One thing I always tell my crew is, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. Linemen work hard in the communities they serve. We live here, too, so we know the people we’re helping. Our friends, families and neighbors depend on us to keep the lights on. When storms hit or the power goes out, people count on us to show up and get things back to normal. I believe linemen are some of the pillars of the community because we’re always there when people need us.

Being a crew leader comes with a lot of responsibility. A crew leader is kind of like the middle piece of a big puzzle. We work with upper management, supervisors, other crew leaders, senior linemen, apprentices and other departments. We also work directly with the members we serve. The goal is to bring everybody together so the job gets done safely and the right way.

Linemen work hard in the communities they serve. We live here, too, so we know the people we’re helping.

And safety is always the number one priority — for the crew, for the members and for the public. Safety is what helps make sure I go home to my family — my wife and my daughter — every day. Being a family man is important to me, and that’s one of the reasons I take safety so seriously at work.

Over the years, I’ve had the chance to train and work with a lot of people. One thing I believe is important is keeping the crew’s morale up. When people work well together and trust each other, the job gets done safer and better.

I’ve also had the opportunity to work with North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ Job Training and Safety team at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount. There I help instruct underground line construction training — my electric co-op, Brunswick Electric, is one of the largest co-ops in the state, and we have a lot of underground power to maintain and install. I try to pass along the knowledge that was shared with me by the mentors who taught me over the years.

As a crew leader and trainer, I believe it’s important to set clear expectations for apprentices as they start their training and work toward becoming first-class linemen. Show them the right way to do the job, explain what to look for in the field, and follow up with them as they learn. Passing knowledge down to the next generation of linemen is one of the most important parts of this job.

At the end of the day, being a lineman is more than just a job. It’s about teamwork, hard work and serving the community. There’s a lot of pride in knowing that the work we do keeps the lights on for the people around us. I’m proud to be part of that, and I’m proud to help train the next generation of linemen who will carry that responsibility forward