Cooperative Quest for Safety at LPEA

From her first day of work at La Plata Electric Association last July, Jessica Matlock has made safety a top priority and worked with union leaders to help protect the co-op’s employees.

The new co-op CEO previously worked for two large electric utilities and understood how dangerous the work could be.

“The two last utilities I worked for were very large and, in both cases, we had fatalities during operations and it was due to things that could have been prevented,” Matlock recalls. “Most people think that safety is just the poster board or a sticker, and it’s actually a culture issue. It’s taking care of people. It’s having their back.”

Matlock immediately began making the rounds. She wanted every employee of the Durango, Colorado-based distribution co-op to understand that she saw safety as a personal commitment involving everyone.