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After a four-and-a-half-year journey, they’re ready to ensure you have safe, reliable power

TECO's Journeymen graduates and TECO leaders at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City.
TECO’s 2015-2016 journeymen linemen graduates and TECO leaders at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City.

You see them at all hours on the front lines of the electrical system. They have sharp minds, a wealth of technical knowledge, strong bodies and the dedication to get tough jobs done – often at the tops of power poles – and are fully committed to safety and reliability. They are your neighbors, and they work hard to keep the lights on in your neighborhood.

They are TECO’s journeymen linemen, and members of the newest class are out there in the community right now to serve you.

Tampa Electric’s Journeyman Class of 2015 and 2016, which included the 12 proud and accomplished members listed below, graduated on June 17. At a ceremony at Tampa’s famed Columbia Restaurant, they received praise from TECO leaders as they celebrated what they’d achieved: completion of a four-and-a-half-year regimen that some might compare to the military. With more than 720 hours of classroom training, a gauntlet of physical challenges and the very crux of Tampa Electric’s mandate of reliable service resting on their shoulders, they take their place among the 115 other journeymen currently at TECO.

“It might be easy for some to take safe, reliable power for granted – we at TECO sure don’t, but it’s so woven into the fabric of society that it’s just something a lot of people regard as simply there when they want it,” said Bill Whale, senior vice president of Electric Delivery. “In huge part, it’s because the journeymen are so capable and dedicated to their craft that the community doesn’t have to worry about power. It’s a tough job we all are grateful that these guys are ready and eager to do what they do so well.”

Steve Dosal, manager of Energy Delivery Skills Training & Environmental with Tampa Electric, echoed Whale.  

“When the power goes out because of a situation like severe weather, the journeymen are the ones who get it back on,” he said. “And they go way beyond that – they can help other communities in need. They’re always learning and improving their safety skills and technical mastery. And our newest journeymen may be the young ones out there now, but they’re already ready to mentor the next group – and eventually, the generation after that.”

Tampa Electric proudly recognizes its Journeyman Class of 2015 and 2016:

Chad Carver

Anthony Faison

Justin Himes

Robert Huckelby

Derek Lee

Mike Lewis

John Lock

Darren Nelson

John Raburn

David Schatz

Chris Trotto

Klint Wolden

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