Cooperative Living January 2021 - 9

She Was Ready for a Move
PowerfulCareers | by Mark Thomas, Contributing Writer
I
n her 23 years at Southside Electric Cooperative, Heather
Dalton has experienced the inside and outside of the power
line industry.
Dalton, a staking technician in SEC's Altavista office, came to
the cooperative as a cashier/clerk, equivalent to today's member
service representative. For 10 years, she worked with members
on their accounts, entered meter readings into a computer,
answered the telephone and helped create work orders.
When a staking technician in the Altavista office left, Dalton
saw an opportunity. She was ready for a move.
Dalton works with SEC members who
want new or upgraded electric lines, designs
either an overhead or underground path,
measures and marks the route, provides cost
estimates and initiates the project's paperwork.
She works in Appomattox, Bedford,
Campbell and Charlotte counties, often
having three member appointments each day.
" The biggest thing was wanting to be outside. I'm an
outdoors person, " says Dalton, who, with her dad, manages
70 head of cattle on a Pittsylvania County farm and loves to
hunt for that big deer.
" You learn
something
new each day.
No two jobs
are the same. "
- Heather Dalton
After getting the job, the cooperative sent Dalton for
classroom training while she also learned from working in the
field. She credits Graham Fowlkes, her current manager, with
Introducing #PowerfulCareers
Showcasing careers in the energy field during 2021
Lineworkers, sure - that's a given - but the diversity of employees
at electric cooperatives goes way beyond them.
Engineers. Financial analysts. Graphic designers. Meeting
coordinators. GIS mappers. Customer service representatives.
Purchasing specialists. IT professionals. Broadband marketers.
Dispatchers. Videographers. And more.
Think of them as #PowerfulCareers.
During 2021, the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of
Electric Cooperatives will spotlight employees with nontraditional
backgrounds in the pages of Cooperative Living, online at
vmdaec.com and co-opliving.com, and through our social media
channels. We'll be at job fairs, co-op annual meetings and community
meetings.
It's a rich field to draw from, with nearly 2,000 employees
in our member cooperative systems.
We'll be using the hashtag #PowerfulCareers, and we invite you
to read, like, follow and share our information.
Our co-op employees have great stories to tell. We hope they
will interest others in co-op careers, and the stability, security and
fulfillment those jobs bring.
co-opliving.com
Mark Thomas is community relations coordinator
at Southside Electric Cooperative.
Be a Part of Our Essay Contest
Hey, students - let the more than 1.3 million readers of Cooperative
Living know what you've learned about the value of careers in energy.
Our #PowerfulCareers campaign is sponsoring an essay contest to
explain why energy-related jobs are important.
HERE'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
* Essays will be accepted starting March 1 through Sept. 1 through
our submission form at vmdaec.com/powerfulcareers. No mail-ins
will be accepted.
* Essays should focus on one career opportunity. Explain what the
job is, why it matters and how it relates to the energy business.
Hint: Your local co-op is a great resource.
* We have two categories: Grades 7-9 should submit essays of 500 to
750 words. Grades 10-12 should submit essays of 800-1,000 words.
* Essays will be judged by the staff of the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware
Association of Electric Cooperatives based on originality, grammar,
creativity and understanding of the subject matter.
* First prize in each age category is a $100 gift card. Second prize is
a $50 gift card. Third prize is a $25 gift card. The first-place entries
will be reprinted in the November-December 2021 issue of
Cooperative Living.
Please carefully review all rules and requirements at
vmdaec.com/powerfulcareers before entering. Good luck!
January 2021 | Cooperative Living | 7
Heather Dalton
Staking Technician
Southside Electric Cooperative
helping her understand the new job. Dalton has been a staking
technician for 13 years, the first woman to have that position
at Crewe, Va.-based SEC.
" I enjoy the challenge of each day going out to design
new services. You learn something new each day. No two jobs
are the same, " says Dalton, describing her work as both
challenging and rewarding.
With an engaging personality, Dalton likes meeting and
talking with the members, along with the contractors and
out-of-area crews she escorts around the 18-county service
area as they make repairs after storm-related power outages.
" A lot of them end up asking for you by name. You make
friends out there. "
Dalton's advice to someone interested in the electric utility
industry or any job field is to get a good education, be able
to work with others, be open to change and stay positive.
That is what Heather Dalton has done, and she has a
Powerful Career at Southside Electric Cooperative to prove it. 
http://www.vmdaec.com/powerfulcareers http://www.vmdaec.com http://www.co-opliving.com http://www.vmdaec.com/powerfulcareers http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living January 2021

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