![]() And if they don’t have an answer, they’re getting us an answer and that’s what I appreciate most. If we need something, TVPPA staff are the first people that we call to ask, if it’s something large. ![]() “The thing I appreciate most about TVPPA is just the willingness to help. “The biggest response that I’ve had from our customer service representatives was that it made them rethink how they’re corresponding with customers and making sure that they understand what the customers need,” said McDuffa. An instructor worked through a variety of hypothetical scenarios with customer service representatives and coached them toward alternate solutions for managing difficult customer challenges. In addition to the trainings cited above, TVPPA’s Education & Training department provided on-site training for the Florence ED customer service staff. TVPPA coming to Florence has really been an advantage to us,” McDuffa said. “They’re actually bringing some more things to us here in the next couple of months with our lineman training. And it was great because a lot of our foremen have never had any leadership training.” Training together actually brought employees closer together and strengthened their sense of camaraderie according to McDuffa. “A few years ago, we did TVPPA’s Buddy-to-Boss training and we brought in all of our foremen and section heads and spent the day with TVPPA. “The major challenge that we have had to address with training has been that it’s sometimes hard for individuals to be gone from the office,” she says, pointing out that TVPPA’s Education & Training department has worked with Florence ED to make training more accessible by providing on-site training. “I think that giving employees opportunities to learn new things, learn how to better do their job, is a great way to retain your employees.” In an economic reality where competition to recruit and retain workers has become increasingly challenging, McDuffa shines a light on the value of providing ongoing training for employees and affirms TVPPA’s role in making sure Florence ED employees have access to consistent training. And they really helped prepare me for this job.” Then the last couple that I’ve taken were the CPE (Certified Power Executive) and Advanced CPE (AdvCPE) classes. And it was when I was fresh engineer and it was great. “The first one that I took was online staking. “I’ve taken many classes through TVPPA,” she says. In order to ensure Florence Electric Department staff are always prepared to best meet the needs of their community, McDuffa places an emphasis on the proper training. At Florence Electricity Department we strive every day to make Lauderdale County a better place for everybody.” Noting that Florence ED serves the entirety of Lauderdale County which borders Tennessee she said, “Taking on new projects in the electric department is about being able to help our community enjoy a better quality of life. ![]() “I fell in love with the community aspects of working here,” McDuffa said. The opportunity to be a part of the community and serve its residents fueled her interest in working for a public power company and three years later McDuffa joined the engineering staff at Florence ED as a full-time employee. McDuffa first came to Florence as an engineering co-op student from Auburn University in 1995. Mary McDuffa, General Manager of Florence Electricity Department calls Florence a “big little town.” Handy, Florence Ala., often finds itself on many a “best small town” list. Perched along the banks of the Tennessee River and known for its thriving arts community, a charming downtown and as the birthplace of W.C. ![]()
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