August 2023 Newsmakers

August 2023 Newsmakers

August 31, 2023

Service Awards

Lisa Johnson / 25 Years
Senior Administrative Assistant Lisa Johnson is celebrating 25 years with Greenville Utilities in the Gas Department. Lisa oversees the administrative team of three by managing the overall office operations, working closely with the department director and engineering staff, building positive relationships with contractors and customers, and working directly with other departments on gas-related projects. She also works closely with the Public Information Office on Gas Department communications, especially with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline Public Awareness Program. “It says a lot about a company when you have people employed for 20, 30, and 40 years,” she said. “Of course, I enjoy the people, but I love the atmosphere of our department.”

Cliff Cahoon / 25 Years
Water Resources Construction/Contracts Engineer Cliff Cahoon, PE, PLS, F-PENC, is celebrating 25 years at GUC this month. He is responsible for engineering design review, state permitting, and field inspection of private developer projects. He also manages major GUC sewer extension projects. Cliff and his team work to ensure that projects constructed by outside contractors for residential and commercial developments adhere to state and GUC design and installation standards. Cliff also assists in long-range planning for the water/sewer distribution and collection systems, coordinating various aspects of requested system extensions. “It’s interesting and rewarding to have an integral role in the planning and construction of the Greenville area growth,” he said. “I’m thankful and proud to be a member of the GUC team.”

Jesse Powers / 25 Years
Jesse Powers, Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Instrumentation Technician II, recently celebrated 25 years of service with Greenville Utilities. Jesse is part of the team responsible for keeping all the mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and instrumentation systems operable at the WWTP, as well as the 44 remote pump stations that send the flow to the treatment plant. They are multi-skilled, with knowledge of electronics, electrical systems, pumps, motors, hydraulics, and pump mechanics. “In this field, you have to be committed to lifelong learning, and GUC provides ample opportunities for training on new technologies,” he said. 

Angie Taylor / 20 Years
Angie Taylor, Damage Prevention Technician II, recently celebrated 20 years with GUC. Angie works with the Underground Locating Services (ULS) Section, which is under the Gas Department. Although ULS is housed in Gas, this section provides an essential service to all of our operating departments. When a contractor or customer plans excavation or digging work, state law requires them to call NC 811 to request all underground lines be marked. Angie and our team of Damage Prevention Technicians use different types of equipment and methods (including geographic information system mapping and ground penetrating radar) to find each underground facility in the proposed digging site. The areas are marked with colored flags and spray paint to indicate the type of service that is underground. Our Locators respond to an average of over 19,000 locate requests per year, which helps to avoid costly repairs. “I’ve enjoyed working with the ULS team because we all work well together,” said Angie. “If any one of us needs help, someone is just a phone call away.”

5 Years
Jacob Swink, Electric Distribution Engineer
William Clanton, Lineworker Second Class

10 Years
Joseph Phillip, Underground Electric Crew Leader

Promotions

David Springer, Director of Water Resources
Eban Kea, Network Analyst I

Accomplishments

Tammy Forrest, Customer Relations Support Analyst II, was recently elected as a Board Officer to the North Carolina / South Carolina Revenue Protection Council (NCSCRPC), a non-profit organization open to members of utility communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, and surrounding states. The Council encourages utility theft investigators, law-enforcement, credit and collections professionals, internal auditors, and fraud investigators to come together to prevent utility theft and revenue loss. Tammy has been a member of NCSCRPC since 2020 and was elected to the Board in August.

Thank You's

Emma Elizabeth complimented Customer Contact Representative I Nicholas Corsaro on his exemplary customer service. “Nick was fabulous, he helped me out so much. I appreciate his work and kindness,” she said.

Customer Contact Representative II Tiffany Davis received a compliment from customer Kemya Moye, who left a voicemail commending Tiffany for being both "helpful and explanatory," while solving an account problem.