Nice to Meet You
In my job as Senior Safety & Training Specialist, I am responsible for teaching ElectriCities line schools, coordinating the career development program with member employees, and supporting members by conducting safety meetings and crew audits to help their lineworkers work safe each and every day.
Safety, Service, and Family
Kenny Roberts has more than three decades of experience as a journey lineman and a dedication to giving back to the public power community. When it came time for him to hang up his hat after 30 years with the Huntsville Utilities Electric Operations in Huntsville, AL, “I wasn’t ready to retire,” says Roberts, ElectriCities Senior Safety & Training Specialist. “I wanted to keep contributing to our industry. I am a lifelong fan of public power and the value that it brings to the communities it serves. I wanted to continue to serve public power.” Roberts joined ElectriCities in 2017, where he’s been doing just that — including helping develop an electric industry guide for mitigating COVID-19 risk and being a part of updating the APPA safety manual.
As Senior Safety & Training Specialist, Roberts has a direct impact on the lineworker community he cares so much about. “I want to continue to try to have a positive effect on the safety of our lineworkers, making sure that they go home safe to their families every day.” In that spirit, he currently serves as the statewide Municipal Mutual Aid Coordinator, helping all lineworkers work together to keep the lights on and get home safely. Over the years, Roberts has contributed his expertise to positions at the national level, too. His service positions include the APPA DEED Board of Directors, APPA Engineering & Operations Chairman, RP-3 Screening Task Force, APPA Chair of Safety, and the National Mutual Aid Working Group. “I’ve been blessed to be asked to serve,” Roberts says. “It’s an honor.”
Recently, Roberts represented public power on the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) to help develop the ESCC Resource Guide for Assessing and Mitigating COVID-19 in the electric industry. He was also just asked to serve on the APPA Safety Manual Revision Task Force, where he’ll spend the next few months helping write and update the APPA safety manual. Clearly, Roberts has many years of service still ahead of him.
Helping lineworkers get home safe is important to Roberts because he cherishes going home to his own family. “I love spending time with my family: I have two daughters and two granddaughters and a grandson on the way,” he says. Kenny and Kathy just moved to Wake Forest and expanded their family to include a chocolate lab puppy, Murphy. Before too long, Murphy might join Roberts on one of his other favorite pastimes, spending time outdoors. “I enjoy hunting, fishing, kayaking, and shooting sports.” You never know — with training programs going increasingly digital, you might even see the puppy pop up in the background of a video call one day!
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.