Margarita Calo left Puerto Rico 21 years ago and carved out a new life in Florida, but her heart has never strayed far from her roots.

Now a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando, she helped contact members of the organization last year to understand their needs and provide guidance about resources during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I always have a passion to continue supporting the Hispanic community even though I’m no longer living in Puerto Rico,” Calo said. “Last year was a pretty tough year for everyone. Hispanics are a close-knit community; I consider each and every one part of my extended familia, and as a familia we all help each other.

“I feel proud to be part of a company that extended a helping hand to my community in 2017 when Puerto Rico experienced the impact of Hurricane Maria, a deadly category 5. Duke crews flew into Ponce, Puerto Rico, and assisted with restoration efforts.”

Calo previously chaired the Duke Energy employee resource group, Latinos Energizing Diversity, helping organize events and activities to educate teammates about the Hispanic community and about Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15).

Calo said she believes strongly in a diverse workforce.

“Every company needs to have employees and teams who represent their customer base,” she said. “That way, you have different perspectives based on different backgrounds. That makes everything stronger and better.”

At Duke Energy, Calo is the maintenance and strategy manager in Duke Energy Florida’s Distribution Organization, overseeing 12 people and the maintenance of components that extend over 18,000 miles of overhead distribution lines and about 14,000 circuit miles of underground cable. That includes roughly 1 million poles.

Jason Flynt, director of Asset Management, praised Calo for her work both in and outside the company.

“Margarita has a great desire for continual learning, which extends beyond Duke Energy,” Flynt said. “She brings tremendous skills to our team and is a joy to work with. She is also involved in several committees outside of Duke Energy, and I’m proud she represents us so well.”

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