Current Light Flashes

V irginia Green and Danny Pitts, two of the co-op's most experienced dispatchers, have decided to hang up their headsets and retire. As afterhours dispatchers their duties include dispatching linemen to outages, and coordinating multiple crews while they make repairs to the power grid. They also assist local emergency agencies, providing help with emergency situations related to electricity including downed lines, house fires, car accidents and more. For years, both Green and Pitts often worked 12-hour shifts each weekend.

Green began her career at West Florida Electric in July 1994 while simultaneously working as a Title 1, Pre-K Assistant and Pre-K teacher at Graceville Elementary, which she continued to do until 2019 when she retired from the school system. She worked with students at GES for 29
years.

She says that the field of afterhours dispatching has changed tremendously since she started. Some of those changes included going from using a printed out list of members accounts and information during outages to using computers and new dispatch programs, taking payments
for prepaid members after hours, assisting members with the co-op's satellite program (which no longer exists) and training many other dispatchers. The shifts she works have also changed over the years. She says there were many challenges over the years but she learned new things with the help of her supervisors, co-workers and the linemen. She said one of the things they taught her was how to speak into the radio properly so she didn't sound like she was in a hole.

"I will miss the guys because I feel I have a good working relationship with them. They are very respectful and helpful. I will also miss my co-workers because I enjoy people. I want to thank the wives of the linemen for being nice to me when I called them out at all times of the night," said Green.

She plans to do more traveling with her daughters after she retires. Green says she has been to Colorado Springs, the Pentagon, Virginia, San Diego, and many more places in the past year. She also has many more travel plans for this year.

Pitts was previously employed by the Jackson County School District and the Graceville Police Department, enjoying long careers with each. Pitts started working at West Florida Electric Cooperative in October 2013. He is married to Anna Lee and plans to spend lots more time with her and his family after retirement.

"Dispatchers are the people who direct the crews during outages. Having dispatchers who genuinely care about the lineworkers and members is a win for all parties. Danny and Virginia are those types of dispatchers," said Shawn Walling, Executive Vice President and CEO.

"I have had linemen tell me Ms. Virginia would call them to make sure they are okay when a repair took longer than they told her it would. They all knew Ms. Virginia was there keeping an eye on them and making sure they were safe. In her 30 years of being a dispatcher, she has seen many changes. Employees have started and finished their careers here at WFEC with her voice being the one on the radio after hours. She has been a fixture. As she and Danny begin this new season of their lives, we wish them the best.  For the employees, we will miss both of them, but especially Virginia's larger-than-life personality and the pride and care she took in keeping WFEC's lineworkers safe and "getting the lights" back on for the membership," he said.