Vice President and Director of Operations, Mississippi 811
We want to take a moment to introduce Cole Fesmire to the stakeholders in Mississippi. He is no stranger to Mississippi 811 and certainly not a stranger to damage prevention. He served on the Mississippi 811 Board of Directors and has been a fixture in the Mississippi Damage Prevention Committee (MDPC) for a number of years, especially the past 3 years, serving as co-chair for the group.
Prior to assuming the role of Vice President, Cole worked for the City of Olive Branch for 20 years. The city was recognized as one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. During that time, he was instrumental in budgeting and staffing for the Public Works Department as well as budgeting for the many capital improvements needed in the city to keep up with the growth. He completed his time with the City of Olive Branch as the Public Works Director. As such, he was responsible for overseeing the water, sewer, gas, street, and sanitation departments.
Just one of his favorite sayings is “Communication is the key to all great things.” When you bring a challenge to Cole, you will notice that he knows the value of listening to understand your issue. If communication is the key, he’ll convince you that listening is the key to communication.
When asked why he was interested in changing his location and why would he go to work for Mississippi 811, Cole said, “Working for Mississippi 811 has been a long-held dream of mine. Over the years I have developed a strong passion for damage prevention, especially while serving on the MDPC and as a Mississippi 811 board member. Through these experiences, I’ve come to appreciate how important the work of Mississippi 811 is and just how great the organization is. That’s because of past leadership and how the employees have been empowered to serve the membership. They are not only helpful but deeply dedicated to their roles that keeps Mississippi a safer place to live and work.”
Cole’s first day in his new role was January 6 of this year, and what do you think his biggest surprise has been? His response, “The amount of people that do not know what 811 is but know what ‘call before you dig’ is.” If you get a chance, stop by or give Cole a call and welcome him to his new role!