Spotlight on ElectriCities Safety Instructor Ross Whitehurst

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Ross Whitehurst teaches “Personal Protective Grounding – Underground Applications” at the 2024 Public Power Lineworkers Rodeo in Lafayette, Louisiana. He taught the class along with other members of the ElectriCities Safety & Training team.

The ElectriCities Safety and Training team brings many careers’ worth of experience and expertise to help lineworkers, meter technicians, and substation technicians throughout ElectriCities member communities gain the skills and expertise needed to work safely and advance their careers.

We’d like you to meet each of our instructors.

So far, we’ve introduced you to:

Next up is Ross Whitehurst, Supervisor of Safety & Training.

Ross has been a lineworker for 23 years. This month, he’s celebrating four years as an instructor at ElectriCities. Before joining ElectriCities, he served the Town of Tarboro for 19 years. That’s where he’s from. He and his wife, Kim, are the proud parents of Hailee, a junior at N.C. State University.

How did you get into linework?

I was working on a farm, doing landscaping, and coaching football at my old high school. I had just had one of those days at work when one of the assistant coaches, who was a line crew leader, asked me if I would like to try linework. So here I am.

What do you like best about teaching?

Interacting with the students and teaching the younger and older students new things about safety in linework.

Do you have a favorite class or school to teach?

At the rodeo, Ross also served as Chief Judge of an Apprentice event, “Single Phase Conductor Tie In with Armor Rods.”

Any school except transformer school. My favorite moment is when a student learns something new.

What’s the most important thing you want students to take away from class?

That they had fun and learned something from me in the school.

Ross said he likes to work, so students should expect a lot of that during class!

He’ll be teaching Advanced Underground School (ELT 212), May 13-17, in Maiden, North Carolina. He’s also scheduled to teach Advanced Lineworker School (ELT 116), Oct. 21-25, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and Substation Maintenance (ELT 221), Nov. 18-22, in Greenville, North Carolina.

View the full training schedule here. If you have questions about classes or registration, contact Susanne Taylor, Member Training and Engagement Specialist at ElectriCities.