Bruce Dugan moved to Jacksonville from Houston 30 years ago to work for a company that provided energy audits for residential utility customers.
He went to work at JEA in 1988 and has since developed programs to help builders design and construct more energy-efficient homes and helped modernize the public utility’s billing system.
He is now the director of organizational performance improvement, part of JEA’s human resources department. Dugan is helping develop employee safety programs designed to reduce JEA’s cost of operation.
Most people, however, would recognize Dugan from his years as JEA’s media coordinator and television spokesman.
“I still meet people who remember when I was on TV,” said Dugan.
His on-screen career began when WTLV TV-12 debuted “Good Morning Jacksonville.” Dugan went to the station with some video JEA had produced about energy efficiency. When the producers saw Dugan on video, they offered him a regular segment on the show. That put Dugan’s face on local television every week for 10 years.
While he was appearing on the show, JEA’s media coordinator retired and Dugan was asked to fill in until a replacement could be hired. That job lasted seven years.
“Then I went back to the energy conservation department,” said Dugan.
He realizes his career path at JEA is somewhat out of the ordinary.
“I’ve changed jobs every five to seven years. It’s nice in some ways, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to do the same job for 20 years or more.
“I can’t say that I have ever been bored,” Dugan said.
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