Starting as a tree trimmer only two years ago, Jared Buckles has already added the title of groundman to his name. That means he now spends half of his time working with the right-of-way crew and the other half with the line crew.

It also means he’s one step closer in his goal of becoming a lineman here at Noble REMC.

From Columbia City, Buckles is one of our youngest employees, but that hasn’t stopped him from making his mark. Let’s learn a bit more about him:

Why did you want to work here at the co-op? 

“Right out of high school, I had a job that did the same line of work and decided to come here based on the good things I heard.” 

What’s your ultimate goal in working here? 

“Ultimately, I would like to be a journeyman lineman and complete the apprenticeship program.”

What do you like about this kind of work?

“I just like the work itself. I like being outside. I like how it’s complicated, and there’s a lot of problem solving to it.”

What does an average day look like for you? Do you have an average day? 

“It depends. One week, I go out with the tree crew; another week, I go out with line crew. My days usually change up a lot.” 

What’s something people may not know or understand about what you do? 

“You can’t flip a switch and make the lights come back on.”

how do you spend your time away from the co-op? 

“I like hunting and fishing a lot.” 

Do you travel to hunt and fish? 

“We usually stay around here, and every year, in the fall, we’ll go to Michigan and salmon fish.” 

What movie have you watched the most? how many times do you think you’ve seen it? 

“‘The Hangover,’ probably three or four times.”

What’s your favorite music?

“I like all music, but usually country or rock.” 

What’s the last concert you went to? 

“I’ve never been to one. I was supposed to go see Morgan Wallen, but I got sick.”

What’s one thing we may not know about you? Do you have any hidden talents or secrets? 

“No hidden talents. Not really. I mean, what you see is what you get.”

If you won the lottery, enough to set you up for life, what would you do with it?

“Oh, probably build a house. Have a nice shop I can go and do things in. Do some traveling. Go fishing other places. Go hunting other places.”

What are you most proud of in your life? We know that’s a big question.

“I’m 21,” he laughed, acknowledging his young age.

So then, in your young life, what are you most proud of?

“Graduating high school, I guess, and getting a good job out of high school.”