NRE Leadership

Ike Poe serves as President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board for New River Electrical. He brings an ownership mindset to fellow employee-owners and institutes a partnership mentality between New River Electrical and its customers. For 20 years, Ike has been in a leadership role in some capacity throughout his tenure at New River. Ike came to New River as an Estimating Assistant. From there, he held several positions throughout the Operations Group, including Project Manager, Vice President of Overhead Line, and Sr. Vice President of Operations for the Ohio region. Most recently, Ike was the Chief Operating Officer for New River Electrical until he assumed the role of President in 2023. He proudly serves on the Board of Trustees and as the Chapter President for American Line Builders (NECA). Ike earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration & Management from Lincoln Memorial University and his MBA from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Greg Gibbs is the Executive Vice President of Operations for New River Electrical’s Cloverdale campus. In his current role, Gibbs oversees New River’s operations, which are originated and run by the company’s Virginia-based project managers. He works closely with New River leadership to develop strategies that lead to corporate success and customer satisfaction. Greg came to New River Electrical with over 21 years of electric utility construction and engineering experience, including a wide range of skill sets built through progressive engineering, project management, supervision, consulting, and business operations roles in the industry. Before joining New River, Greg held several leadership positions in American Electric Power's generation and transmission business units. He then was the Vice President of a large Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) firm. Greg earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio University and is a registered Project Management Professional (PMP).

Jake Grice is the Executive Vice President of Operations for New River Electrical’s Granville campus. In his current role, Grice oversees New River’s operations, which originated and are run by Ohio-based project managers. He works closely with New River leadership to grow the organization, achieve elite safety performance, and exceed customer expectations. Jake has been with New River Electrical for over ten years, starting as a project manager in the Overhead Line group. With the company's growth, Jake was appointed Division Manager and Vice President of the Overhead Line Division before assuming his current role. Before he arrived at New River Electrical, Jake was a Transmission Line Project Engineer managing truly unique projects ranging from 34.5kV to 765kV for an investor-owned utility. Jake earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Ohio Northern University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and a registered Project Management Professional (PMP).

Melanie serves as New River Electrical’s Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Treasurer. In her role, she oversees and provides strategic direction for New River’s Accounting & Controls and Fleet & Facilities teams, providing innovative, progressive, and proactive leadership throughout the company. Before coming to New River, Melanie was the CFO for Argos Utilities Holdings, where she focused not only on the financials but also on process improvements, cost savings, and staff development for all her charges. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration & Information Systems from Virginia Tech University and her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in April 2006. Melanie has a passion for the outdoors and an active lifestyle; this rings true as she serves on her local Botetourt Family YMCA Board.

Laura L. Volpini is New River Electrical’s Executive Vice President of Enterprise Shared Services & Corporate Secretary. As EVP of Enterprise Shared Services, Laura oversees several support departments for New River, including Risk & Compliance, Contracts Management, Technology, Communications, Business Development, Sales, & Marketing. She focuses on governance and compliance with the company employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and the corporation. Before joining New River Electrical, she was an independent member of the company’s Board of Directors. With over 20 years of experience in construction and business law, she has extensive experience handling real estate, business, and construction cases in federal, state, and municipal courts and before administrative agencies. Laura earned a BSBA in Marketing and Logistics, an MBA from John Carrol University, and her JD from Case Western Reserve University. In addition to owning her successful legal practice in Cleveland, Ohio, Laura is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the National Association of REALTORS.