This month’s spotlighted employee hails from South Carolina. Shawn Tucker, line superintendent at Bartholomew County REMC, started his career working for an electrician in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, doing various jobs. After some experience under his belt, he was hired as a groundsman at Palmetto Electric Cooperative in 1993. There, he worked his way up to journeyman lineman and then district line foreman.

Tucker began looking for jobs in our region to escape the South Carolina heat and move closer to family. Tucker was hired at BCREMC in 2017 and we still joke that the heat isn’t any less here! He hadn’t experienced Indiana’s hot and humid summers before then.

As our line superintendent, Tucker oversees and works with the line crews and apprentice linemen. He enjoys working outside and the comradery of working with the other linemen. He said there is a satisfaction in helping others during extreme events or outages when they cannot help themselves, and being a part of something important. 

His position requires experience in the construction and maintenance of overhead and underground distribution utilities. His role also requires a dedicated focus on safety, OSHA regulation knowledge, and the ability to manage operations personnel efficiently and effectively in the performance of their duties.

Throughout his career with BCREMC, Tucker said the greatest lessons he has learned is to trust in his crew and to be confident in his training. When asked about what success in his position looks like, he said keeping himself, the crews, and the equipment safe every day is his goal. His advice to new apprentice linemen: ask questions, take advice from senior linemen and always think safety first. He also recommends wearing sunscreen.

We at BCREMC are proud to have Tucker as part of the BCREMC family. He is a dedicated employee, and we are fortunate to have him on our team.