Cooperative Living February 2021 - 9

More than Just a Job
PowerfulCareers | by Jim Robertson, Staff Writer
I
n just three years, Virginia Clifton went from receiving calls
from members reporting power outages to overseeing the
inventory and purchasing of materials needed to restore
power. Her children often remind the Craig-Botetourt Electric
Cooperative purchasing manager that she has more than a job.
She has a career.
The Colorado native relocated to Virginia in summer 2014
knowing very little about electric cooperatives. In August 2017,
Clifton came to CBEC in search of a role related to her associate
degree in accounting.
Her strong analytical skills and attention to
detail led her to a responsibility of nearly
$636,000 (as of November 2020) of inventory
with work orders, construction materials and
timelines to manage.
" I had no idea I could have such a great
Virginia Clifton
Purchasing Manager
Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative
" I think it's
really cool.
It makes me
pretty proud. "
- Virginia Clifton
career with development and advancement
opportunities right here, " says Clifton. The cooperative provided
her with training and certification in areas like forklift operation
while she learned the construction side of the business.
Clifton manages a warehouse and pole yard of materials and
equipment. " I think it's really cool, " she says. " It makes me
pretty proud. "
You never know where a
Powerful Career might take
you - or for how long.
Clifton is instrumental during the power restoration process.
Often, line crews in the field call on her to measure, cut and
deliver wire to a job site, in addition to ordering additional
supplies from vendors.
Electric co-ops are making a powerful impact similar to the
electrification of rural America more than 80 years ago. CBEC
is among the co-ops bringing high-speed internet to underserved
areas and changing lives for the better. " Long down the road,
I can say 'I helped with that,' " Clifton says proudly.
This past year has been difficult for electric cooperative
employees, who consider their coworkers - and members -
to be like family. " We all pull together. We adjust. We adapt.
We keep the lights on, " says Clifton.
Clifton's daughter, who had aspired to be a lawyer, has
ambitions of following in her mother's footsteps and pursuing
her own powerful career. She now has evidence proving co-ops
offer nearly limitless opportunities to employees who are
determined to advance. 
Co-op Careers are Unique
After graduating from Craig County High School
in New Castle, Va., Sheila Switzer started working
at a furniture company when an acquaintance
told her she might be a good fit for an opening at
a local utility.
That's how she started working with manual
typewriters, entering ledgers in pencil and dialing
rotary phones at Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative.
She ended up working with virtual meetings, scheduling energy audits and analyzing digital
spreadsheets for members who never used a rotary dial. In March 2020, she celebrated 50 years
with CBEC.
" We have always put the members first. We want to help them whenever we can, " says
Switzer, who recently retired as member services manager at Craig-Botetourt. " I think it helps
that we're a small co-op where everybody knows everybody and we would all go the extra mile
to help each other. "
Over time, she's had a role in just about all aspects of the co-op office, from overseeing
member services to stuffing envelopes. She says she has worked hard to keep up with the
changing times in order to serve members in the best way possible.
" Our first billing machine was manual. You plugged in numbers. We did billing twice a month
instead of once a month, " she says. " Then we worked up to a little computer where you changed
the disk all the time. It had a little bit of memory and you wondered what you would ever do with
all that spare memory. We've changed a lot, but you have to want to learn to keep on top of things. "
That's what a Powerful Career is all about.
co-opliving.com
DYNAMIC and
exciting industry
COMPETITIVE WAGES
and excellent benefits
VARIETY of job
opportunities
To learn more about electric co-op careers,
visit vmdaec.com/powerfulcareers.
February 2021 | Cooperative Living | 7
WHY CHOOSE A
CAREER WITH AN
ELECTRIC CO-OP?
LOCAL communityfocused
organization

http://www.vmdaec.com/powerfulcareers http://www.co-opliving.com

Cooperative Living February 2021

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