Editor’s Note: Today we join the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and the Utility Workers Union of America to honor the nation’s nearly 75,000 electrical workers by observing National Lineworker Appreciation Day. To highlight what lineworkers do, we profile one of our own today.
“I was searching for a purpose that kept me motivated and on track,” recalls SDG&E journeyman lineman Glen Vivas, reflecting on his transition from military life to civilian life. It was the mid-1990’s and he was living in North Carolina at the time.
“It was a tough time; I needed to find a new focus and replace the deep camaraderie I had previously established with my brothers in the Army.”
The answer he was searching for – the next chapter in his life – revealed itself when a major storm hit and the power went out.
“It was truly eye-opening watching the linemen respond, battling the elements and putting their lives on the line to restore power in the community,” recounts Glen, describing the ‘a-ha’ moment like it was yesterday.
The Next Chapter
Many years later, Glen has more than two decades under his belt as an electrical journeyman lineman, with the latter half spent at SDG&E.
Today, on National Lineman Appreciation Day, we honor Glen along with more than 200 lineworkers who work around the clock to ensure our 3.6 million customers in San Diego and southern Orange Counties have clean, safe, and reliable energy.
“Being a lineman isn’t just about climbing poles and maintaining electrical systems,” says Glen. “It’s a lifestyle that requires personal sacrifice, passion – and a mentality that prioritizes living every day as if it’s your last because, for a lineman, it can be.”
Paying It Forward
Driven by his passion for advancing the lineman trade – and a deep commitment to continually elevate safety best practices – Glen has spent the past several years serving as a line school instructor at our Skills Training Center. He dedicates countless hours to develop the company’s future lineworkers.
He hopes to inspire other fellow linemen – across our region – to join him on his mission to educate the next generation.
“Watching our apprentices pass their journeyman’s test is such an honor,” says Glen. “They are our future, our next leaders, managers, trouble-shooters. And I am extremely grateful for our team of journeyman lineman volunteer instructors that support the achievement of this milestone.”