My job is to reaffirm the core vision and values that have made this company great and resolve the issues that have recently come to light.

We're going back into core values: honor, courage and commitment.

Utility embraces the values and vision laid forth by our founders in 1914. Those values guide how we conduct our business each day. Most important in those values are loyalty to our employees and their families, to our customers and our vendors and specifically to the State of Virginia, Smyth County and the City of Marion who have supported us for many years. Deciding to expand here was the right thing to do.

still lots of opportunities to resolve the issues.

The property issues are very complicated and have been going on for 4½ years, but we have to resolve this. I've been working on it myself and want to see this settled.

When marketers influence habits, they influence peoples' self-identity. And so when a group or company does something that doesn't correspond to our core values, it feels like a betrayal.