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Discover Co-op Conversations with DEMCO as we explore the power of a local member-owned not-for-profit electric cooperative. Since 1938, DEMCO has woven cooperative principles into every wire, and our business isn’t just about electricity.
At DEMCO, we’re more than just an electric company, and our work, is more than just a job. As a local member-owned cooperative, we are your neighbors, your family and your friends. We exist to serve you, and we take a lot of pride in all that we do.
Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for our members, employees, and communities by safely providing reliable and competitively priced energy services. You’ve probably seen us out in the community—at events on and off duty—doing what we can to make a difference.
And now, you can hear us on your favorite podcast platform as we discuss what makes cooperatives special and inform the community about how we are striving to serve you in everything we do.
DEMCO, Powering life and community, that’s the cooperative difference!
David Latona:
Welcome to Co-op Conversations with DEMCO,
where we talk about the topics that impact your power,
your co-op and your community. I'm your host,
David Latona.
In this episode, we're talking about the many different careers
at an electric cooperative.
The paths that can lead you here,
and the opportunities to learn and grow along the way.
Joining me today is Russchelle Overhultz DEMCO's Chief Corporate
Services Officer.
Russchelle, thanks so much for being here.
Russchelle Overhultz:
I am glad to be here.
David Latona:
Russchelle, quick question. If I asked someone to name a job at
an electric company,
just an electric company, what do you think they'd say first?
Russchelle Overhultz:
Lineworker.
David Latona:
Of course they would. What else?
Russchelle Overhultz:
Possibly member service representative?
David Latona:
And you above all know that we have so many different
opportunities.
And that's what we want to explore today because there are a lot
of different jobs,
professions and career paths at DEMCO that people may not
immediately think of.
You don't have to climb poles, or even have an electrical
background to build a career at an electric cooperative.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Absolutely. It takes people with very different skills,
education and experience to operate DEMCO.
Some work directly on the electric system,
while others support the people,
technology and resources behind it.
Or they work directly with our members and communities.
There are opportunities for people with all kinds of professional
and technical interests.
David Latona:
Great. So let's talk about some of those.
And maybe along the way we can help someone listening think,
I didn't know you could do that at DEMCO.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Yeah, and that's really the point. So people may already have
skills that could translate to a career here,
and they simply haven't thought about an electric cooperative as
a place to use them.
David Latona:
And I'm sure in your years of service here at DEMCO,
specifically what you've done,
you've seen the different job titles and careers come.
You've seen people start a career. You've seen people finish
their career here at DEMCO.
So let's start with the side of DEMCO people probably know best.
The people who build and operate an electrical system.
Russchelle Overhultz:
So lineworkers are actually part of a much larger engineering and
operations team.
So the engineers help plan, design and improve the electric
system,.
Systems operators monitor and operate the system.
Substation technicians work with the equipment that helps move
the electricity through the system.
And then we have people who map the system.
And right-of-way teams who keep vegetation around the system from
getting overgrown.
Each requires its own skills, training and expertise.
David Latona:
And even right there, we're already talking about some very
different kinds of careers.
So someone might love being outside and working with their hands.
Someone else might be interested in engineering,
technology, system planning,
maybe something meticulous they like to I mean,
you know, there's people that like spreadsheets.
And I know there's many opportunities at DEMCO working with
spreadsheets.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Oh my goodness. Yes. Spreadsheets.
Smart sheets. All the sheets. So yes,
that's right.
There isn't just like one type of person who works on or supports
the electric system.
So there's different positions that call for different interests
and abilities.
Some career paths involve a college degree.
Others may involve technical training,
certifications, apprenticeships,
and some just hands on development,
which we do a lot of here.
David Latona:
Yeah, we have a lot of on the job training.
That's probably an important point for a young person who's
listening and trying to figure out,
what do I do after high school?
Russchelle Overhultz:
The ultimate question, right? So there are many ways to prepare
for a successful career.
College is the right path for some careers,
but it isn't the only path.
So technical and skilled careers are the largest part of our
workforce here at DEMCO.
It takes years of training to become a journeyman lineman.
And there's an internal program that we use to help build those
individuals that are interested in that career path.
And there's a lot of careers here that are based on the
accumulation of experience and training.
David Latona:
So now we're talking about different ways people find their way
into careers at DEMCO.
And you're actually a pretty good person to have this
conversation with because you've built your own career here.
Where did your DEMCO story start?
Russchelle Overhultz:
Oh my goodness. I was very young when I started my career here at
DEMCO,
so prior to DEMCO, I was running the front office of an
employment agency. So I gained experience in customer service and
recruiting efforts and employment advertising,
resume writing, payroll.
And through that role, I came across an advertisement for a job
at DEMCO that matched some of those skill sets.
And I didn't really have a lot of exposure with DEMCO didn't
really know what DEMCO was other than,
hey, my mom and dad have DEMCO as their electricity provider.
That's the bulk of what I knew about DEMCO.
But I took a chance. I applied for the position,
and really didn't have a lot of expectation in getting the role
because there were over 100 applicants at the time.
But participated in two interviews and was the successful
candidate.
David Latona:
So did you have a plan at that point?
