Page 3 - West Virginia

from the desk of
Jerry Poage
Welcome to all of you who either received this
issue in the mail, found it on the web at www. westvirginia.811magazines.com or found a copy in an office setting or perhaps in a workshop somewhere in the state. As many of you may know, I’m coming up on my first 6 months here at West Virginia 811.
I am finding that there are a lot of wheels and moving parts... and broken spokes. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it shows me just how much more I’ve got to
learn, and I’ve already learned that staying busy will not be a problem.
One of my top priorities is that I am trying to promote the 811 brands in West Virginia by educating throughout the state, getting face to face with the biggest damagers in the state and working with locators to make sure they are following best practices and our law going forward.
We will have our state fair coming up in August. It is estimated there will be about 250,000 people attending. So, we see it as a great opportunity to promote calling 811 before you dig to homeowners and weekend excavators. At the end of the day, it is our responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone that digs within the state, not just the professional excavator.
This year Ohio 811 will help us get the word out by bringing their unique interactive educational trailer to the state fair. Walking through the trailer, guests are enveloped
by three-dimensional displays on the walls and under their feet, showcasing a maze of pipelines, cables, wires, conduits, and other common underground utility infrastructure. Hope to see you there!
Remember to make that free call to 811 before you dig!
Jerry Poage Executive Director West Virginia 811
2023, Issue 2
West Virginia 811 • 1