• Born in Mesquite, Texas.
• Married for seven years to the love of his life, Randee, and has an English bulldog named Tank.
• Has line work in his blood; his great grandfather worked as a lineman for Florida Power & Light.
• Enjoys fishing, hunting, golf and playing softball.
• Describes himself as motivated, hard working, a good teacher, dedicated and confident.
• Can't live without his climbing gear, rubber gloves and hot sticks.

Early Years

When I got hired on with Ocala Electric, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. After three months or so, I was absolutely hooked. When I began learning this trade and experiencing the brotherhood of the line trade, I knew this is what I would do for the rest of my life.

My first position with the utility was as a groundman. A groundman is the person who does everything but the fun stuff. In this position, you also have to make sure the lineman doesn't do more than he's supposed to. I learned that very quickly. Now, I am the one who is a first-class lineman.

Climbing Challenges

Two months into working as a groundman, learning how to climb is probably the one experience that sticks out in my mind the most. I had never even put on a set of hooks, much less climb. After spending a few hours climbing 6 ft to 7 ft up a pole, the line tech made me climb up to the top of a 40-ft CCA pole. I not only had to learn how to climb and get used to being 30 ft in the air, but I also had to figure out how hard to sink my hooks into the pole.

Lineman Leadership

Every foreman I have ever worked for has had his own way of running jobs, teaching safety and being a mentor. Though I could never choose one overall favorite coworker, one lineman who means a lot to me is Chris Drivas. He taught me so much when I was a new groundman.

Day in the Life

I start work at 7 a.m. and attend a tailgate meeting about the day. I gather up all the necessary materials and head out to the job site. I then get down to business and do whatever it takes to get the job done as safely and correctly as possible. Right now, I am on a road-widening project consisting of building a new line adjacent to the old line. We are also transferring all the taps over while keeping the customers' lights on.

Challenges and Rewards

My biggest challenges are being open to new ideas and new ways of doing things, whether it's from a seasoned lineman, an apprentice or groundman. I find it rewarding to teach coworkers and then watch them apply what they've learned. Another reward is when you've been out working all day long, have just put a line back up, and you've closed in the jacks. At that point, you're tired, you're hungry, and you just want to get a shower. But when the lights come back on, that is enough of a reward just in itself.

Safety Lesson

Safety is always the No. 1 priority. I haven't been involved in many accidents, but I've seen what an arc flash can do to linemen and how it can affect their lives, families and coworkers. You quickly understand how much everyone on the crew is needed to complete the task at hand as safely as possible.

Favorite Projects

One project that sticks out in my mind is when we rebuilt a line crossing Lake Toho out to an island. I remember working off of a World War II barge to replace broken poles. We also strung new wire off hooks out of a jon boat. Besides the hard work, it was just one of those projects that we almost had too much fun to think we were actually at work.

Life as a Lineman

If I had to do it over again, I would absolutely work as a lineman. You cannot receive the experiences and rewards from any other industry or career as one gets from being a lineman. During my career, I've learned to be safe, teach others and learn as much as I can.