“We do great things at I&M. Our business is essential, so there’s no question that what we all do here has value.” – Scott Bennett, Region Support Manager at I&M.
At I&M, we each play a role in ensuring the delivery of reliable and safe power to homes and businesses. The roles of Region Support Manager, as well as Incident Command Structure (ICS) Coordinator during power restoration events, belong to Scott Bennett.
September is National Preparedness Month and Bennett manages a team that specializes in being prepared. His team oversees overhead and underground inspections, forestry, storm coordination and more. In his 33-year tenure, he has come to appreciate I&M’s positive customer-focused approach, and finds himself taking safety education home to his family and friends.
How long have you been with I&M/AEP and in what roles?
I started my career in 1990 as a utility forester with Appalachian Power Company (APCo) in Charleston, West Virginia. From there I moved to Fort Wayne in 2009 to take the role of Forestry Supervisor for I&M, Then in 2012 I became the Muncie District manager of Distribution System (MDS) and was selected for my current role as Region Support Manager – I&M Risk in 2021.
How would you describe your job to someone?
I oversee a team that supports I&M for certain risk-based operations. Our team manages equipment inspections (poles, overhead and underground facilities), forestry, storm coordination (ICS and resource allocation), and underground locates (“811”). Our group also manages contracts (overheard and underground line work, forestry, locate and inspection contractors) and coordinates and facilitates training (Employee Education and Growth). In a nutshell, our functions are truly “support.”
Can you describe Incident Command Structure (ICS), your role and how the process benefits our company and customers?
ICS is an organized way of assigning specific roles to individuals and setting up a reporting structure to manage an event that impacts our customers or the electric system. This type of structure provides for effective communication of situations, responses, and status to multiple parties. My role is to organize and activate the structure for an impending event – like a widespread storm --and support the structure as it actively manages an event, along with providing training and “recruitment” to keep the structure strong. This approach helps I&M navigate these events smoothly and efficiently, which in turn helps restore our affected customers in as timely a manner as safely possible.
What’s your favorite part about your job and working at I&M?
Folks at I&M have a “can do” attitude. Work here is very plan-based and results-driven. I like having defined goals and the folks at I&M have such positive drive to meet those goals. Outside of that, I&M folks are fun and personable, as well as intelligent. A pleasure to be around. My job is great because I get to interact with so many I&M teams and employees.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned while working at I&M?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned at I&M and AEP is taking safety home. AEP does great things on the safety front. There is so much conversation, training, event review, idea sharing -- that one can’t help but take safety home. I want to pass on what I learn to family and friends because so many aren’t afforded such an elite level of safety “education.”
What we do at work can be applied to everyday life. For example, things like driving, wearing the right personal protection equipment, managing distractions and avoiding slips/trips and falls. I think our family and friends are a priority for us all, I do it for them.
Do you have any career advice to share?
Don’t stop learning. I’ve always wanted to grow my career at I&M. I went back to school recently and earned my Masters of Business Administration (MBA) which wasn’t a job requirement. If you like where you are career-wise that’s great, but don’t hinder your growth. You might be surprised where you go and what you are capable of.