Ryan Gregory has worked at our Water Treatment Plant (WTP) for nine years as an Operator and Lead Operator, and he was recently promoted to Operations Coordinator. In his new role, Ryan works with WTP Superintendent Julius Patrick to help manage and coordinate the day-to-day operations of the Plant and to ensure that operations meet local, state, and federal requirements. He also supervises the team of Operators who regulate the treatment process. Water quality is continuously monitored and tested by the Operators as they make adjustments and chemical changes as needed. Before joining GUC, Ryan was a Conservation Technician with the Peanut Soil and Water Conservation District of Virginia, a job he landed soon after graduating from Ferrum College in Virginia, with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Minor in Agriculture.  

Fun Fact! Ryan worked for a veterinarian all through high school and college and started out as a pre-vet major at Ferrum. He made the switch to biology three years into college.  

What are your top favorite things about your job? I like the biology aspect of my job – the change in water quality, how we diagnose those changes and problems, and then fixing those issues and treating the water before sending it out to customers. I also enjoy who I work with every day. We have good staff here that make it nice and fun.  

What did you want to be when you were younger? Veterinarian 

What motivates you to work hard? I grew up in an environment where work ethic was a big deal, and I was just taught to work hard.  

What was your very first job? I worked at a veterinarian office through high school and college. 

What projects are you currently working on? The Plant expansion is our big project right now. It’s something I have to stay up to date on. There are always questions and ideas to tackle about how things will operate once the new section is up and running. Being involved in this project is big.  

What advice do you offer to those who are new to the utility industry? The sky’s the limit. There are a lot of places you can go within a utility if you set your mind to it.  

What would you like us to know about your family? My wife, Karoline, and I met in high school in Clarksville, Virginia, and now live in Hookerton. We have two kids. Our daughter, Larkin, is five, and we just welcomed our son, Webb, to the family. Karoline is a cardiology nurse. 

What is your favorite family or holiday tradition? I love celebrating our kid’s birthdays. We make it a fun time for all the parents and the kids.   

Given a chance, who would you like to be for a day? I’d have to say the country music singer Morgan Wallen because my wife loves him. 

If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have? I’d be able to snap my fingers and go to another destination without driving. 

What three items would you take with you on a deserted island? Gun, knife, and grill 

What would you do if you won the lottery? I’d buy a lot of land. 

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Tacos 

Do you have any hobbies? Yes, I hunt and fish. I mostly hunt bobcat and fox, and fish for bass and speckled trout. 

What do you want to accomplish this year either personally or in your career? A big accomplishment would be getting our baby to sleep through the night. 

What’s your favorite thing to do when you are not at work? I like to spend time with family and to hunt and fish. I also like to fish in tournaments when I can, although I don’t do it as much as I use to.