CEO for a Day

“Hi, my name is Jordan Carver. I am a member service representative working out of the Possum Kingdom office for the past two years, and I am excited to be here today.”

I repeated that line at least 30 times on my rainy morning commute to Burleson. That morning, I would serve as United’s Assistant CEO of the Week, and that one single line had my anxiety maxed out to the top.

It was written all over my face.

When it comes to my day-to-day tasks working in my position as an MSR, I spend a lot of time speaking with members and taking care of their various needs and issues they may have. I also talk with quite a few different departments when things arise. While MSRs like me do our part to make United great every day, I found out that there is so much more that happens behind the scenes after having the opportunity to take part in the Assistant CEO of the Week program.

Being the person I am, the opportunity to venture out into the unknown and leave my small, quiet local office with a view of the lake took me far out of  my comfort zone. The idea, if I’m honest, sounded terrifying. Being the center of attention is a situation I tend to avoid at all costs. However, after all the weeks of built-up worry and anxiety, I quickly realized I once again worried over nothing halfway through my first day of that week.

If I had to use one word to describe the top floor of the Burleson office, it would have to be “busy.”

Everyone is constantly moving. Meetings are abundant, and the conference rooms stay booked. It’s a bit of a culture shock.  During my week, I got to take an inside look at all the things it takes to make the great company we work for continue to move along as it does.

The board meeting I attended covered almost every possible small detail that has happened or is happening in the month or months to come. I also saw that the future of United is top-of-mind for each and every person that took time out of their day to meet with me that week. Even the smallest details matter. As I spent my week in meetings with various staff members and supervisors, moving along the roads from office to office I witnessed a multitude of things happening that I just didn’t see. I watched the extensive work it takes for the Cleburne reconstruction project and learned about the vast number of contractors the co-op manages on a daily basis to make that project happen. The experience was eye-opening. 

During my time with United Billing Supervisor Denise Robertson, I found that no stone is left unturned when it comes to their accounting. That team checks, double-checks, and then triple-checks almost everything done each day, all while returning various email requests for invoices and billing issues.

When it comes to looking into the power supply future for United, I found what Jim Galvin, the vice president of power supply & risk management, had to say fascinating. Jim looks into the future every day. Any United employee who gets the chance to sit down and look into what power supply management entails should do it!

Through all the people I had the opportunity to meet with during the week, I found that everyone plays a part in keeping the wheels turning. No one stops, I can guarantee. No matter which department you work in,  you’ll notice everyone is hard at work for our members. Through it all, my week was very informative. I gained a fresh perspective. So, for all those future Assistant CEOs,  remember not to be like me. Don’t be anxious like I was the day my name was announced to take part in this great program. The built-up anxiety and acid reflux will all be for nothing, and you may just find  you will actually enjoy the opportunity just like I did.