I’ve been holding on to the violin my older sister bought me for a very long time.

At a recent board of directors meeting of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, I was among the five or six people in attendance selected to take a mini violin lesson with Tze-ying Wu, the ASO’s director of the new Sturgis Music Academy.

“I believe if children can succeed in music,” said Wu, “they can succeed in other areas as well.”

The ASO’s new string program now offers private violin and group violin lessons to students ages 5-12.

Between governance and development reports, Wu welcomed us into her world and gave us a glimpse into her style and method of instruction. It’s a proven method for developing confidence, creative thinking and a general work ethic that powers students’ musical and non-musical endeavors. 

Since August, she’s been leading the academy’s outreach efforts to collaborate with Jefferson Elementary School, Forest Park Elementary School and the FirstArts program of First United Methodist Church. Come January, she’ll teach violin to every third grade student at Bale Elementary.

A native of Taiwan, Wu says she enjoys living in Little Rock and nurturing young talent. “I believe deeply in this program’s future as a positive and inspiring environment for the children of Little Rock and its surrounding communities,” Wu enthused.

Serving on the ASO Board has offered me ample opportunity to meet students at Sunday concerts and to promote music education through the Entergy Kids’ Ticket. Meeting Wu inspired me to get new strings and a new bow so that one of her future students could bring new life into my abandoned violin.

If you are curious about what goes on at Sturgis Music Academy, contact director Tze-ying Wu at twu@arkansassymphony.org

 “I am extremely proud of my team as we safely completed construction of the new Jefferson Industrial substation,” said Scott McMahan, manager of Entergy Arkansas’ transmission project management and construction team. “The hard work and dedication from everyone involved allowed us to remain focused on the safety of our crew members, while making a positive impact on southeast Arkansas.”

While McMahan’s team deals mostly with transmission projects, they oversaw the construction of this distribution substation. A total of 50 people, both Entergy employees and contractors, worked on making the Jefferson Industrial substation a reality for the Pine Bluff business community.

“Entergy’s vision statement is We Power Life and we at Entergy Arkansas are proud to partner with Highland Pellets to power this state-of-the-art facility,” said Rick Riley, Entergy Arkansas president and CEO.

Jody Doak, Highland Pellets plant manager, is a new transplant to Pine Bluff and says the facility is currently in the commissioning phase when he and his team are fine-tuning systems and checking inputs.

Highland Pellets’ mission is to be a preferred supplier of sustainably sourced wood pellets for export to Europe where they are used as a cleaner replacement fuel for coal in electricity generating stations.

“Highland has enjoyed building a close relationship with our dedicated and creative partners at Entergy to deliver cost effective and reliable power to our facility,” said Highland Pellets Chairman Tom Reilley.

According to Highland Pellets website, the Pine Bluff facility will provide 68 full time jobs to the local community and over 450 direct jobs in the transport and forest industries supply chain. The direct annual economic benefit of the Highland Pellets Pine Bluff facility is estimated at $77 million per year.

“Economic development is an exciting job,” said Lou Ann Nisbett, who leads the Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County, Ark. “But it’s even more exciting when you have an opportunity to work with such an amazing group as Highland Pellets. Tom Reilley and his team from the first minute we met them have been awesome to work with. For Pine Bluff and Jefferson County this has been monumental in their commitment to locate, build a new facility and create great jobs.”

The Pine Bluff facility will utilize up to 1.4 million tons per year of wood feedstock, or fiber, taken from sustainably managed private working forests in the local area. Highland Pellets reports even after allowing for the energy spent in collecting the wood, processing it into pellets and transporting the pellets by ship to Europe, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions released from burning the pellets is around 78% less than if the power station in Europe burned coal.

 “Entergy Arkansas provides safe, reliable and affordable energy that industrial customers can count on,” said Mike Maulden, Entergy Arkansas’ business and economic development director. “In addition, Arkansas’ skilled workforce and Pine Bluff’s proximity to southern yellow pine forests and mainline rail make it an ideal location for Highland to successfully compete in the global market. We welcome Highland to southeast Arkansas and look forward to serving them as customers and as business partners.”

