Her Story
About Paige
Paige Spietz serves as a safety professional over six different centers at the utility company where she works in Kansas City, Missouri. A journeyman lineman, she runs monthly safety meetings, assists with training, and responds to injuries and accidents in her territory. Spietz earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science after playing Division I basketball at the University of Missouri and the University of San Francisco, followed by an associate's degree in lineman tech from Metropolitan Community College and a four-year apprenticeship. She sits on the Joint Partnership Training Committee, JATC Committee, and Femme. Spietz credits her success to the dedication and focus on training developed through basketball, which carried over into her apprenticeship, and she values hard work above all. Her father advised her not to let being a woman interfere with pursuing line work, advice she has followed in a male-dominated field where she is one of few women to achieve journeyman status.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Paige
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of dedication and focus on training from playing Division I basketball, which carried over into my apprenticeship with repetition, practice, and the approach to becoming the best.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I received was from my father when pursuing line work: don't let being a woman get in the way of achieving that dream.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If it's something you want to do, be all in and go for it with 100% effort. It's a male-dominated field so half effort won't succeed, but it's a great career with opportunities everywhere if you dedicate fully.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include it being much harder for females in this male-dominated field to get a journeyman card. Opportunities are endless with a journeyman lineman card - you can work anywhere in the world, and America needs linemen.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Hard work is my biggest value. It has taken me everywhere in life from Division I basketball to my positions, and being in safety and training it's still the core factor every day.
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