Dylan Hutchison enlisted in the Army at 17 while still a high school junior, attending classes and playing soccer. One day, he came home and handed his mother enlistment paperwork. She wasn’t surprised; he was following in the footsteps of all the men in his family who had served. Little did they know at the time that he would be following them into a career at Oncor as well.
Hutchison debated enlisting in the Army or the Marines and chose the Army because he had more freedom to define his path forward. Determined, Hutchison gave up his summer during his junior year of high school and went to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for basic training. He came home to complete high school, returning after graduation for his job training. Unlike other jobs in the Army, he completed basic training and military police training at the same location, a type of training called One Station Unit Training (OSUT). Hutchison got the job he wanted and served as an Army police officer from March 2018 to March 2024.
(Courtesy Image | Oncor)
We’re All Dark Green
He loved being a part of a larger vision, which equipped him for his future role at Oncor. “The military structure is all about making sure we can be a unit in cohesion regardless of the background we come from or the position you hold,” he said. “You’re all treated the same. So, regardless of your race, religion, or background, ‘We’re all dark green.’ We were all held to the same standard, and when it comes to working in a team, that structure is essential.”
Hutchison supervised base security operations on Operation Lone Star and served as a team leader within a Quick Reaction Force. The Army recognized him with several awards – The Army Achievement Medal, The Texas Adjutant General Award, and the Humanitarian Aid Medal. He also received a letter of recommendation, a 2-star General’s coin, and was recognized on the Commandant’s List upon completion of his Basic Leadership Course.
For about half of his enlistment, he worked on the border, growing personally and professionally with exposure to leaders who positively impacted him. As a corporal, he was also responsible for his team knowing the rules of engagement. It was where his leadership skills really started to develop.
“A great leader has empathy and understands effective listening, not just being a boss,” he said. “There is a drastic difference between a boss and a leader. A leader is that person who is effectively showing, teaching, and facilitating others to hold to a standard so they don’t have to be told everything to do.”
Hutchison loved his time in the military and the many experiences he gained, but when he married in 2022, he knew it was time to put his military skills to work in a civilian setting.
Oncor in the Family
“I have a grandfather who was with Oncor before it was Oncor,” said Hutchison. “I also have a cousin and brother-in-law who work at Oncor, so I knew it was a great, family-oriented company that would allow me to spend more time with my two young sons – now 1.5 and 5. If you know someone at Oncor, there is an 85% to 90% chance that they are related to somebody else who works there. And, you’re not going to suggest a family member join a company that wouldn’t be good for them.”
To leverage the leadership skills he learned in the Army, Hutchison took a project management class through the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Services in partnership with the Army Credential Assistance program. That formal introduction prepared him for his role as a project manager and designer at Oncor – the perfect fit for someone like Hutchison.
“Structure, again, is essential to me,” said Hutchison. “I looked around at other companies, but Oncor stood out with a very military-like structure. The core values I learned in the Army—intensity, respect, excellence, communication, leadership, and delegation—align directly with the principles I apply to my design work and I’m more than grateful to be here and do what I do every day.”
With Oncor, Hutchison is a residential designer for apartment complexes and subdivisions where he helps design how electricity will be delivered to these developments. His team discusses projects with sister groups—the scoping and new commercial management teams—and comes to an understanding of the project goals and deadlines. He creates the design, his team reviews it, and then the design is off for approval.
His military training comes into play daily. “The military teaches you at the very beginning that you are no longer just your last name. You are the face of an organization. My time in the Army taught me to give my best and lead toward the very best outcome, but not take the human completely out of it.”
Hutchison is proud of the career he has built. “The military defined who I am today and the contributions I bring to the team,” he said. “I love to show that I can be an effective leader to my team at Oncor, but also to the kids I’ve been blessed with.”
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