ARCHIVES

Employees Going Above and Beyond

Q2 – 2024

Region 342: Mark Locklear, Foreperson
Please join us in congratulating Mark Locklear as the Quarter 2 Winner of the Employee Recognition Program from Region 342! Mark is a very experienced employee that never hesitates to share his many years of industry knowledge and experience. He is extremely active in identifying and reporting Good Catches and All Stops. In Q2 alone, he reported numerous Good Catches and All Stops involving utility hardware conditions as well as overhang that could all potentially result in an outage if not for his critical eye. In each of those instances, he was able to communicate appropriately as well as resolve each situation safely and without incident. He has proven to be very proactive each work day to ensure that himself and his fellow team members are able to perform their work safely and efficiently. Congratulations again, Mark!

Pictured above from left to right are Area Supervisor Robert
Pate, Region Manager Shane Gibson, Foreperson Mark Locklear,
RSS Jacob Byrd, and General Foreperson Dwight McGirt

Region 343: Richard Gibson, Foreperson

Please join us in congratulating Richard (Lenny) Gibson as the Quarter 2 Winner of the Employee Recognition Program from Region 343! Lenny is an experienced and exceptional Foreperson who puts the safety of his crew at the forefront of every decision he makes. The detail and focus he puts on identifying and mitigating hazards during his Pre-Job Briefings is a true example of why he was chosen as the Quarter 2 Winner! During his free time, Lenny likes to cook and is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys boating, shooting guns, and spending time with his family. Congratulations again, Lenny!

Pictured above from left to right are Area Supervisor
Anthony Julian, Region Manager David Kearney,
Foreperson Richard (Lenny) Gibson, and General
Foreperson Cody Vilvens

Region 344: Walter Rosas, Foreperson

Please join us in congratulating Walter Rosas as the Quarter 2 Winner of the Employee Recognition Program from Region 344! Walter is an exceptional employee and consistently shows his strong work ethic and leadership. He sets out each day to make a difference through training and teaching his fellow team members. He also always takes the time to explain how to do things the right way to newer employees. He strives to complete every task in a safe manner and promotes our company safety culture. Walter’s positive attitude and demeanor is contagious amongst all others that are around him. He’s known for being very enthusiastic, funny, and for always having a smile on his face. He also enjoys playing softball in his free time. Congratulations again, Walter!

Pictured above from left to right are RSS Keith Nall,
RSS Ana Mazariego, Region Manager Wayne Poole,
Foreperson Walter Rosas, and Area Supervisor Terry
Bremer

Region 345: Jeffery Chad Martin , Foreperson

Please join us in congratulating Chad Martin as the Quarter 2 Winner of the Employee Recognition Program from Region 345! Chad does a great job leading his crew everyday and is an exceptional Foreperson. He’s also a great trainer, who enjoys training his fellow crew members. He also recently went the extra mile and obtained his CDL. During a recent corporate safety audit, Chad received extremely positive remarks and compliments for his crew’s outstanding performance. During his free time, Chad enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family. Congratulations again, Chad!

Pictured above from left to right are Region Manager
Jeremiah Byrd, Area Supervisor Bryan Collins,
Foreperson Chad Martin, and RSS James Corletto

Region 346: Patrick Cecil, Ground Person

Please join us in congratulating Patrick Cecil as the Quarter 2 Winner of our Employee Recognition Program for Region 346! Patrick exhibits a strong safety mindset every day. He’s very attentive and actively participates in discussions at safety meetings. He always sets a great example to other employees through his adherence to our safety policies and procedures and has proven time and again his ability to make good decisions. Patrick is also a skilled wood craftsman and enjoys making rocking chairs. Congratulations again, Patrick!

Pictured above from left to right are Area Supervisor
Jermaine White, RSS Steve Smith, Ground-person
Patrick Cecil, Region Manager Alan Upton, Foreperson
Bradley Barrett, and General Foreperson Junior McVay

Q1 – 2024

Region 342: Willis Burgette, Coordinator

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

Region 343: James Jackson, Foreperson

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

Region 344: Christopher Miller, Foreperson

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

Region 345: David Alford, Foreperson

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

Region 346: Shane Smith, Foreperson

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