• Born in 1961 and raised on a farm in Holstein, Nebraska.

• Married to wife, Lisa, for 25 years and has two sons, Justin and Zachary.

• Recently completed bachelor's degree in business administration and is considering pursing an MBA.

• Enjoys fishing, camping, elk hunting and history, especially history related to the Civil War and the ancient Greeks.

• Motto: “I believe in doing what's right, not what's popular.”

Early Years

I fell into line work after managing restaurants out of high school. In my first job in the utility industry, I measured holes for a digger for Dominion Construction. I entered an apprenticeship program in 1981, became an apprentice lineman on a construction crew and joined the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) in Kearney, Nebraska, in December 1983.

Family Ties

Like many linemen, I have family ties to the utility industry. My younger brother, Raymond, is a local manager on the distribution system for NPPD; my father-in-law, Leo Stenka, is a retired digger operator/mechanic/groundsman for Howard Greeley Rural Public Power District in Nebraska; and my 22-year-old son, Justin, works as an apprentice substation construction tech for NPPD.

The Job Today

After 24 years in the transmission and distribution industry, there is nowhere else I would rather be. In my current role of transmission line supervisor for NPPD, I supervise an eight-man maintenance crew in western Nebraska. My days run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (outside of storm work, that is). My crew is responsible for identifying and completing their own maintenance. The crew does everything from refurbishing lines to cutting trees to hot-stick and bare-hand work. For me, the most rewarding part of working in the utility industry is the people I work with.

Person of Influence

Scott Walz, my current boss, has been my favorite boss, because he backs his employees, and everything he does is with their best interest in mind. I have worked with many wonderful people over the years, but I've learned more from Doug Miller, a transmission line supervisor in Kearney, Nebraska, than anyone else I have ever worked with. I'm always one to push to get things done, but he made me think about the next three steps ahead before I jump into action.

Close Call

On April 18, 1997, I had been working a bare-hand job using ropes, and was done with the work and ready to be let down. My crew had taken a shortcut by not running the rope through the pulley on the capstan. When the operator slackened the rope, one of the loops jumped. When that happened, I went into a free-fall for 30 ft and was knocked unconscious for a few seconds. The good news is that the lifeline rope and shock lanyard all worked the way they were supposed to.

Memorable Experiences

My most memorable storm moment was an ice storm in Nebraska that occurred at the end of 2006. The state had a slight storm before Christmas, and then a big one hit on Dec. 30. It cut the state in half on the transmission grid. We worked in every weather condition possible, including 40°F below with wind chills, but never once did I hear a complaint. All the guys did whatever it took to get the job done.

T&D World is looking for utility professionals who have made a valuable contribution to the industry. 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, as well as a brief description about what makes him or her stand apaet from the rest of the field crew.