• Born in Pomona, California.

• Inspired by his wife, Amy, and his three boys: Jordan, Jaeden and Justin.

• His favorite co-worker is Ardean Kellerhuis (a.k.a. Goose) because of his sense of humor. He also knows a lot about line work and he gets the job done.

• He describes himself as responsible, giving, hilarious, hard-working and dependable. His co-workers would describe him as funny, different, direct, hardworking and honest.

• Enjoys coaching his boys' basketball and football teams, playing golf and spending time with his family. With three boys, he is always running to someone's game, concert or school event. He doesn't have a lot of downtime, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

• He can't live without his power tools because they make line work easier.

Early Years

I got into line work because my wife's dad and stepfather were both linemen for more than 25 years. They kept telling me line work was a great career. My first job out of line school was with a contractor line 12 hours a day building.

Day in the Life

I work for the City of Buffalo (Buffalo, Minnesota), and every day is different. Depending on the time of the month or the year, I may be building or maintaining line, fixing streetlights, working on underground projects, meter reading or trimming trees. We are currently working on several projects, including building a three-phase overhead line and putting in an underground system.

Family Ties

I married into a family of linemen. My father-in-law, Chuck Wermerskirchen, is a retired line worker of 30 years from Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC). My stepfather-in-law, Dave Beckius, is the operations manager of MVEC; my brother-in-law, Matthew Beckius, is a line worker at Xcel Energy; and another brother-in-law, Ryan Wermerskirchen, works in the service department for Shakopee Public Utilities.

Challenges and Rewards

I've only been a lineman for three years, so one challenge I face is learning every aspect of line work. There's so much to learn and not always the time in which to do so.

The economy is another challenge. Builders have slowed down on new construction, which means no new business for utility companies. Foreclosures are still on the rise, which leads to empty homes with no power or services paid for.

The predicted linemen shortage does not seem to be an issue based on the economy. It appears that utility companies are not replacing the retired linemen. While this stops these companies from laying off workers, it hurts the current students that are trying to become line workers.

One of my biggest rewards is helping customers. I like to know that I make a difference by keeping the lights on.

Safety Lesson

Prior to becoming a lineman, I learned about job safety from my father-in-law. He was shocked by 7200 V working on the job. I went to the hospital and saw what can happen in this career. I have had many conversations with him about keeping myself safe. Accidents can happen at any time and any place, and you must be prepared.

Storm Moment

At the beginning of my career, I witnessed the destruction caused by a tornado. After the 2006 St. Peter tornado, I was able to see how linemen from all over the country came together to help a community. The community response was amazing. These people lost their homes or other property and still came out to make sure we had food and water. They were so thankful for the work we did for them. I lived through many earthquakes in California, but I have never seen that kind of destruction before.

Looking Ahead

I would go into the power industry if I had to do it all over again. I enjoy the job because the work changes from day to day. I want to learn all I can about every aspect of line work so I can become a well-skilled journeyman.