Saluting Branches designates Sept. 21 as a day for tree care experts to volunteer their time to make the final resting place of veterans a safe and beautiful environment. This was the first time that Entergy Arkansas crews participated in a national effort that donates an estimated 8,000 hours of tree care services to national cemeteries in the U.S., according to the nonprofit’s website.

“We hope to make this an annual project,” said Christy Wright, who supervises the Arkansas vegetation team. She said she appreciated Rowlette’s initiative to coordinate Entergy’s involvement.

On the morning the team gathered at the Little Rock National Cemetery, Wright visited with her direct reports as well as Entergy’s contract employees.

“I was happy we had such a positive presence from across our territory and I was certainly pleased three of our contractors also made the choice to join the effort,” said Wright.

ABC Tree Professionals, Asplundh and West Tree Service dispatched bucket trucks and crews from Russellville, Batesville and Little Rock.

Crews discussed work plans and set out safety cones along the cemetery’s entrance where they trimmed red oak trees, while one Asplundh climbing crew took extra safety protocols to remove dead wood from a majestic post oak providing shade to scores of tombstones.

“We got word they needed a 70-foot bucket so we brought our team from Russellville,” said Matt West, co-owner of West Tree Service, who was also on hand to observe his employees in action.

“It’s nice to see all kinds of tree-trimming companies, both companies like West that go through a bidding process for utility line clearance jobs, as well as small businesses that serve private homeowners and businesses take part in this effort to honor the final resting place for the men and women who honorably served in our Armed Forces,” said West.

Adam Zomant, a veteran himself, manages northern operations out of the Searcy office. “Today I’m a dead wood dragger,” he joked as he was stacking debris into a pile. On a more serious note, Zomant added: “I was honored to serve those who have sacrificed so much and grateful for the opportunity.”

Jeremy Matthews, who manages tree-trimming operations out of the Baseline service center for the central region, spoke on behalf of all of his colleagues: “Anytime we can do something a little different and use our professional expertise is a great way for us as team to give back.”

Representing Entergy in addition to Rowlette, Zomant and Matthews were operations coordinators John Everitt from Batesville and Pine Bluff’s Britt Jones. Forester Jeremy Richard from ACRT, one of the sponsoring companies for Saluting Branches, also volunteered his time.

Cemetery director Howard Porter, Jr. says Arkansas has five cemeteries under the care of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and that this is the first time Saluting Branches has included the Little Rock National Cemetery.

“We are grateful these men and women have come out here today to volunteer to work hard and honor our veterans,” Porter said.

The Saluting Branches day of service for 2016 was held at 34 national cemeteries across the U.S. For more information about this event, go to .

Many times, distribution operations coordinators make strategic decisions to beef up support with an organized effort to address the needs of the customers in only one day. That’s what happened recently when crews converged to help their utility brothers in Eudora, Wilmot, Dumas, Monticello and Wilmar.

• In Dumas, crews came from Pine Bluff, Helena and Stuttgart to help local servicemen and construction crews along Court Street with several tasks, including installing fuses along laterals, removing pole ground from the primary zone, replacing poles, installing guy strain insulators on anchor/span guys and installing transformers along Court Street.
• In Wilmot, Pine Bluff crews provided support at the intersection of Church Street and Whittington where they installed switches, repaired ground wires in poor or unsatisfactory conditions and confirmed they were up to the new Code of Standards for Distribution.
• In Eudora, crews from McGehee and Warren joined up with local crews along Worthington Street and Grand Lake Loop where they accomplished several tasks, including adding plastic animal covers to mitigate intrusion from curious squirrels and birds, replacing crossarms and switches, replacing lightning arresters and installing guy strain wire insulators.
• In Monticello, crews came from Helena, McGehee, Stuttgart and Pine Bluff to help local crews along East Jefferson Avenue. Reliability improvements included replacing older utility poles, installing switches and repairing ground wires in poor condition.
• In Wilmar, crews from Helena, McGehee, Stuttgart and Pine Bluff helped put fiberglass arms on switches and replaced crossarms and utility poles.

