Chris Whitely is President and CEO of 1910 Legacy Enterprises.

Chris graduated from North Carolina State University with a BA in Business Management.  He is also a graduate of The Management Institute at Roanoke College and the Thomas C. Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia and completed the Certified Planning Commissioner Program at Virginia Tech.

A construction professional with more than 35 years of experience in the utility, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing construction industries, including nearly 20 years at an executive level, Chris has successfully led privately held ESOP companies from 200 to 1,500 employees with both union and non-union labor forces and with annual revenues ranging from $20 million to $500 million.

Chris and his wife are proud parents of two grown sons and a daughter in law.

Josh Butler is the President of Axis Energy, Inc. He is a graduate of the University of North Florida where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Logistics. As a Commissioned Officer in the United States Coast Guard, Josh has a proven track record in the field of logistics with reliability and attention to detail. As the driving force of the company, Josh uses his client relationship and management skills to ensure that every Axis Energy project meets the needs of their customer and delivers above expectations.

Josh has over a decade of experience in the construction industry; seven years of which have been in environmental construction and the most recent have been focusing on renewable energy construction projects.

Josh’s previous successes, his positive reputation in the renewable energy market, and his acumen for business development played an integral part in the successful launch of Axis Energy, the newest subsidiary of 1910 Legacy Enterprises, in 2017.

Josh is an active member of the North Carolina Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI), and a Project Management Professional since 2014.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Josh currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina with his beautiful wife and their children.

Jake Kelsoe serves as the President of White Electrical Construction Company.

He is a graduate of Southern Polytechnic State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and a minor in Business Administration. With an 18-year career rooted in heavy industrial construction and business management, Jake has developed a strong reputation for strategic leadership and operational efficiency gained from roles across multiple business structures and large and complex projects nationwide.

Jake joined White Electrical in 2020, advancing from Branch Manager to Regional Director before becoming President in 2022. Jake’s expertise in strategy, management, and execution has been instrumental in the continued success of White Electrical, as well as preparation for the future growth of the century-old company. His leadership ensures that our people and projects meet the highest standards of safety and quality, while maintaining strong client relationships and operational excellence.

Jake currently resides in Cumming, Georgia with his beautiful wife Elizabeth and their two daughters.

Steve Saussy serves as the Chief Financial Officer for 1910 Legacy Enterprises and oversees the accounting and finance functions for 1910 Legacy and its subsidiaries. A graduate of the University of Georgia and Georgia State University, Steve is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Georgia. Prior to joining 1910 Legacy and White Electrical, Steve spent 7 years working at public accounting firms working with clients in the construction and manufacturing industries.

Susan DiBiase brings a wealth of experience in human resources and operational leadership to her role as Director of Human Resources at 1910 Legacy Enterprises. Since joining the company in 2020 as Executive Assistant to the CEO, Susan has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s strategic direction and cultural growth.

Her career spans several industries, with key positions at Palmetto Oil Equipment, Summit Industrial, and Avion Systems. In these roles, she developed deep expertise in payroll, accounts payable, and workforce management, building a strong foundation for her leadership in HR.

At 1910 Legacy—an employee-owned ESOP company—Susan is deeply committed to fostering a culture rooted in safety, integrity, ownership, and teamwork. She is dedicated to creating an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered, and where people strategy drives lasting success.

Mike started with White Electrical in 1987, when he was 19 years old, as an electrician’s apprentice. He spent 13 years in the field, working his way up from apprentice to foreman. In 2000, Mike moved into a project management role, where he managed projects ranging from tens of thousands, to multi-million dollars in size. In 2010, Mike moved into a Branch Manger role, managing all work in Tennessee and eventually adding Alabama under his direction. Mike served on the East TN NECA Chapter Board of Directors for 15 years, and served on the National Electrical Code Making Panel #12 for the 2017 Code cycle. He taught the second year of apprenticeship for the Chattanooga location of the National Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training program for 15 years. He has also been involved in Field Leadership and Project Management training for White Electrical.

Phillip has 20+ years of construction experience spanning multiple scopes of work and levels of responsibility. Utilizing this experience gives him a unique view of risk and how to mitigate it from a grassroots approach. His corporate strategies have the end user in mind, and he works diligently to build programs with a team-centered focus. All of this allows him to gain commitment from the employees of every level, not merely compliance.

“I want employees to go home each day, not as they came in but better than.”

Matt Varnado has over 16 years of experience in heavy industrial construction with expertise in detailed estimating of construction and mechanical systems, pre-construction, scheduling, procurement, project cost and controls and contract review. Experience consists of different industrial markets including gas and coal fired power plants, water/wastewater plants, chemical processing plants, oil refineries, boilers, cement, mining and minerals, heavy manufacturing, and a variety of other large industrial applications.

Mr. Varnado is responsible for the establishment and implementation of best practices and upholding standards essential in developing, maintaining, communicating, and training effective projects, programs, and portfolio practices. The Preconstruction Group strives to standardize and introduce economies of consistency in the execution of projects while maintaining and providing high level resources with technical expertise in estimating, scheduling, procurement, and contract management to support the successful execution of projects from conception through completion.

Jesse Mattox serves as the Director of Information Technology for 1910 Legacy Enterprises, overseeing all IT operations for the Company and its subsidiaries. After studying Materials Engineering at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Jesse ultimately settled in the technology sector and spent the next decade performing a variety of IT job functions, eventually moving into leadership and consulting roles. As a member of the Executive Team, Jesse directs the Company’s IT strategy, works closely with company leadership to continuously analyze business requirements, and delivers the solutions needed to operate effectively and efficiently.