Nice to Meet You
Barbara Scheib, ElectriCities Manager of Internal Services, is a Jack of all trades. Make that a Jill. Actually: “I think of Jill as a young name, so I’m the Esther of all trades!” she says with a laugh. In her 25 years at ElectriCities she has worked in administrative roles, in purchasing, in HR, and now in her current role overseeing any and everything related to the daily operations of our building, fleet management, copy services, and mail systems. “There is no typical day,” she says. “We come in, we check our email, see what anybody needs that day, and get to work.”
2020 has added even more curveballs to the mix. “We are so connected to the building that we pretty much can’t work from home,” Barbara says. “We can check emails, but it’s not like being here at the copier, or being here at the mail machine.” Her team has also managed shipping PPE equipment to member communities, another in-person task. While most of the ElectriCities staff will continue to work from home through at least February, Barbara and her two colleagues still hold down the fort at the Raleigh HQ. “It’s very strange … the building is pretty empty,” she says.
Luckily, Barbara embodies adaptability — it’s why she’s an effective Internal Services Manager. And it’s a trait she’ll emphasize even more when she retires at the end of January. “In retirement, the first thing my husband and I are going to do is take a 6-month road trip across the U.S. and into Alaska,” Barbara says. While she does normally like a bit of a plan, on this trip the sky is the limit. “We’re going to just get in the car and drive. We have two reservations: at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the ferry in Alaska. Other than that, we’re just flying by the seat of our pants. Where we end up at night is where we end up at night and we’ll stay in a hotel wherever we are.”
After that exciting six months, Barbara and her husband will return to their new house in Pinehurst, where they’ll have plenty of time to devote to their shared passion: golfing.
Back here at ElectriCities, Barbara’s team is ready to hold down the fort. She works with two fellow “Jack/Jills of all trades,” Senior Copy Services Coordinator Gwen Newkirk and Mail Services Coordinator Jason Hogan. “They both do a whole lot more than mail,” Barbara explains. “If you need it, they can do it.”
Learn more about the Internal Services team below, and join us in wishing Barbara a bon voyage on her retirement adventure.
Barbara Scheib, Manager of Internal Services
- 3 things I can’t live without: my family, duct tape and WD40, campfires by the fire pit
- One of my favorite holiday traditions is… spending Christmas Eve night with my siblings (I’m still a kid at heart!)
- To the (imaginary) ElectriCities potluck, I’m bringing… sausage dressing
Gwen Newkirk, Senior Copy Services Coordinator
- 3 things I can’t live without: my family, my shoes, and good friends
- One of my favorite holiday traditions is… my family and I get together to try to make sweet potato pies
- To the (imaginary) ElectriCities potluck, I’m bringing… mashed potatoes
- Contact Gwen here
Jason Hogan, Mail Services Coordinator
- 3 things I can’t live without: my dog, Italian food, live sports
- One of my favorite holiday traditions is… Friendsgiving
- To the (imaginary) ElectriCities potluck, I’m bringing… chicken riggies (Utica, NY dish)
- Contact Jason here
We Want to Hear from You!
We want to shine a light on the folks who keep the lights on, the faces behind the public power that drives our communities. We’ll be sharing a few stories about our team here at ElectriCities, from what inspires us to some of our favorite hobbies.
But this isn’t just about us. We want to hear from you! Do you have an employee who goes above and beyond? What about a team member or leader with an impressive extracurricular accomplishment? Let us know by sending your stories and ideas here.