Fredericksburg, Va. — Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) has promoted Patricia J. Hatcher to Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).

In her new role, Hatcher is responsible for developing and executing human resources strategy to support REC’s business goals, focusing on recruitment, employee engagement, retention, talent management, succession planning, compliance and workforce development.

She will also monitor human resources program effectiveness through metrics on retention, compensation and engagement, collaborating with safety and security teams on employee well-being. In addition, she will provide strategic human resources leadership to the REC’s executive team and Board of Directors.

Hatcher has over 20 years of human resources experience. She most recently served as Managing Director – Human Resources & Organizational Development, where she managed the development, implementation and coordination of policies and programs related to employment, labor relations, compliance, compensation, benefits and employee services. She also managed organizational needs assessments and the design of training and development.

Hatcher began her career in human resources at Digital Systems International Corporation in 1989. She joined REC in January 2005 as the Benefits Specialist.

Hatcher holds  a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Averett University and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Capella University. She has also held the Professional Human Resources (PHR) Certification since 2013 and has been a Society of Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) since 2015.

Hatcher is a native of Caroline County, where she resides with her husband, Basil, and two daughters, Jamie and Cami. She is a member of Second Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dawn, Va. and is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

REC provides electric service to 180,000 connections in parts of 22 Virginia counties. With its general office in Fredericksburg, Va., the Cooperative operates and maintains more than 18,000 miles of power lines through its service area, which ranges from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay. For more information about REC, please visit www.myrec.coop. Follow REC on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.