Page 9 - Tennessee

Frequently Asked Questions
By Kathy Quartermaine, Public Awareness Coordinator Tennessee811
IS IT TIME TO RETIRE?
Instead of answering a frequently asked question this quarter, I want to talk about retirement
– my retirement that is. I am retiring on February 29, 2024! (That’s
a happy exclamation mark.) Jason Fryer chose the date for me because it’s leap year and easy to remember. I do have to wonder if Jason thinks I need something like that to remember my retirement date...he’s probably right.
I have been with Tennessee 811 for
27 years. How that time flew by so quickly I will never know. It didn’t
seem fast while it was happening, but in hindsight, it flew by. I have met so many wonderful people while here, I couldn’t begin to name or thank them all. It is truly a gift if you can work in an industry that you believe in, and that has been my privilege. I was with FPL in Miami FL for 23 years before coming to Tennessee 811. A chance conversation at dinner with a Sunshine 811 board member, who also happened to be a board member at TN811 and before I knew it my husband, son and I had packed up and moved to Tennessee. It was a good move! Leaving our family in Miami was hard, but other than that I have no regrets.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Bill Turner, our President and CEO. Bill sold me on this company and his dreams for it during my interview,
and it has been all and more than
he promised 27 years ago. Bill has supported me and helped me learn and grow the position and myself. I told Bill at my interview that I wasn’t
a salesperson, but I believe that for both Bill and myself it’s really all about safety, and that’s not a hard message to sell at all. No job is perfect, but this one has been pretty darn great!
I was the first Liaison at TN811 and had the opportunity to travel the entire state meeting our members, bringing on non- members, working with excavators and locators and assisting with legislation.
I even set up fax machines in member offices back when we were promoting faxing in tickets! (The Dark Ages – I know.) I sat on floors at new member offices helping draw out their database on gigantic paper maps – taped together to match their service area (again – dark ages, I know). When Bill handed me a beeper, I wasn’t sure what to do with it – and then low and behold one day we got cell phones – how shocking! Sharing all that only shows my age and is proof it’s time for me to retire.
I have been fortunate to have been active in many utility associations and committees, and I learned so much and made so many friends over the years. I’ve been blessed to have some great co- workers at 811 - you know who you are! Honestly, it’s not very hard to promote something that you believe in, and I do believe in Tennessee 811 and its mission.
When I look at the Public Awareness/ Liaison team I am a member of, I can promise you that our team, led by Craig Ingram, is the best I have been a part of at TN811. I absolutely love working for and with Craig – he is so supportive, fair, fun, and knowledgeable. I have
a lot more adjectives I could use to
describe him, but he would probably delete them before he hands in this article to the publisher. Thank you, Craig, for being you! Our liaison team truly cares and is here to assist you. We all work well with each other, and I believe we honestly like each other and respect each other’s thoughts and opinions. I’m not saying we agree on everything, but we almost always end up in the same direction. Sometimes they have to push and pull me in that direction, but I go...
I can’t say retirement isn’t a little
scary because honestly, for me,
it gets scarier the closer the date approaches; but I know, in my heart, that it’s time and I’m looking forward to it. I am a worrier by nature, and I have just about worried “retirement” to death – it’s time to actually do it.
I plan to stay in Mt. Juliet, do some volunteering, walk, hike, ride my bike and travel with my husband and my sister. In other words, I plan to enjoy my retirement for as long as possible
- I think I’ve earned that! I’m keeping my same phone number, so if you find yourself in the area, give me a call - maybe we can grab a cup of coffee. It’s been a wonderful career – thank you!
A note from Craig:
Kathy has been a combination of
mentor, right-hand, and friend to me. It’s hard to accept that she’s really retiring, but she’s made her mark on the industry, and now she deserves to spend her time exactly how she wants. Thanks for everything, Kathy.
2024, Issue 1 Tennessee811 • 7