For 19 years now Janeen Priano, Delchester Aerial Foreman, has been breaking barriers. Priano first joined PECO back in 2001, becoming the second woman in 20+ years at the company in this role. She remembers the other linemen not knowing how to handle having a woman working in the field with them, but quickly got used to having her around. Priano worked hard to learn the job and quickly earned the respect of her peers and supervisors in the field. She eventually became a Foreman who oversees a handful of lineworkers.
Working in this male dominated industry is difficult for many reasons. The long hours and time away from family are just some of the difficulties, not to mention being the only woman in the room. Equal pay and opportunities for advancement continue to be top issues faced by working women.
“As a Foreman, the best way I can support other women is to remind them that being a lineworker is an option- as long as you are physically and mentally able to (handle it).” Priano believes that by putting more women in the field, it changes everyone’s perceptions on how things can be done. To put it simply, just because you don’t see many women in this role, doesn’t mean they can’t be. “You don’t know what you can do until you try it,” Priano shares. “And nothing comes easy if you really want it.”