Service Awards

Join us in congratulating these employees on their recent work anniversary milestones! 

Tara Dixon / 30 Years 
Tara Dixon, Customer Relations Support Analyst III, is part of the team that generates approximately 85,000 bills each month. They also assist in processing bill adjustments, investigating bill inquiries, and overall quality control and troubleshooting of customer billing. They work closely with other departments as part of quality control, most especially the Meter Section and Customer Service. Tara also works on large industrial and medium service Coincident Peak billing. She began her career as a Cashier and moved to Customer Relations in 2004. “I enjoy being able to do a variety of things in my job; it keeps it interesting,” said Tara. “It’s also been nice to build relationships with my co-workers and customers over the years.” 

Jeffery Williams / 25 Years 
Overhead Construction/Maintenance Supervisor Jeffery Williams is responsible for supervising the daily work loads of three Overhead (OH) Lineworker crews and four Troubleshooter crews, in addition to multiple contract crews. Jeffery is often called on to help troubleshoot blinks and potential issues on the overhead system. He was promoted to this role in 2018 after having previously worked on a Line Clearing crew, an OH Construction crew, and as a Troubleshooter Crew Leader. He’s also been on 8-10 mutual aid trips with our crews to assist other utilities in power restoration following major weather events. Jeffery serves on the North Carolina Association of Municipal Electric Systems (NCAMES) and ElectriCities Safety and Training Committees, both of which collaborate to plan the NCAMES Linemen Rodeo. He was also once a member of GUC rodeo team.  He helps with Basic Lineman, Troubleshooting, Transformer, and Substation Schools for ElectriCities.  “Working with these top-notch guys is what I enjoy the most,” he said. “I also like the challenges that come with the job and figuring out what caused a problem and how to fix it.”   

Denine Hardee / 25 Years  
Customer Relations Support Analyst Team Lead Denine Hardee joined GUC as a Cashier and moved to the Billing Section of Customer Relations in 2008. She and her team stay busy generating 85,000 bills each month. Denine has a variety of other responsibilities that include processing bill adjustments, investigating bill inquiries, and providing overall quality control and troubleshooting of customer billing. We receive a lot of thank you notes from customers complimenting she and her team for their quality control work, which often helps customers find solutions to problems, like leaky water faucets. She also works on special projects and programs, such as the Customer Cloud Service (CCS) and large industrial and medium service Coincident Peak billing. “Our job is interesting,” said Denine. “Something different comes up just about every day. I really enjoy what I do and the people I work with. I work with the best people. I wouldn’t want a job anywhere else.”   

Mike Ashley / 25 Years
Overhead Construction Line Crew Leader Mike Ashley and his crew of four are one of three overhead construction crews that build electric lines “from scratch.” They work on all major projects involving overhead lines. For example, if a new development or highway project is under construction, overhead construction crews do turnkey electric work from poles and transmission to primary and secondary lines, and everything in between. They also pitch in to assist other crews, including Underground, when necessary. Mike has worked on our Line Clearing and Troubleshooter crews and has served as GUC team coach and event judge for both national and state lineman rodeos. He has also been on 15-20 mutual aid trips to assist other utilities in power restoration following major weather events. “The camaraderie in this industry is like a brotherhood. We look after each other,” he said. Mike also enjoys training new linemen. “I like to see that folks who have worked for me have moved up and are excelling in their careers.”  

Stacy Bullock / 25 Years
Stacy Bullock, Customer Relations Support Analyst III, is part of the team that generates approximately 85,000 bills each month. They also assist in processing bill adjustments, investigating bill inquiries, and overall quality control and troubleshooting of customer billing. They work closely with other departments as part of quality control, most especially the Meter Section and Customer Service. Stacy also works on large industrial and medium service Coincident Peak billing. She began her GUC career as a Cashier then moved to Billing in June of 2015. “I think it’s a great place to work,” said Stacy. “I tell people all the time I’m proud to work here. We have a lot of good relationships and lifelong friendships built here.” 

Tony Page / 20 Years
Tony Page, Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Operator III, helps monitor all aspects of the biological treatment process and collects samples from different points in the system for laboratory testing. The information he and the other Operators gather is entered into the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA), which is the heartbeat of the Plant, and tracks trends at the WWTP. They also use SCADA to monitor our 40 remote sites. Operators are required to go through a rigorous state certification process. Tony is certified at the highest level as a Grade-4 Biological Water Pollution Control Operator and also has the Maintenance I Certification and Land Application certification. “It’s a challenging and rewarding job to help the environment by keeping our river clean for us and for people downstream,” he said. “There is always something different to work on around here. I like that.” 

10 Years
Durk Tyson, Assistant Director of Gas Systems  

5 Years 
Karen Braxton, Parts Manager 
Jarred Williams, Meter Field Tech I
Dylan Morris, Water Resources Systems O/M Technician III  

Accomplishments

Congratulations to Brandie Whitehurst, Administrative Assistant to CFO, on earning the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential from the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). This prestigious certification underscores her real-world applicable knowledge, as it requires a combination of experience and education to qualify for the exam. By obtaining the CAP, Brandie has demonstrated her expertise in essential administrative skills, including organizational management, communication, and project coordination. Furthermore, the requirement for re-certification every three years ensures that she remains up-to-date and relevant in the ever-evolving administrative profession. 

Congratulations to Brandon Crocker, WR Construction Inspector I, on earning a Grade II Collections Operator certification from the NC Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission. This is a 4-level certification program covering materials, installation, testing, and operation of a sanitary sewer collection system including pumping stations.  

Congratulations also to Brian Greer, WTP Maintenance Mechanic III, on receiving his Class 4 NC Maintenance Technologist Certification. This is a 4-level voluntary certification program administered by NC One Water. It is intended to increase knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform maintenance activities successfully according to current professional standards. 

Sympathies

Our condolences to Communications Specialist Linda Clark on the passing of her mother, Constance “Connie” Chapin.  

Our condolences are also extended to the family of Retiree Spencer Conklin who recently passed away. Mr. Conklin retired from the Wastewater Treatment Plant in 2001 as an Operator.  

Congratulations 

Congratulations to Amy Wade, Executive Assistant to General Manager, and Ken Wade, Assistant Director of Electric, for the birth of their grandson Carter Alexander Moore. 

Thank You's 

Gloria Potter sent a note complimenting Customer Relations Team Lead Tonya Roebuck for her excellent customer service. “She was awesome and went above and beyond,” wrote Ms. Potter.  

Bertha Holloman called in a compliment about Mandy Perry, Customer Contact Representative I. “Mandy was very helpful and gave great information during a very stressful situation,” said Ms. Holloman. 

Julia Bice called to express her gratitude for the following Electric employees: Matthew McLawhorn, Tree Trimmer Crew Leader; Tree Trimmers I Chase Hudson, Cobie Waters, Josh Greer, Taylor Braxton; Mike Ashley, Overhead Crew Leader; Lineworkers Third Class Tyler Bradshaw, Cole Hartley, and Hunter Forrest; Lineworker First Class Richard Gould; and Casey Jones, Overhead Crew Leader. A tree fell and took out multiple powerlines around Ms. Bice’s home. She said the response of the GUC teams was remarkable, and she was impressed with how fast and professional their efforts were to restore power to her home. 

GUC received hundreds of thank you messages via phone, email, and social media regarding the Electric Department’s mutual aid assistance to Western North Carolina. You can view some of those messages here.

New Hires

Adam Henn,
WWTP Operator III 

Melinda Sampson,
Communications Specialist 







Matthew Bullock,
Meter Field Tech I