These reliability investments totaled $58,000 and were completed with no safety incidents.

“As part of an ongoing proactive program to inspect our facilities, we determined targeted improvements along these specific circuits could increase the reliability of the electrical service for our customers from Dumas to Wilmar to Wilmot,” said Casey Perkins, Entergy Arkansas’ customer service representative serving southeast Arkansas.

A brotherhood, it certainly is. From what I could tell, the kick-off of the 2016 Linemen’s Boot Camp inspired at least three leaders I’d worked with on various media stories to drive to Little Rock to check in on and observe their apprentices: Forrest City line supervisor Eddie Bosnick, Hot Springs senior lineman Steve Bleifus and Searcy line supervisor Scott Williams.

Back inside the main classroom, Ron Suhm, a senior training specialist with Entergy’s technical skills training division, is teaching a training module to seven other apprentices. Seven apprentices each are assigned to Team A and Team B, rotating days which group will be in the yard versus the classroom.

Safety is Priority Number One

In Ron’s classroom, as is the policy throughout Entergy, safety in all actions is a requirement and priority number one. Other class rules are designated by a handwritten poster:

• On time!
• No tobacco in here
• Clean up
• Respect
• Brothers’ Keeper
• 5 Key Smith Driving rules: A-aim high in steering, G-get the big picture, K-keep your eyes moving, L-leave yourself an out and M-make sure they see you
• Have Fun!

“We’re not a democracy but we’re always open for a good idea,” Ron directed at me, friendly but firm, when Team B members assured me that their team identification didn’t reflect a letter grade. I may have taken some liberties with Ron’s rule number seven, volunteering during the class a Survivor reality-show solution for the teams to choose their own names.

Inspired Managers Supporting Employee Growth

Ron’s managing all aspects of boot camp for the first time. Last year, Ron’s leadership team encouraged him to step up and be the lead instructor for the 2016 boot camp. Dennis Weaver, the Arkansas and Mississippi training supervisor, and Ron traveled outside of Arkansas for professional development classes and later advocated for representatives from the Association for Talent Development to deliver a Train-the-Trainer class for the entire department, with each trainer receiving a certificate of completion.

Since that time, all new trainers have attended the ATD Trainer Certificate Course at various locations around the U.S. “I traveled to the Power House, Entergy’s facility in Jackson, and came back with specific tactics I could utilize to help me grow as a trainer as well as become a better leader in the classroom,” said Ron.

John Morehead manages the trainers for all Entergy operating companies. While Arkansas’ trainers demonstrated employee practices of ownership and effective teamwork, John recognizes a motivated, well-trained employee is a productive employee.��He warns about falling into “a comfort zone where individuals teach the things or groups they are most comfortable with” and sees the value in providing trainers with career growth opportunities that champion collaborative exercises and group discussions.

Ron informed the 14 recruits and their guest instructors ahead of my first visit, introduced me during the second week and invited me to drop by any time.

With all of the new information flooding in and tough, physical exercises to master, entertaining questions from the “public relations lady” was the last thing on their minds. They were polite even though most of them surely could commiserate with the first-week description from one proud mother whose son “came home walking like a bowlegged cowboy with his calves bleeding from climbing.”

But, I wanted to go beyond “yes ma’ams” and was fortunate to visit three times during the 12-week course. I sat in during Ron’s module training, witnessed serious faces during testing, observed and spoke with guest instructors and coach observers in the outdoor training area, shared a lunch of deli sandwiches and potato chips with the class, and spoke with seven apprentices, with Ron’s permission, for an extended private visit as well as several one-on-one talks as the weeks progressed.

In lineman’s terms, I met the apprentices before they earned their nicknames, when they were first getting used to climbing poles and maneuvering a fall protection device called a SuperSqueeze and came to know some later as Peaches, One Shot, Tape Worm and Joker.

One apprentice likened the atmosphere of boot camp to what it’s like to be the new guy on a football team: “You don’t go in telling people what to do. You listen and get your assigned job done, that way you can earn their respect.”

