• Born in 1966 in Asheville, North Carolina, and has two siblings.

• Has a girlfriend named Amy and two sons: Luke (18) and Ridge (3).

• Served 20 years in the utility industry as an apprentice and later as a journeyman lineman for such companies as L.E. Myers, R.H. Boulime, Hayne's Electric and Progress Energy Carolina.

• Describes himself as hardworking and stubborn.

• Enjoys riding motorcycles, hunting, fishing, camping, traveling and spending time with his family.

Early Years

When I was 13 years old, I followed around a contractor during the summer and hung out with the workers after hours. As soon as I graduated, I started with a contractor and everything involved climbing. There were no bucket trucks around at that time. I'm paying for that now. I'm 41, and I've run myself down pretty hard. I'm not like the new generation of linemen who pace themselves.

I do overhead and underground work. I'm on call for seven days every five weeks. I usually get in the field at 8 a.m. and work until 5 p.m. Travel for storm work is part of the job.

Challenges and Rewards

I enjoy competing in the Lineman's Rodeo. It's great to get out there and show your family part of what you do for a living. The biggest challenge is trying to be safe every day. When you've done it for many years, you can start to get comfortable, but you need to keep your focus and watch your coworkers to make sure they're safe.

Safety First

When I was on a hook ladder working transmission, I fell 10 ft down the length of the ladder, and my safety belt caught me. It was a shocker to me, and after that, I thought maybe I should wear my safety belt more often. At the time, we didn't wear fall arrests.

People Who Make a Difference

My favorite boss was Kirbie Henderson from L.E. Meyers. He was a great rigger and taught me a lot. Having been in the industry for 40 years, he is very well known in transmission work. Over the years, I've worked with so many great linemen, but I have to say that I have especially enjoyed working with Jean Dotson. He's a good lineman and pole buddy.

Rebuilding After Hurricane Katrina

I was down in New Orleans for 23 days working for Central Louisiana Electric Co., and we demoed and rebuilt a lot of things. It made me feel so good to help get those people back into their homes. They were delighted for us to be there. We were away from our family, but we were able to step in and help them.

Proud Father

I'm inspired most by my son, Luke. He's not a follower. He's a leader. He's in a Christian band and is very smart. Everyone tells me how good of a job I did as a father. He's a blessing, and I thank God for him. My youngest son, Ridge, calls us the “hunters” because I take him and Luke on a lot of camping, hunting and fishing trips. We've gone to Sequoia National Forest in California; Vancouver, Canada; Alaska; Colorado; and Paris, France. Luke just went off to college at Florida International, and I miss him very much. He's my best friend.

Looking Ahead

I want to be a good father, try to stay healthy and safe, retire, and do a lot of hunting and fishing.

If you would like to nominate someone for a future profile, please e-mail Amy Fischbach at amyfischbach@gmail.com with the person's contact information and a brief description about what makes him or her stand apart from the rest of the field crew.