Did you think this is where I want to be in 10 to 15 years from
now?
Russchelle Overhultz:
Absolutely not. I did not have a plan at the time.
Long term career goals were not even on my radar.
I just knew that I enjoyed working at DEMCO,
and I enjoyed the people that I worked with.
And I can't say exactly when that changed for me and that I
decided,
okay, nope, this is home, and this is where I'm going to be,
and this is the department I want to be in.
But yeah, that was not an immediate realization for me.
David Latona:
And then also part of your story is as an employee of DEMCO,
continuing your development through
education, right?
Russchelle Overhultz:
Yes. So early on in the HR department,
I was doing a lot of generalist duties,
a lot of benefits, administration,
onboarding.
And that quickly made me realize how much I enjoyed helping
employees.
You know, they were my customer. I enjoyed getting to know each
and every one of them and helping them in whatever way I could.
You know, in terms of just being a resource for them,
being an advocate for them.
Once I realized that I truly loved human resources,
that's when I decided,
okay, maybe this is something I want to do as a career for the
rest of my life here.
And to do that, I knew that I needed to pursue formal education.
And DEMCO had a tuition reimbursement program.
And so I started pursuing a bachelor's degree in management with
a concentration in human resources.
And DEMCO paid for that for me.
David Latona:
Excellent. And where was that? What university was that?
Russchelle Overhultz:
McNeese State University.
David Latona:
What a great university. I mean,
as a cowboy myself, I know that that's a quality education.
Russchelle Overhultz:
I do know that is your alma mater.
David Latona:
So I think that's interesting because now you're sitting on the
other side of that.
You're in a role as the chief officer where you're not only
shaping HR in those areas you oversee,
but you're actually making those decisions that provide those
opportunities for
employees. Is that right?
Russchelle Overhultz:
That is correct. And it's very,
very fulfilling.
And I have a wonderful team that I work with to help me make
those decisions on a daily basis.
David Latona:
So career growth doesn't necessarily mean everybody is trying to
become a manager.
Tell me about what's offered to all DEMCO employees.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Absolutely. So yeah, advancement can mean leadership,
but it can also mean becoming an expert in your field.
So employees can earn certifications,
develop technical skills, or take on greater responsibility.
So someone may discover an interest in another area of the
cooperative.
Professional development can make someone stronger in the job
they already have,
and careers don't all have to follow the same progression.
And the good thing about DEMCO is we love to promote from within.
We love to take an existing employee,
right, who's very valuable to the cooperative and provide them
with whatever they need to succeed in whatever path they want to
take,
if possible, when possible.
David Latona:
So let's go back to our electric system for a second.
We've talked about the people designing it,
operating it and working on it.
But before somebody can roll a DEMCO truck out of the yard to
work on that system,
there's already been a whole lot of work done by other people.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Absolutely. So this is where many of the less visible,
but no less important,
roles come into the picture, right?
So someone purchased the materials and the equipment crews and
the fleet professionals maintain those vehicles.
Facilities employees support the buildings and grounds and the
physical work environment.
Accounting and finance professionals manage the cooperative's
resources,
and these functions may not be visible when members see a crew
working,
but they help make that work possible.
The work is very interconnected,
so each group brings a different area of professional expertise.
So operating an electric cooperative requires many of the same
business professions found in other organizations and industries.
So those employees apply their expertise within the cooperative
environment.
David Latona:
So that's interesting. Somebody might be listening right now and
think,
I'm an accountant. I'm a mechanic.
I'm a specialist in some area that may not be electrical
distribution related.
So they might say, wait a minute,
there's a place where I could work at DEMCO.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Correct. If somebody thinks of DEMCO,
they may, like we said earlier,
they may just think line work, right?
But a person doesn't necessarily need previous electric utility
experience or line experience for every career at DEMCO.
Many professional and technical skills transfer from other
industries,
so the specific qualifications depend on the position.
People shouldn't assume that their profession doesn't exist here
simply because they've never worked for an electric cooperative.
I mean, when you think about accountants and mechanics and
finance professionals and engineers,
and all of those professions are found in many,
many other organizations,
especially at DEMCO.
David Latona:
So IT is another one I think people might overlook.
An electric cooperative today is also a pretty technologically
dependent organization.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Absolutely. When we sat down and looked at all of the different
technologies that we deploy at DEMCO,
the list was quite voluminous. So IT is a very strategic partner
in managing those resources,
right? They support employees, systems and technology across the
organization.
Cybersecurity is also a very important professional area at DEMCO
nowadays.
So technology careers are another example of opportunities people
may not associate with an electric cooperative.
David Latona:
So HR itself is more than hiring people.
So tell me a little more about that when there's an opening.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Recruiting is obviously a very important aspect of what we do in
HR.
It's not just recruiting. So it's the applicant tracking and then
the interview and the selection process and then the onboarding
process and ongoing training process.
But we support employees throughout their careers with training
and professional development,
benefits and other employee programs.
We help DEMCO attract, develop and retain the people needed to
serve our members.
David Latona:
Then, of course, we've got employees whose jobs put them directly
in front of and working with our members and communities.
Tell me a little bit about that.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Yes. So that would be our member service representatives.
