For two cooperative employees, that idea of connection is deeply personal. Long before they both found careers at their local electric co-ops, Conni Tucker and Jacob Puckett shared a classroom — not as colleagues, but as teacher and student. Tucker once taught Puckett high school English, years before the two would reunite as storytellers serving their communities in communications roles.

Tucker previously worked for the N.C. Department of Commerce and Wake County Economic Development in marketing and research. A move to Mount Airy, however, presented a new opportunity when she was asked about stepping into a teaching role. Teaching high schoolers wasn’t part of her original plan, but it became a meaningful chapter in her career.

“It was a great job and a great place to be,” Tucker said. “It gave me the opportunity to teach so many great students, and it gave me the privilege of teaching Jacob.”

That connection extended beyond a single school year. Tucker taught Puckett for three years, an experience that left a lasting impression.

“Conni was one of my favorite teachers of all time,” Puckett said. “That wasn’t just my opinion. It was shared by many students who had her as a teacher. The way I began learning how to write took root in her classroom, and a big part of why I pursued a career in communications is because of Conni.”
After graduating from Appalachian State University, Puckett’s path led him to Blue Ridge Energy, where he began putting the communications skills he first developed in Tucker’s classroom to work.
Years later, a familiar name and face caught his eye while scrolling through social media — this time, in a cooperative hard hat.

“I saw a hard hat and a bucket truck and thought, ‘There’s no way, it’s too small of a world,’” Puckett said. “So I did what anyone would do and went to LinkedIn. When I saw the update that she was working at an electric cooperative, I reached out and gave her the co-op welcome.”

Tucker joined Central Electric as a communications specialist, blending her experience in economic development, community engagement and teaching into a career change that allowed her to connect with members and tell the cooperative’s story.

Having a familiar face in the industry made that transition both easier and more meaningful.
“I’m just so proud of Jacob and the work he’s doing at Blue Ridge and in his community,” Tucker said. “If you’ve ever been a teacher, that’s what teaching is all about, paying it forward and making the world a better place through the students you teach. It’s not what you do; it’s what you empower them to do.”

Now, as colleagues on their respective communications teams, they share a common goal: connecting with members and highlighting the work happening in the communities they serve.

“I grew up in a cooperative household. My dad has worked at Surry-Yadkin EMC for nearly 40 years, and I knew just how impactful co-ops are in their communities,” Puckett said. “I love this job because I get to do that every single day—sharing the stories of people who are really making a difference.”