Count on Kelsea to Keep the Power On
Just before his bedtime, Ezekiel Salgado politely asks his mom and dad to read him a book about construction.
After a few minutes – while Kelsea and her husband, Freddy, take turns reading – they come across a picture of equipment identified as a backhoe. Without missing a beat, Ezekiel giggles, looks at his parents, points to the picture and says, “That’s not a backhoe, that’s an excavator.”
It’s an ongoing labor of love for the youngest in the Salgado family. He regularly points out all the heavy machinery that his mom operates for us, whether it’s on television, one of his toys (he simply says “mommy’s in there”) or on a walk with the family in their hometown of Lowell. And while it might be a few years before three-year-old Ezekiel joins our workforce, that will give his mom plenty of time to continue paving the way for him and future generations.
Finding a Home
Kelsea applied to Consumers Energy after a family member already working here said it was a good company to work for.
She was searching for a new opportunity where her unique skillset would be encouraged and valued. Luckily for us, she found a home in our contact center.
On the phones, she’d regularly hear from neighbors reporting downed trees, vehicles hitting poles and animals chewing through wires – all of them causing outages. She quickly realized what’s most important to our customers: reliable power.
“As a Christ follower, a wife, a mother and veteran; managing and reducing risk is always front of mind for me,” she said. “The crews I work with make an impact on risk management and provide more consistent power for the customers on the other side of the phone. “
The Salgados were in the market to buy a house several years ago and Kelsea remembered the disruptive factors that contributed to interruptions in power. She was also mindful of the impact that made on the personal lives of countless customers.
“After being in the contact center, my husband and I knew underground service was the way to go for our family,” she said.
Kelsea and Freddy are raising five children Lia, 12; Anna, 11; Aria,11; Keena, 9; and Ezekiel, 3. Having a home with underground service has been a great experience for them so far. She can’t remember ever having an outage.
“Getting a home with underground service is something that we would do all over again,” she said.
In the Trenches
Salgado might have known her electric service preference, but she didn’t know that one day she’d be in the trenches of our undergrounding work and someone our customers count on for reliable and safe service.
“It’s been great to be part of a place that wants to see you succeed and gives you the knowledge and
Getting experience in other areas has helped Salgado excel in her current role.
After the contact center, she went to work in operations at the J.H. Campbell Complex, which will always hold a special place in her heart.
Her first day on the job, she found out she was pregnant with Ezekiel.
“He’s a power plant baby,” she said with a laugh. “I was initially anxious about the pregnancy but I’m fortunate for how supportive my coworkers and management were.”
Kelsea went on to have a great experience working at Campbell.
“Being familiar with electrical theory in the Marines helped me at Campbell,” she said. “Working at Campbell helped me become familiar with heavy machinery and those skill sets have prepared for my role in undergrounding.”
Forging Relationships
She also used her time at Campbell to forge important relationships she knows will last a lifetime. On a recent visit to the plant before the holidays, she spent time catching up with her former colleagues.
“I really took the time to listen to those who had more experience than me,” she said. “It was an eye-opening experience that made me realize that working for this company was a good fit for my family.”
When Salgado heard the Campbell Plant was closing, she channeled her military background and stayed calm in a moment of others’ panic.
“We were reassured there would be a place for us,” she said. “I knew there would be alternative options and flexibility. I looked at it as an opportunity rather than a negative.”
After learning about her options and with the support of her husband, Salgado joined our undergrounding program. She is currently the only female in the program’s history and looking forward to the expansion of the group and hopes anyone interested will explore it as a viable career option.
“I’ve never been happier in any other career,” she said. “It’s been great working in the field and installing primary and secondary wire for residential undergrounding. It’s been the opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m extremely thankful for it.”
Salgado is leaning into the strategic part of the job and looks forward to learning more as she progresses in her career.
“You’re always looking for the solution to help our customers,” she said. “The job is all about problem solving and networking in the field. It’s been fulfilling. I wish everyone could experience this exhilarating feeling.”
Salgado said those interested in a career with us, including possibly Ezekiel one day, should take time to research and understand all the opportunities.
“And once you get your foot in the door, get rooted in whatever career choice you choose,” she said. “This position has provided me the opportunity to be the employee, community member, wife and mother I strive to be.”