They assist our members directly.
The communications helps provide information,
keeps members informed.
Community relations builds connections in the communities that
DEMCO serves,
and these roles require strong communication,
service and relationship building skills.
David Latona:
So those are the jobs where the connection to the member is
pretty easy to see.
But I think one of the things we've established today is that you
don't have to talk to a member every day to serve a member.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Exactly. Everything that every employee does here on a daily
basis works to ultimately serve DEMCO's members.
So an employee may be maintaining a vehicle,
protecting an IT system,
processing financial information,
or supporting another employee.
Members may never see that work,
but it contributes to the service they receive.
And that's one of the things that connects very different
professions across DEMCO.
David Latona:
So as the HR person at the table,
how in the world do you find what you're looking for when those
jobs are open?
Russchelle Overhultz:
Every position has the specific education,
experience, knowledge,
skills and abilities, requirements,
technical requirements.
So we work with the departments to understand what's needed for
each position.
So beyond those technical qualifications,
they're also qualities that can help someone succeed at DEMCO.
We talked about knowledge, skills,
abilities, but service mindset,
commitment to safety, teamwork and accountability,
willingness to learn,
respect for coworkers, and the different roles that people play.
Because sometimes it's often difficult for employees to see how
other departments and other professions and other
individuals contribute at DEMCO.
So helping them to understand that is important as well.
David Latona:
And I think people can sometimes talk themselves out of applying
for a job.
They see something that isn't exactly what they've done before
and think,
well, that's not for me.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Yeah. So we want everybody to look carefully at the actual
qualifications and requirements.
Don't assume that utility experience is required unless the
position calls for it.
Think about transferable skills and experience.
Apply when your background aligns with the role,
which is kind of like what I did 28 years ago.
So be willing to learn about an industry that may be new to you.
David Latona:
Because we can teach somebody about DEMCO,
we can teach them about the cooperative and how their particular
job fits here. But there are also qualities you're hoping that
that person brings with
them. Tell me about that.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Absolutely. Always a good attitude,
a positive outlook.
Work ethic. Service. Teamwork. Leadership.
All of these are qualities that we desire.
Employees need to understand their individual work as part of a
larger team.
So everyone has a role in accomplishing DEMCO's mission.
David Latona:
We can teach so much, but they have to bring something
to the table, right?
Russchelle Overhultz:
Absolutely. And we've said it often before.
I've heard it said often before from other managers as well that
give me someone with a good attitude and a good
work ethic, and I'll teach them how to do the work.
David Latona:
That's so true. So we've spent a lot of time talking about what
DEMCO needs from employees.
Let's flip that around. What should someone be looking for from
an employer?
Russchelle Overhultz:
Well, at DEMCO, we want them to be looking for a place that they
can build a career,
not simply find their next job,
right?
So competitive pay and benefits,
stability, safety.
Obviously, we want to provide a safe workplace for our employees.
Opportunities to learn and continue developing and work that fits
their skills and interests.
So an organization where their work has purpose and contributes
to something meaningful will always produce,
in my opinion, a better employee.
David Latona:
And there's something a little different about doing that work
for a cooperative that's serving the same communities many of
us are, our employee pool.,Many of us live here.
We we work in this community, but we also live and volunteer and
worship here.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Yes, DEMCO is a local member-owned cooperative,
so we are not-for-profit,
which sets us apart from some of the investor-owned utilities.
And a lot of people don't understand that,
but the employees in this organization do.
David Latona:
So let's go all the way back to that first question.
Somebody hears career at an electric cooperative and thinks
lineworker.
After everything we've talked about today,
what would you want them to think instead?
Russchelle Overhultz:
Opportunity. See an opportunity for a long term career and to
ultimately
service your communities, right?
Because that's what we do. We provide a service to these
communities.
There's people with different interests,
education, skills and experience that are needed here at DEMCO.
There isn't just one path into DEMCO or one way to build a career
once you're here.
David Latona:
And when I have a friend or someone I know in the community
that's asking me,
you appear to be a happy employee.
Do they have openings at DEMCO? And I always tell them,
go to demco.org.
Those openings are kept up to date,
and that's how we receive our information from interested
parties. And there's also information about the co-op on the page
as well.
So whether you're figuring out what you want to do after high
school,
already established in your profession or just wondering what
your next career move might be,
DEMCO might just be what you're looking for.
Russchelle, how would someone know when we're hiring?
Russchelle Overhultz:
DEMCO.org/careers. We post all of our external opportunities
there.
We also post on all of the major social media platforms.
And I like to tell people, if you monitor that website at least
once a week,
you'll never miss an opportunity.
Every opportunity that's available to the public for application
is open for at least a one week period,
so you really only have to monitor once a week or follow us on
social media.
David Latona:
Rachelle, thanks so much for joining us.
Russchelle Overhultz:
Absolutely. It was my pleasure.
David Latona:
Thanks for tuning in to Co-op Conversations with DEMCO.
If you liked what you heard, leave us a review,
like and share the episode with a friend.
Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode!
For Pearl Russchelle Overhultz,
I'm David Latona.
Let's keep the conversation going.