancing automation, system reliability, and data-driven decision-making across electric operations.We’ve also restructured and scaled our broadband efforts—transitioning Roanoke Connect Holdings into eNCore, a public-private partnership that allows us to continue leveraging cooperative-owned fiber assets while ensuring sustainable growth and community access. Internally, I’ve focused on strengthening culture, accountability, and change management—defining and embedding the values of “The Roanoke Way” into how we lead and serve.I represent the Cooperative on state and national platforms, helping shape policy and funding strategies that benefit rural America—ensuring our voice remains strong and our region remains competitive in a rapidly evolving energy and broadband landscape.

Education

• Livingstone College

  B.S., Business Administration, Business

Skills

• Risk Management
• Contract Negotiation
• Program Management
• Strategic Planning
• Executive Management
• Operations Management
• Process Improvement
• Energy
• Customer Service
• Microsoft Office
• Organizational Development
• Management Consulting
• Policy
• Department Budgeting
• Call Centers
• Business Development
• Electric Power
• Management
• Team Building
• Government
• Analysis
• Database Admin
• Crm
• Coaching
• Data Analysis
• Access
• Marketing
• Team Leadership
• Business Process Improvement
• Strategy
• Budgets
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Community Development
• Public Speaking
• Smart Grid
• Leadership
• Project Planning
• Leadership Development
• Software Documentation
• Public Relations