It’s evident to anyone who meets, or knows, Tonya Roebuck that family is very important to her, including her GUC family. 

Tonya grew up in Greenville, where she still lives with her husband of eight years, Keith, and 15-year-old son, Landon, an upcoming Freshman of D.H. Conley High School. Her son, Ryan, and daughter-in-law, Jodi, have a 10-month-old baby boy, Waylon.  

Tonya stays busy with baby Waylon and with Landon, who enjoys fishing, gaming, dirt-biking, and helping several of their friends who have farms. “Ryan and Jodi stay busy with work and volunteering in the community, so I take every opportunity I can to help with Waylon, which I love,” she said. “He’s my pride and joy, along with my two boys and Jodi of course!” Jodi works full-time at Physicians East, and Ryan is an EMS Specialist with Greenville Fire/Rescue, Ayden EMS, and Ayden Fire, as well as Assistant Chief with the Gardnerville Volunteer Fire Dept. 

Tonya also enjoys road tripping, cruising, and spending time with her family and friends on Blounts Bay. “We added a pontoon to the mix recently which has been nice for Waylon to have more room to play while we spend our days on the river,” she said. Before the pandemic, they were active at her church, and she looks forward to things getting back to normal for their church.  

As for her GUC family, Tonya says, “I know everybody says it, but I absolutely enjoy my work family. The people I have gotten to know, and the friendships I have developed, are just amazing. And they’re lifelong friendships. You don’t realize when you start to work with somebody where that friendship will lead. I have made some of the best friends working at GUC.” 

Tonya began her GUC career in 1995 as a Receptionist/Switch Board Operator at our former location that is now Greenville City Hall. In that job, she checked in customers, answered calls, and did all the filing for the Customer Relations Department. In 1998, she began working in the Call Center, and in 2008 was promoted to her current title of Customer Contact Representative II.  

Most of the time, you’ll find Tonya working with builders and contractors, GUC engineers, and walk-in customers. One of the things she enjoys most about her job is assisting our engineers and getting contractors set up with fees, temporary services, and other ongoing services that they require from GUC. “To help our contractors, we occasionally need to do some investigating and reaching out to other departments,” she said, “and I’ve learned so much about our daily operations in each department when doing these investigations.” 

She also serves as back-up when the Call Center experiences high call volumes, helps answer customer questions that come through our website chat and website email, assists with web applications, serves on the CCR Storm Team rotation, and assists with training new CCRs. Tonya says that training new CCRs is another favorite part of her job. “For me, it’s not just about training them for work,” she said, “but more about appreciating all the different personalities we have here. I enjoy showing them the ins and outs of the job but also enjoy learning and appreciating their life stories and personalities.”   

Over the years, Tonya has served on various GUC committees, including United Way, and enjoys helping with food drives and Toys for Tots. In her 26 years here, Tonya says the best memory that still stands out is her first job interview with former Director of Customer Relations George Reel. “During the interview, he was very laid back and treated me like he’d known me forever. I vividly remember that, and it’s absolutely one of my favorite memories.” 

GUC is fortunate to have motivated and dedicated employees like Tonya to provide our customers with personable, excellent care. 

Favorites

Vacation: Cruises
Restaurant: La Ribera
TV Show:  NCIS: Los Angeles
Movie: Sweet Home Alabama