San Isabel Electric’s Lead Engineering Technician Tim Gordon is hanging up his surveying tools and heading to the East Coast to begin a well-earned retirement.
Engineering technicians play a critical role at electric utilities. They work closely with new and current members to meet their electric needs. They also support new powerline construction and system upgrades by obtaining rights-of-way, calculating power requirements, designing the lines, completing contracts with members, and physically marking pole and equipment locations on the ground for construction, also known as staking. As the co-op’s lead engineering tech, Tim did all of this and more.
And he approached this responsibility with precision and care he learned long before joining SIEA. Prior to his engineering career, Tim served in the U.S. Air Force. “I always felt four years ahead of my friends. I had a job, I was getting paid. They were still messing around, chasing girls, and having a good time,” he recalled.
The discipline and maturity he gained in the Air Force helped him focus on college and launch a career. “The military prepared me for the rest of my life,” he said. Coworkers say Tim has a flawless attention to detail and meticulous follow-through.
As lead engineering technician, most of Tim’s days involved computer-based work. But in November, he covered for a coworker who was on paternal leave and so Tim spent more time in the field.
“November was a good month for me. I was back out in the dirt, working with members, pushing projects out the door.”
When asked what he was most proud of during his SIEA career, he humbly said, “The ability to be here. If it weren’t for San Isabel Electric I would be nowhere. They believed in me, and I gave them the best I could.” Tim said he’s never thought about doing something else or working anywhere else in his 23 years with the cooperative.
Tim looks forward to staying busy with his brothers, sisters, and grandkids, being near the ocean, eating seafood, and camping in upstate New York with his wife. The SIEA employee team will miss having Tim’s steady presence and get-it-done attitude, and will miss hearing his favorite saying — “Happy-Happy” — around the office. We at San Isabel Electric are grateful for Tim’s service to our members. He leaves a legacy of excellence for those who follow him.
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