Women in Utility Fleet
Christi Oca driving a wheel loader dous example of what it means to be a strong, visionary leader who operates with great integrity.”
Today, she leads the fleet team, which includes acquisition, maintenance, and back-office teams.
Since 2014, Daiber has seen the number of women in the fleet department double. She also recognizes that misconceptions about gender can still shape how women view their place in the industry.
“ There is a misconception with some women that their gender creates barriers in achieving their goals,” Daiber said.“ If you have aspirations in a male-dominated field, it will be important to work hard, find a mentor to support you in your journey, and be open to opportunities across the organization.”
Christi Oca
Associate Manager, Fleet Capital & Logistics Support at JEA, Christi Oca, has spent 27 years with JEA and 15 in fleet. JEA provides energy and water services to more than one million residents and businesses throughout Northeast Florida with about 2,000 fleet assets, from light- and medium-duty trucks to bucket trucks, derrick diggers, vacuum trucks, and other specialized utility equipment.
Oca was attending the University of North Florida when she took an internship with JEA’ s Safety and Health Services team. She has since worked in fleet as an operations analyst and fleet specialist and is now an associate manager, where she manages the fleet capital budget and the lifecycle processing while also overseeing the development of specifications for new assets.
“ Fleet was not my original background, but each role has given me opportunities to learn, grow, and develop within fleet operations,” Oca noted.
She emphasizes that it’ s a common misconception that someone needs trade or automotive experience to work in fleet.
“ When people hear‘ fleet,’ they of- a gas and electric utility company with 3,800 fleet assets across Illinois. Daiber has worked her way from fleet analyst to senior manager, bringing her background as a certified public accountant( CPA) into the fleet group while learning the ins and outs of the industry along the way.
Early in her career, Daiber faced a knowledge gap after entering fleet without a mechanical background.
“ I did not have the technical knowledge base that a lot of my male peers had when it came to fleet,” she said.“ This was not an insurmountable challenge, as I had very supportive coworkers who helped me develop the knowledge base that I have today.”
As she built her expertise, Daiber also took on new responsibilities and gained experiences that helped shape her as a fleet leader. Mentorship also played an important role, particularly her time working with Dan Remmert.“ Dan Remmert had the biggest impact on my career,” Daiber stated.“ He provided me with opportunities to grow in numerous areas of the department, and supported me in those roles over the twelve years I worked for him. He also provided a trementen automatically think of technicians and automotive experience,” she said.“ While those roles are certainly an important part of fleet, there are many other opportunities, including analysts, contract management, procurement, planning, and other support functions.
“ You don’ t necessarily have to come into fleet knowing everything about vehicles or equipment,” she continued.“ There are many different skills and backgrounds that can contribute to a successful fleet organization.”
Oca finds it hard to point to one person in particular as an influence on her career, and instead reflects that friendships and supportive management have helped her flourish.
“ I think having people in your corner who know the industry but also know you as a person and understand your work ethic is incredibly valuable,” she said.“ Those relationships have played a big part in my growth and have helped shape my career.”
Paula Bell
With more than 30 years of experience behind her, Paula Bell, director of marketing at Arrowhead Winch, works across a variety of industries, including utilities. With Arrowhead Winch, a manufacturer of winches, hoists, and drives which serves the utility and other heavy-equipment markets, Bell helps her team better understand their markets, identify customer needs, and ensure these insights carry through everything in the company.
“ At the beginning of my career, I was often the only woman in the conversation, since the industries I’ ve worked in have traditionally been very male-dominated,” Bell said.“ And yes, I’ ve definitely had people talk to my husband instead of me at industry events, and he’ s not even in the business!”
She reflected that it took time to become confident in her own knowledge, and she has also had supporters who often challenged her to think
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