A Boot Camp of Firsts

In addition to being Ron’s first boot camp, this year’s class is unique on several fronts: 14 apprentices, from two generations, representing four of our five regions. Collectively, the class may be Entergy Arkansas’ most diverse yet. Consider their career and family backgrounds: a master electrician who remained optimistic and persistent in his pursuit to work for Entergy, an oil field worker, a state prison guard, a bartender, an entrepreneur, a state trooper, an Accu-Read employee who decided to switch from removing single phase meters under load to embodying a customer’s hero, a teenager from a legacy lineman family and a son of a chief clerk from West Markham Service Center.

About communicating with apprentices across generations, journeyman lineman John Wilkins from Batesville says trainers need to be creative.

“It’s different the way you talk with them–,” John says as he keeps his eyes focused on Team A apprentices tackling a scenario he’s assigned them in the training yard. John’s one of several boot camp coach observers who will provide counsel during the 12-week course. And, he’s a media pro. He was featured in The Weather Channel’s docu-series “Lights Out” about Entergy Arkansas linemen.

He glances back at me. “…and how they talk to you!”

I nod encouragingly to hear more about these helpers who are being trained and prepared for the mental, physical and emotional challenges of putting their lives on the line.

“Yeah, send that to me,” says an apprentice.

“Send that insulator,” John coaches.

Brothers’ Keeper

John says boot camp prepares the employees with knowledge and skills through scenarios in which apprentices must learn how to communicate clearly and effectively with one another.

Apprentice Evan Fraser, the master electrician in the class, is back on the ground and I catch up with him. He says from his experience in boot camp the instructors help apprentices to strengthen their ability to trust in themselves and in their crews.

“We’re learning how each of us has his own personality and if you see someone who’s normally outgoing get quiet you know to reach out: ‘Hey buddy, are you okay?’”

That peer check for pole buddies is just one of the ways apprentices and linemen keep a questioning mind. The brotherhood of linemen live by a creed to watch each other’s back and to make sure everyone goes home safely.

State troopers know a thing or two about hazards on the job. Just ask apprentice Zach Varnell who had earned a position on the highway patrol’s elite SWAT team. He describes discussing with his girlfriend his anguish over leaving a job he loved for Entergy and was deeply concerned, at the beginning of boot camp, about what he perceived as a loss of a position of honor and prestige. “I just don’t want to let that go,” he told me after class.

In a private group discussion during the second week of boot camp, seven apprentices discussed the notion that a lineman answers a noble call. “I’m learning about the utility brotherhood and I’m excited to learn more about that,” said Zach.

Keithan Williams from Hot Springs is the newest hire of the bunch and by Week Two had earned the name Joker. Along with his lighthearted demeanor, he can get real serious about what drew him to Entergy. He’s been with the utility since the end of February and extolls the utility’s strong support for craft workers through competitive salaries and pensions. “With a high school diploma you can earn a respectable living and provide for your family,” the 26-year-old said.

Boot camp exercises also teach apprentices how to delegate and how to work side-by-side their instructors. Remember, when they return to their service centers, senior linemen will continue their instruction. It’s on-the-job training every day for four years.

During one boot camp exercise in Week Nine, Keithan worked side-by-side coach-observer John from Batesville. There’s a new confidence in the energetic recruit who had earlier played a role delegating a job to another crew. A video posted on the utility’s Facebook page provides a snapshot of life inside the training yard:

The mentoring exercise? How to rig up a crossarm to be sent up a handline to the lineman on the pole: John instructs Keithan to get rid of the slack in the rope itself–specifically between the anchor tie-off points he is using to attach the handline.

Joe Frans, John’s supervisor in Batesville, calls himself founder “Harvey Couch’s third hire” and may be Entergy Arkansas’ original Joker. The 36-year Entergy veteran says he’s having “to order John a new hard hat, his head is outgrowing his old one,” after more than 4,000 people viewed John coaching the Millennial Joker.

