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Insights > Power Principle: A Conversation with Entergy Louisiana's Terry Gary
Power Principle: A Conversation with Entergy Louisiana's Terry Gary
12/06/2017
Terry Gary is a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps and currently a reliability lineman for Entergy Louisiana, working out of the Jennings Service Center. He’s been part of the Entergy family for 19 years. He and his wife Christie and their five children live in Jennings, Louisiana.
What’s your power principle?
My power principle is to create an effective team by providing as much guidance and mentoring as possible. It starts with good communication. The more knowledge and good practices that we share, the safer we’ll be. My goal is to ensure that my team makes it home to their families at the end of the day.
What’s your proudest moment?
I don’t have just one proudest moment. I have many. My proudest moments were when my children were born. My family is the reason I continue to do what I do.
How do you balance work and family?
I’m very fortunate to work with a team that steps up in times of need. At home, my wife does the same. We have to work together because my family stays busy. One daughter is studying to be a teacher, and the other plays soccer and basketball. I also have three sons, and one really loves to hunt and fish. So, we stay on the move.
What does a typical day look like for you?
During day-to-day operations, I usually conduct outage assessments and correct issues where necessary. I also assist the line crews. Being a reliability lineman has given me an opportunity to improve our system and further my understanding of outages: how and why they occur and how we can keep them from happening.
What is the best work-related advice you have ever been given?
Lead by example. I’ve heard it a lot throughout my career, and it’s something I try to live by every day. I wouldn’t ask the members of my team to do anything that I wouldn’t do.
When did you first learn about Entergy?
I learned about Entergy during a fishing trip. I was working with another utility at the time and someone I knew, who is currently a supervisor in Lake Charles, told me about a position that I might be interested in.
What do you want others to know about Entergy?
There are a lot of different careers that one can get involved with here at Entergy; not everyone is a lineman. There are many options, which can be helpful to those who aren’t quite sure which role they’d like to assume.
What is your proudest moment at Entergy?
My proudest moment at Entergy was when I was given the opportunity a couple years ago to be a reliability lineman. It gave me an opportunity to improve our system and further my understanding of outages, how and why they occur and how we can keep them from happening. The transition was really eye-opening for me.
Would you like to join Terry Gary as he powers the lives of customers in the Southeast? Check out career opportunities with Entergy! You can also keep up with Entergy career opportunities by following us on LinkedIn!
