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Damage Prevention Champion: Bo Womack

“I was born and raised right here in Mississippi,” Bo Womack, Director of Gulf States, UtiliQuest, said with unmistakable pride in his voice. “So for me, to be involved with the Mississippi Damage Prevention Committee is more than just a corporate responsibility.”

And when he says that, he is more than a little convincing. “There are too many damages in Mississippi. We’ve got to figure out how to work together to reduce them. Part of what we must do is educate the folks who don’t know to call, and encourage those who know to call, but don’t.

“I have a unique perspective because I worked with my dad as an excavator back in the early to mid- 90s. I’ll admit, I cut more than my share of underground utilities. That’s when I realized there had to be a better way,” Bo said. “I talked to my dad and told him I had a chance to go into the locating business. I wanted to know what he thought about it.

“My dad gave me some great advice that I’ve used as a locator, manager, and in training new hires coming on board. He said, ‘Just remember that when you put your paint on the ground, that paint becomes your signature, so sign it with pride.’

“I remember that as an excavator, I was on the end of a shovel digging across that 18-inch buffer zone. I remember how frustrating and time consuming it could be. When I started putting paint on the ground, I wanted to make sure I marked it right.” Bo continued. “And that’s one of the things I like about UtiliQuest. As a company, we believe in doing it right and getting better. We train our folks to be technically competent, safety conscious, and straight shooters.”

It is obvious when Bo is talking about locating underground facilities, he is talking about something he was born to do.

Roy Clark, Corporate Trainer for UtiliQuest, remarked about Bo, “He is different than a lot of directors. He will get out there with the investigator or locator and work side by side until the job is complete.” Clark continued, “Not too long ago, I came upon Bo on a damage investigation. He had a shovel in his hands, and was in the bottom of a pretty good sized hole he had dug, trying to see if our marks were dead on. It was hotter than blazes, and I asked him what he thought he was doing. He told me that he just had to know for himself that we got it right.”

I asked Bo, “With all you’ve got to do as Director, why do you still make time to get down in the dirt?” He grinned and said, “I guess the dirt is still in my blood. And besides that, if I gave one of my guys a shovel and told him to go dig up something while I was just standing there, I’d be afraid my dad would come by and chew me out.” He laughed and finished by saying, “I’ve just been taught that if somebody else is working around me, I need to be helping.”

Bo is quick to point out that even though he has responsibilities for the entire state and then some, he is fortunate to have a superior team of professionals that is as committed to keeping Mississippi a safer place to live and work. He deflects any attempt to give him credit for the excellent damage ratio or safe driving records achieved in Mississippi. He shrugs his shoulders and says, “Hey, it’s all about them. They make it happen every day. We not only look out for one another, but one of the things I’m most proud of is that we are developing relationships with those doing the work. We’ve learned over the years that if we develop a personal relationship with the excavating community, it always results in fewer damages, a safer environment, and all of us get to go home to our families every night.” He pauses for a moment as if to punctuate his final remarks and says, “If that doesn’t happen every night, nothing else will matter to his family, and if that doesn’t happen, I will feel like I failed everybody I know.”

UtiliQuest began providing facility locating services in Mississippi during the mid-1980’s and currently serves utilities throughout the entire state. UtiliQuest has long been a supporter of the damage prevention process in Mississippi and a strong supporter of Sam Johnson and Mississippi 811. When Sam Johnson and the 811 board determined to develop this publication to promote damage prevention through partnership and doing the right thing in Mississippi, Sam made a call to his longtime friend, Bud Satterfield, Senior Vice-President with UtiliQuest.

Bud and UtiliQuest agreed to partner with Mississippi 811 to get the message out to more than 15,000 users and members of the 811 system. But more than that, UtiliQuest employees are involved in damage prevention efforts across the state, attending DPCC meetings and actively involved in the Summit as well as the MDPC.
Yes, it has been a great fit for UtiliQuest and for Bo Womack. He is not only proud to be from Mississippi; he is proud to be in Mississippi, because there is no place like home. So when he talks about keeping Mississippi a safer place to live and work, he means it for more reasons than one.