In recognition of International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the women who are integral to our Company’s operations.
Rasheen Durrant: Consumer Investigator
Rasheen has been with BELCO for almost 20 years, having started as an Apprentice in Transmission, Distribution & Retail with the Fitters. Once she became qualified (Grade 1) she was than requested to work in Consumer Investigations in 2013 and she is now the Consumer Investigator which falls under the Metering Department.
Rasheen attended Tallahassee Community College for three years before starting at BELCO. She holds a degree as a Power Systems Electrician, as well as certificates for Metering from the Swema Metering School, ILM 3 (Leadership Management Course), Certificate of Training on Using the Spike Gun from Western Power Training, Certificate for Electrical Safety from AVO Training Institute and a Qualification Certificate of Switching & Clearance/Lockout-Tagout from the Institute from Safety in Powerline Construction.
While she was not convinced at first about joining the Metering Department, over time and getting to know the people and technology, she has grown to appreciate what the department offers and sees many opportunities in the department.
Rasheen was the Electricity Supply Trade Union (ESTU) Secretary for three years and is now a member of the Women’s Initiative Network. She is also part of the Leadership in Metering and feels her opinion has value when talking about process and strategies.
As far as her favourite part of working at BELCO, she says that, even though she is an introvert, she enjoys meeting new customers and helping them as well as teaming up with other departments to complete a project.
While her department is predominantly male, she has persevered and managed to get her grades and become a valued contributor.
While she doesn’t feel her gender has held her back, Rasheen says she had to be more assertive and prove herself to be just as good or better than her peers. She says her greatest asset is that she is a team player that can work with anyone, as well as being very organised, bordering on obsessive!
Most important in Rasheen’s life is her son and family, whether its family by blood or those who she chooses as her family that aren’t blood.
Outside of work Rasheen drives a taxi and enjoys softball, bowling, braiding hair, working part time as a travel agent and is now learning roller skating. She also enjoys good food, music and tv including anime, kpop or kdramas, and loves to read. One of her most memorable moments was as a teenager she walked to the top of a Volcano in Costa Rica.
As far as words of advice or encouragement for other women looking to get into her field, she said you might not be as physically strong as the guys, but you can be better than them if you put your mind to it. You have to be strong willed and strong minded and do not tolerate disrespect just because you are a female in a man’s field. Let your voice be heard amongst your peers when it comes to ideas you might have.
In the future, Rasheen says her boss has encouraged her to strive for his job as Manager or become a supervisor. She also says being respected in her new department has allowed her to believe in others so that they can also believe in her which makes for better work relationships. Rasheen said she would like to work at BELCO until her retirement, and looks forward to the opportunity to take her department to new heights.