Cooperative Living January 2021 - 7

TrainingTracks
Working Safe and Smart
Think of Billy Cascio as a lineworker, both on and off duty.
In addition to his work at CVEC, Cascio took top honors in
the apprentice division of the hurt man rescue at the 2019
Gaff-n-Go Rodeo and placed third in the climbing skills event.
He recently completed coursework to graduate from
apprentice to journeyman.
Becoming a lineworker: My father-in-law works for Central Virginia
Electric Co-op. Being around them, they talk about it - they love
their industry - so I took an interest in it from them.
About the rodeo: It's months of practicing, really. I like getting
together with all the guys and I like to compete. A lot of these
guys [at the training center] competed. ... It's kind of fun to reflect
back to the rodeo or, at the rodeo, reflect back to school or to an
outage restoration some place where we worked together.
What he likes best about his job: I like the whole industry altogether;
it's really cool - a lot of different aspects, a lot of different ways
Billy Cascio
* Central Virginia Electric Cooperative
* Been with CVEC for about 4 years
* Native of Amherst, Va.
Our Training Tracks feature spotlights a trainee
from an electric cooperative. Training is conducted
at the Electric Cooperative Training Center in Palmyra,
Va. The state-of-the-art facility is an ideal learning
environment to serve the needs of lineworkers,
system operators, substation operators and other
co-op representatives.
Lineworkers Honored
for Work in Bolivia
F
ifteen months later, Craig Loving
still finds it hard to put his
experiences electrifying
remote Bolivia with fellow
electric cooperative lineworkers
into words.
" We kind of knew what it would
mean to the Bolivians, but it changed
our group, also, " says Loving, a
lineworker at Northern Neck Electric
Cooperative. " We experienced the
emotional rollercoaster together. "
Loving was among 15 lineworkers
in United We Light: Project Bolivia who
brought power for the first time to
five settlements in September 2019.
For their work, the crew has
received official recognition in the form
of a resolution approved by the Virginia
General Assembly that praises its " lifechanging
accomplishments in service
to communities in rural Bolivia. "
co-opliving.com
of doing things, a lot of different people. I like going out
and being able to turn people's lights back on. Everyday
work is one thing, but putting people's lights back
on is the real reason you wanted to do it to begin with.
What he's learning: A lot of what we're learning is
about going from an apprentice, where you have
someone standing over the top of you the whole time -
making sure that you're doing everything you're
supposed to do - to preparing you for being on your
own a little bit. There's always going to be someone
above you, but for the most part, it gives you a little
idea of how you're going to do it on your own.
About the training center: I've been coming here for four
years. It's a really nice facility, especially compared to
the trailers they used to have here. 
Read about the training center at vmdaec.com/center.
From left, Del. Kirk Cox, Craig
Loving, Del. Margaret Ransone
and Brad Hicks, president and
CEO of Northern Neck Electric
Cooperative.
" For our country, going
through COVID and the
political divisions, this
is what America is all about, "
he says. " They're so hardDel.
Margaret Ransone, who
sponsored the resolution, presented
a framed copy to Loving at a Dec. 8
ceremony in Warsaw, Va., with other
team members participating remotely.
" Please don't think that your acts of
kindness, not only in the community
during a storm, but what you've done
globally, go unnoticed, " Ransone says.
Del. Kirk Cox, who also attended
the ceremony, says he was impressed
that the volunteers toiled at a 13,000foot
elevation and raised 13 miles of
line by hand.
working; their jobs are so essential
to us. "
The Virginia, Maryland & Delaware
Association of Electric Cooperatives
sponsored the project with support
from other cooperative associations.
" It's an honor because we
volunteered for this and to get a
proclamation from your state
government is a pretty big deal, "
Loving says. 
For more on the Bolivia mission, visit
facebook.com/groups/UnitedWeLight.
January 2021 | Cooperative Living | 5
http://www.vmdaec.com/center http://www.facebook.com/groups/UnitedWeLight http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living January 2021

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