ARCHIVES

Willis Burgette was in the process of inspecting work to be performed and identified burn marks on the ground around a utility pole and guy wire. He immediately called an All-Stop and secured the area to keep the crew and public safe while also notifying the utility of the issue. The utility was able to respond to the location and determined that there was a grounding issue that resulted in an electrical current moving through the pole and guy wire to the ground. Willis is passionate about being a father and also runs a kennel named Burgette’s Bully Productions, where he raises American Bully breeds. He is a diligent employee with a solid work ethic and cares deeply about the well-being of others around him.

Pictured from left to right are Area Supervisor Tyler Plunkett,
Region Manager Shane Gibson, Coordinator Willis Burgette,
and RSS Jacob Byrd

James Jackson is an exceptional leader who arrives at work every day on time and prepared to perform his job safely. He is a member of the Employee Safety Committee and participates in weekly meetings. James remains prepared to respond to any report of Storm Response and execute the work safely and productively. He takes initiative in a group setting to lead in the review of topics of discussion. He enjoys playing pool and riding Off-Road Equipment in his spare time.

Pictured from left to right are Supervisor Anthony Julian,
Region Manager David Kearney, Foreperson James Jackson,
and General Foreperson Cody Vilvens

Christopher Miller was recently dispatched to remove a large, uprooted pine tree leaning over a single-phase distribution line. When he arrived at the job site and performed a terrain and hazard assessment of the work zone, he noticed that the uprooted tree was resting on two other smaller trees, creating a spring pole scenario. Due to the terrain and location of the tree; he was not able to position the 70ft bucket truck in a safe location to perform the work. Christopher called an All-Stop and notified the General Foreperson for further guidance. An onsite meeting was held with Christopher, the VM of the Utility and the Supervisor and General Foreperson of Burford’s Tree. After discussions, all hazards were able to be mitigated and a plan of action was put into place to safely remove the trees. We are very thankful to have Christopher be a part of our team as his actions are consistently safe, professional, and decisive. Christopher enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two daughters, attending concerts and festivals. He enjoys the outdoors and is an avid hunter. When its open season for scallops, he can also be found out on the Gulf Coast harvesting scallops with his family.

Pictured from left to right are RSS Keith Nall, RSS Ana
Mazariego, Foreperson Christopher Miller, and General
Foreperson Hunter Brooks

David Alford takes a great approach to providing the employees on his crew with the vast knowledge that he has accumulated in the many years of working in the industry. He takes the time needed to teach each crew member how to accomplish the work safely and efficiently. He always has a great attitude towards safety on the job site and has a very good observation report from the utility during inspections. He is respected very highly among his co-workers and with management from both Burford’s Tree and the Utility. He is also a member of the Employee Safety Committee and participates in weekly meetings. He is a person you can count on to make the right decisions on every job site, every time. He is just an all-around good person. David enjoys traveling to the mountains and spending time with his family. He also likes going to classic car shows and is  currently restoring a 1972 Chevy Nova.

Pictured from left to right are RSS James Corletto,
Supervisor Larry Jones, Foreperson David Alford,
and Region Manager Jeremiah Byrd

Shane Smith’s crew is visited quite often unannounced and every time his crew is working safely and productively. Shane does a great job with training new employees as well as seasoned employees and future Forepersons. He shows a commitment to safety for not only himself, but all others around him. He always leads by example within the work group. His equipment is always kept clean and neat and always does an excellent job in ensuring that all debris is cleaned up in any work areas. During past Safety Audits, his crew has consistently preformed very well. Shane has a very positive attitude and his crew reflects that in everything they do.

Pictured from left to right are Region Manager Alan Upton,
Foreperson Shane Smith, Supervisor Jermaine White, RSS Steve
Smith, and General Foreperson Don Sheppard