• Born in Bristol, Connecticut, and has two sisters, Jen and Kelly.
• Married to LeAnn and has an eight-year-old son named Mason and a six-year-old daughter named Lela.
• Enjoys spending time with his family, doing volunteer work, hanging out in his backyard around the campfire and riding quad bikes.
• Competed at the 2018 International Lineman’s Rodeo on an Avangrid journeyman lineman team with Will Coleman and Jesse Burnham.
• Can’t live without the latest power tools, which he says makes life easier for linemen.
Early Years
Before I got into the apprenticeship program at United Illuminating Company, which is now Avangrid, I worked as a union carpenter. One night, I was hanging out with some of my friends, who work as troublemen. Because I had the possibility of losing health insurance with my carpenter union, I wanted to find a new job so I could provide for my family. They told me about the opportunities in the utility industry, and I applied for the apprenticeship program at United Illuminating Company. After a five-year program, I topped out as a journeyman lineman about a year ago.
Day in the Life
As a journeyman lineman, I work on setting poles and running wire for our distribution system. I love the camaraderie of the line trade,
and I enjoy working outside every day. I’m not the type of person who likes to sit behind a desk. There is nothing better than being a lineman, and I wish I would have done it sooner.
Safety Lesson
My company is totally geared toward being safe. They have a safety meeting at least once a month, and they are always open to suggestions if we don’t think something is safe or we feel uncomfortable. In this industry, you don’t always get a second chance.
Memorable Storm
After Hurricane Irma, the lines were completely down. Other companies worked on setting poles and running new wire and secondaries, and we focused on and rebuilding an entire street at a time and restoring power. While we were away from home, we stayed in trailers for the Atlanta Braves’ expansion team. I lived with about 20 guys, and we shared a community bathroom.
Living With Cystic Fibrosis
When I was six weeks old, I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Growing up, I had to wake up and do breathing treatments, and do another set at school and a final set at home. When school was out I would still run around with my friends at night. I was never held back from anything, and if I wanted to do something, my parents told me to go for it. I even played football in high school.
Now that I work as a lineman, I have to wake up an extra hour early to take medicine and do my breathing treatments. At home, I play video games with my son or do pushups while I’m doing the breathing treatments. Finding time to do my treatments is difficult, however, especially when I’m called in on a 24-hour shift. Fortunately, I can take everything with me to work, and the guys I work with are very supportive. I am open with all of them, and they know not to put limits on me. If they can do it, I can do it. I also try to help others diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Since I was two years old, I have served as the poster child for the Cystic Fibrosis chapter in Connecticut, and now that I’m an adult, I still help to raise awareness. I’m also part of another organization called, “You Can’t Fail.” I don’t want people to give up.
Editor’s Note: To learn more about Cystic Fibrosis and to donate to the cause, visit www.cff.org.
