2020 Hall of Fame
Susan Blaser
Susan Blaser is the first female lineman in the state of Missouri. She is hardworking, dedicated, and persevered against less than welcoming circumstances on her way to becoming a lineman. In a time when schools were seeking to encourage women entering the field, others in the line community were hesitant and made the situation more discouraging for any woman hoping to enter the field. Susan did not let this discourage her and went on to complete her training program as a single mother and went on to work as a journeyman lineman for years to come--even doing storm work across Alabama. After years as a journeyman, she accepted a training position at the Metropolitan Community College and has cultivated a successful and safety filled training regimen. After breaking into a vastly male dominated field, Susan thrived and excelled where many would have done otherwise. She has excelled in her career and has contacts in the industry across the nation. Her training programs are successful and boast a high-quality level of safety training for those who complete them.
George Gaudet
George Gaudet has over 40 years in the linework industry. George has a dedication to safety and keeping the most efficient and updated practices in use for linemen. He has rewritten manuscripts for apprentices for this very purpose that are still used today. He is also a very instrumental mind when it comes to finding and receiving funds and permissions for various apprentice training tools. He has worked underground, overhead, and transmission lines to become very knowledgeable across the board with the various types of linework. Safety is of vital importance to George, and he has even been credited with writing the rules and regulations for sticking and barehand. He also was one to first initiate the rope style lineman rescue and had it incorporated into state apprentice programs. Safety and training were so important to George, that he successfully and single handedly sought funding to expand the apprentice training programs to better prepare those going into the linework industry.
Mark Groves
Mark Groves has been in linework since 1996. Through his years in line work, Mark worked on thinking up ways to make linework a safer industry. After partnering with Northwest Lineman College, the OX Block, and the Trans Baker. The OX Block is used to raise and lower equipment to pole top, as well as with hurt man rescue practices. The Trans Baker is used for training linemen on transformer work that encourages skill and memory retention with the practices it implements. Mark Groves has made many contributions to the safety practices and training for the linework industry.
Patrick Lavin
Patrick Lavin has been in the line industry since 1966. In 1969, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served until 1972. In over 41 years of dedication to line work, he has worked across several states. He currently holds many chair and board positions for various organizations and is a member of the IBEW International Executive Council. Not only does he serve the line industry, but he is also involved in many aspects of the different day-to-day happenings as well as some of the many different organizations dedicated to those in the linework industry. He is a very involved member of the line community and fights for the rights and benefits of journeyman linemen across the country.
Jim McDonald
Jim McDonald has been a dedicated member of the line industry since 1972. One of the most important aspects of linework for Jim is safety and promoting safe practices for linemen in the field. So much so, that in 1993 he began his own live line training business that is still in practice today. Jim focuses on teaching linemen and apprentices how to work safely with live lines, both bare hand and with various equipment. He has traveled the world helping fix lines, training linemen, training companies on how to train their linemen, and writing over 20 books on linework. In 2004, he became a committee member for live line work in Canada. Jim is beyond dedicated to the safety and safety education of linemen in the field.
Sam Moore
Sam Moore is a hardworking and dedicated lineman who takes pride in his work and the industry. Sam encourages hard work in all his linemen and holds them to high standards of practice. He leads by example, never asking anyone to do a job that he himself is not willing to do. While strict and dedicated to safety standards and efficient work practices, Sam is also encouraging and ready to teach those who want to learn. In addition to his linework, Sam also teaches a specialty transformer class for IBEW 558. A hardworking and dedicated leader in the line community, Sam cares deeply about the industry and those in his care.
