Connecting with Kelly Tomblin

By Robert Lalah

I've spent many a warm summer night, in the uncomfortable confines of a house darkened by a power outage, imagining what it would be like to sit across a table from the head of the Jamaica Public Service (JPS). I'd picture myself calling that person, whoever it was at the time, a good-for-nothing oaf, and I would, despite my prep school teachers' best efforts, use language unbecoming a proper gentleman.

It was quite anti-climactic then, that while at lunch with Kelly Tomblin, JPS's CEO, last week, I found myself talking about dance moves. "People have told me that I shouldn't move my arms too much when I dance," she laughed, moving her shoulders up and down while keeping her elbows at her side. "I think I have it down now." I caught myself chuckling. 'Wait, this isn't how it was supposed to go', I thought. 'What about all the vile and clever insults I've waited all these years to use?'

Full of charm

Alas, my dreams would not be realised. Kelly Tomblin, who has been running the power company for just over two years, is as full of charm as she is bursting with energy. "I guess I'm just used to going full speed," she smiled. "So I usually don't even eat lunch. I just keep going until I get home." It was a change of pace then, for Tomblin to spend a couple hours in New Kingston with me, talking about her life and her time in Jamaica so far. She had moments earlier left a meeting on utility regulations and had at least two more engagements that evening. She's kept busy in the post, which she accepted with the hope of changing the people's perception of the company.

"It was only after I started the job and started asking questions that I realised how intense the emotion against the JPS was. It's certainly something I always intended to help change, but it will take time," she said. "It's only been two years, and we're already seeing better numbers for customer satisfaction. Over time, we plan to get these numbers higher."

Coal miner's daughter

Tomblin is from rural Virginia. A coal miner's daughter with big dreams, she's worked in senior positions at energy companies across the United States for more than 20 years. She has a law degree, a public relations degree, and an MBA. But the most remarkable thing about Tomblin is how unaffected she seems to be by all the years she's spent in these stressful, demanding jobs.

"I'm really interested in the Bob Marley concept of freedom," she said. "Freedom can mean so many things and can be seen in different ways. It's possible to get bogged into the routine of the 'corporation'. You have to find ways to free yourself of that." This is perhaps her goal when Tomblin breaks into song while sitting alone in her office, or when she encourages her employees to meditate. "I guess I have my own way of doing things," she said.

Her way of doing things appears to be working. Tomblin has quickly developed a kind of celebrity status in Jamaica and is often stopped by people in the streets. Sometimes it's to complain about the JPS; other times, they just want to meet her. "A lot of them ask to take pictures with me. We were in a community once doing disconnection of illegal connections. Some people came up to me and asked me to pose for some pictures with them. I asked them if they realised I was there to remove the connections they had made. They said, 'Oh never mind that. As soon as you leave, we putting it back up.'" She laughed as she told the story. "Clearly, we have a long way to go when it comes to illegal connections." Tomblin doesn't shy away from meeting people. She was assigned a bodyguard by the company when she took the job but insisted that she wouldn't need one. "If I need a bodyguard to do this job, then I wouldn't want it," she said.

It was perhaps a brave move, given the extent of negative public sentiment towards the JPS. But Tomblin has a different view. "When I was contemplating moving to Jamaica, of course I considered all the things you hear about the crime and violence. But one day, I turned on the news while in the States, and it was all about a mall shooting that had taken place somewhere in New Jersey. It was a sign that, you know what, there is no safety. Nowhere is completely safe."

Sons enjoy jerk

So she packed up her family and they moved to Jamaica. Her two sons, who are both still in school, were not pleased initially. "They hated me at first. But now, they're happy. They enjoy the jerk chicken and the jerk pork for dinner," Tomblin smiled. The food might not be her own favourite part of being in Jamaica. She's a vegetarian, so many of the more meaty Jamaican staples are off limits. But Tomblin finds joy in other ways. "I love travelling all across the country. We did the Blue Mountain hike, where you camp out and get up really early and hike to the peak. That was just spectacular! I also did the dive at Rick's Café in Negril. This is such a beautiful country. Just being out is a treat. When I have to work out in the country, I try to make it into a family outing if possible."

Bad experiences

She has bad experiences, too. She says the worst moment she has had here was being in an inner-city community on a disconnection drive and having a woman in a wheelchair come up to her. "She took my hand and said, 'Help us.' That was really tough," she said. "Sometimes when you go into the communities and see how hard people have it, it can really be difficult to deal with. A lot of the time I'm wearing my shades and crying behind them. Most people don't know that."

Her contract with the JPS was recently extended, and Tomblin has plans to push for some innovations in the months to come. "We hope to get pre-paid metering going and some other options that will make it easier for those who are having it hard. Plus, we plan to continue to work with our customers and staff to continue to turn around the view people have of the JPS. It is a tough task, but I never thought it would be easy. We will find a way because Jamaica and the Jamaican people are worth it," she said.