Living It: Underground transformer

Yael “Ya-Ya” Benford has always taken to roles traditionally filled by men. Her first job at 14 was selling soda and popcorn at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. Now a licensed electrician, she traveled with her Duke Energy teammates to Lower Manhattan to help restore power after Superstorm Sandy.

“When I look at Ya-Ya, I see an expert, not a gender,” said Jimmy Lee, a 25-year Duke Energy veteran. “She’s just as tough as the guys. Maybe tougher!”

Ya-Ya is an underground serviceperson for Duke Energy’s Network Services crew in Cincinnati — and she’s often the first one to go underground at a work site.

Although Ya-Ya has earned the respect of her managers and co-workers, being a woman in a job and an industry dominated by men has not been easy.

“There was a point during my pregnancy when I wasn’t comfortable doing my job,” said Ya-Ya. “This work takes a toll on your body.”

Human Resources worked with Ya-Ya and her managers to identify different roles she could fill during her pregnancy. She returned to work a short time after giving birth to a healthy baby boy, Naaman, now 6.

Said Ya-Ya: “I love being a mom, but I just couldn’t wait to get back to work — and back underground.”