Cooperative Living August 2021 - 6

The Cooperative Difference
PowerfulCareers | by Jim Robertson, Staff Writer
S
tarting a new job is stressful enough, but making that
transition during a nationwide pandemic is another order
of magnitude. " I was very nervous and scared, " admits
Crystal Johnson-Smith, vice president of human resources at
Prince George Electric Cooperative.
She quickly realized her small electric cooperative in Waverly,
Va., was part of a national network of more than 900 co-ops,
including statewide and national trade associations, providing
support, advocacy and development opportunities.
Johnson-Smith may have been most surprised by the
willingness of others in the industry to share experiences, offer
advice and discuss challenges. Although much of her career
was within the power industry with an investor-owned utility,
Johnson-Smith knew very little about the cooperative difference.
" I had no idea about this hidden gem of co-ops, " she says,
" and how focused they are on the community. " She's intrigued
by the concept of serving members, as compared with
customers. PGEC's members believe their co-op employees
have their best interests in mind, she explains.
TEAM APPROACH
Johnson-Smith graduated from Virginia Commonwealth
University with a bachelor's degree focused on human resources
management and industrial relations. She spent nearly 14 years
at Dominion in a variety of human resources roles.
MailBag
THROWBACK APPRECIATED
Your ThrowBack column was great in
the July issue with the Lonesome Corner.
The old artwork brought back memories
of a simpler time ... you know, the REA
also supported rural telephone services,
too, and we had a party line near
Manassas in the 1960s and could listen
in. This was, perhaps, the precursor to
Facebook? Maybe a story idea. I have
always appreciated the magazine.
- Will Thornton, Prince William
County, Va.
MYSTERY SOLVED
When I moved to
Chase City in 1988 as
pastor of Crewe UMC,
I often walked by a
mystery garden on my
way to church from the
parsonage. I often wondered what
the story was behind those fences.
4 | Cooperative Living | August 2021
Crystal Johnson-Smith
Vice President, Human Resources
Prince George Electric Cooperative
At Prince George, she's reinforced her belief that daily
accessibility to co-op leadership, including the CEO, allows
for open communications and can help keep employee morale
at a higher level.
" I really enjoy being able to interact with my colleagues and
get real-time feedback, " says Johnson-Smith, who also believes
her role is to help co-op employees access resources to develop
in their careers. " The men and women that I see every day are
not just my colleagues or co-workers. They are what I consider
my family. "
Electric cooperatives frequently utilize a team approach to
solving issues and completing tasks. Just like they did 80-plus
years ago, electric co-ops are working together to fill the unmet
needs in their rural communities. " We're fighting hard to make
sure our members have the access they need [to high-speed
internet], " she notes.
Johnson-Smith says not to come to a co-op if you're just
looking for a job. " This is a career. "
She now believes her career path is limitless, and yours
can be, too, if you remain willing to learn. 
I was pleased to find the answer in the
June issue of Cooperative Living. I was
no longer living there when it formally
became the MacCallum More Museum
& Gardens. Nice to know I can now
go see it in its entirety.
I often think of writing but never
do. I especially wanted to thank the
lineworkers who worked tirelessly to
repair the immense damage done during
the February ice storm. We were out of
power for 10 days and were ever so
grateful when our power was restored.
I was also saddened by the complaints
of people who didn't seem to understand
the enormity of the task they faced.
- Dr. Alexis Fathbruckner,
Blackstone, Va.
THANKFUL MEMBER
On the evening of July 1, we had a
mild thunderstorm in Page County. I
heard a crack of lightning, and my lights
and TV went off. I looked at my neighbor
across the road and her lights were on.
Knowing that my co-op account is always
paid, I called and reported this. In a
few minutes, I saw a Shenandoah Valley
Electric Cooperative truck outside.
It pulled away and was back in a few
minutes. I walked out and asked the guy
why my power was
power was on. He explained that I was
connected to
connected to a diffdif erent transformer.
MMy electricity was
a half hour of my p
e
ggo out at any time,
half hour of my hone call. Some
electric cooperativ
ou for doing your job.
-JeffKibler, Lu
Jef Kibler Luray, Va.
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y electricity was working again within
lectric cooperative employees have to
o out at any time, which could take
tthem away from ot
hem away from other events. Thank
yyou for doing your
ff and my neighbor's
why my power was off and my neighbor's
power was on. He
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Cooperative Living August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living August 2021
