Page 8 - TN811 2022 issue 4

By Jason Fryer,
Damage Prevention Liaison Tennessee811
There is a bright and shining star in West Tennessee. This quarter’s Damage Prevention MVP has only been on the scene for a short period of time, but in her 1-year tenure, Mallory Lowery has made an enormous impact for both
the City of Lexington and Lexington Utilities. She serves in a dual role capacity as the Public Awareness Admin Assistant. Mallory manages the social media accounts for both the City of Lexington and Lexington Utilities. Lexington Utilities has three facilities they operate in natural gas, water, and sewer with 13,000 total customers. Mallory oversees the public awareness for the Lexington Gas System. She
does record keeping for Lexington Utilities and one of her other job
duties is making sure Lexington Gas
is complying with State and Federal regulations. She also educates the public about their underground facilities and the importance of calling 811 before you dig.
Through the support of upper management at Lexington Utilities, Mallory has been afforded numerous opportunities to network with many stakeholders in the industry. Former Assistant General Manager Chuck Rowsey first introduced Mallory to me at the beginning of this year. Mallory took over some of Chuck’s duties for Public Awareness when
he retired. General Manager Michael Harper and Assistant General Manager Justin Roach are very supportive of Mallory’s public awareness efforts,
and they realize the importance of a successful public awareness program. Utility damages were up before Chuck Rowsey first started the Lexington Utilities Safety Day in the spring of 2021. Continuing Chuck’s efforts, Mallory
and the management team at Lexington
Utilities have worked tirelessly to reduce damages through outreach and education.
Here is a list of some of Mallory’s accomplishments in her first year:
• Lexington Utilities 2nd Annual Safety Day on Friday, March 25th - This was a breakfast event that included excavators, vendors, other utilities, and public officials. The program included a short presentation by Tennessee 811, followed by the presentation of The Safe Digging Month Proclamation which was signed by Mayor Jeffrey Griggs and presented by Vice Mayor Sandra Wood. The main event of
the program was a demonstration of locating Lexington Utilities gas line. A crowd of 40 people attended.
• Tennessee 811 Damage Prevention Summit Conference, March 30th-April 1st – Mallory networked with other stakeholders in the industry at this conference in Franklin. She tells me she has taken back ideas from the conference and applied it to everyday work life.
• Henderson County Emergency Responders & Public Officials Training, September 14th – Mallory set up a luncheon for these important stakeholders to talk about Lexington Utilities engagement and invited Tennessee 811 to do a safety presentation.
• Henderson County Free Fair, September 12th-September 17th – Mallory set up a booth and gave out promo items from Lexington Utilities and Tennessee 811, promoting the important message of calling 811 before you dig.
To tease what the future looks like for Public Awareness at Lexington Utilities, I am going to list a few ideas Mallory
Mallory Lowery
has mentioned. In the coming months, Mallory plans to present at both Rotary Clubs and Lions Clubs. She has already extended the invitation to Tennessee
811 to be a part of the fun! In 2023,
look to see a school program for 4th Graders regarding Natural Gas Safety in Henderson County Schools. Another idea Mallory has is to go to excavators and do a breakfast or lunch meeting
at their location with a safety message. The thinking behind that is because of how busy excavators are and going to them would be better attended.
Mallory’s willingness to jump with both feet into something she had no previous experience with combines well with a great attitude and a desire to soak up everything thrown at her. One thing
we at Tennessee 811 most appreciate
is the opportunity to partner up with our member utilities to support their efforts, and Mallory has taken every opportunity to reach out to include Tennessee 811 to be a part of events with excavators, emergency responders, and public officials.
I always ask Damage Prevention MVPs for a recommendation or quote of what has made them successful, and this is what Mallory had to say. “Step outside of your comfort zone, meet as many people as you can, and never assume that everyone understands what you are trying to teach them. With that, go into everything open-minded and share your knowledge.” Well said, Mallory, we’re proud to recognize you as our Damage Prevention MVP for the fourth quarter of 2022.
Remember, always Call or Click 811 before you dig!
Do you know a Damage Prevention MVP? Email Jason at jfryer@ tennessee811.com
6 • Tennessee811 2022, Issue 4