Observations upon Graduation

Zach Varnell, now called Trooper by his colleagues, summed up what many of the 2016 apprentices shared in conversation over the last twelve weeks: in a connected world, if customers can’t power their homes and businesses, life stops. “I have the utmost respect for first responders,” said Zach, when he was recalling his life as a state trooper. “Most people who see state troopers just want to get on with their lives and see the lanes of traffic cleared. It wasn’t until I completed Linemen’s Boot Camp that I see the similarities—hazards on the job, responding to 24-7 calls and knowing that what we do for our communities is vital. I wanted to know I was going to matter when I took this job. Now that I’ve made it through boot camp I realize I didn’t understand the magnitude of what being a lineman was all about. It’s humbling for me to look around at our instructors, and the years of experience they bring to the job, and know that I am now welcomed into this brotherhood.”

No utility job can ever be made completely safe, but the job can be made safer if people remain alert to the risks and communicate, says the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Under Ron Suhm’s leadership, the 2016 Entergy Arkansas Boot Camp apprentices will go back to their service centers knowing how to do just that. Trainer Todd Wheat also provided instruction as did the following guest instructors: journeyman serviceman David Fleeman (Lonoke), senior lineman Scott Davis (Little Rock Baseline), journeyman serviceman Brad Bryant (Harrison) and senior lineman Travis Collins (Pine Bluff).

Can you play a part in powering the lives of thousands of Arkansas customers? .��

While the end of school is nearing for most Little Rock students, shrewd line supervisor Bert Wilson seized the opportunity to send one of Baseline’s best to Chicot Primary School and Early Childhood Center in southwest Little Rock.  

Most husbands and boyfriends know the ins and outs of a honey-do list at their homes, but journeyman serviceman Danny Greenwood recently agreed to tackle a task at his wife’s office.

“I want to thank Entergy for allowing Danny to be the person to represent Entergy Arkansas at our Community Helper Vehicle Day,” said Tina Greenwood, Danny’s wife who serves as an assistant principal at Chicot Primary School.

Chicot serves approximately 800 children, from pre-K three-year-olds to second-graders. The school strives to “develop the needs of the whole child by fostering a safe, nurturing, highly accountable learning environment that will prepare students to become responsible, productive lifelong learners,” according to the school’s website.

School Counselor Adrienne Hawkins organized the event, and Asst. Principal Greenwood reports: “The students loved watching the bucket on the bucket truck go up and down. They also enjoyed putting on Danny’s gloves. He let one try, and they all wanted to. LOL!”

Managing workloads so that our craft employees can share their personal experiences with the youngest of our communities is one way Entergy creates value and powers life.

“This is our opportunity to give back to our local community,” said Robertson, who serves on the board of the United Way of Garland County.

The Entergy team signed up for a stint with the United Way of Garland County’s Day of Caring on April 28. They lent their muscle to Project HOPE Food Bank’s emergency food box program which provides immediate relief to families in need. Food boxes include approximately 50 pounds of canned fruits, vegetables, soups and meat, dried beans, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cereal, peanut butter and jelly, pasta and sauces, along with shelf-stable milk. During a two-hour shift, team members stocked shelves and packed the food boxes which contain enough food to feed a family of four for a week.

“Each event we participate in is a very humbling, eye-opening experience,” said Robertson, describing how it feels to get a chance to see first-hand how Entergy’s philanthropic support creates value for the utility’s customers and communities, two of Entergy’s four key stakeholders.

“At the end of the day, it makes you feel good.”

That collective experience galvanizes Jane Browning, executive director of the United Way of Garland County. “Sharing in the spirit of giving is a truly unique sense of exhilaration,” said Browning, who added that Entergy’s team joined 125 other volunteers helping with similar projects throughout Garland County on the Day of Caring.

Browning says the Food Bank operates entirely by cash donations to purchase food and the work of volunteers to pack it up to be distributed. Families may need help due to “a sudden medical situation or a major equipment breakdown requiring expensive repairs,” said Browning.

“United Way thanks Entergy and your terrific employees, and all those who put in a good day’s work on behalf of their fellow citizens in Garland County,” said Browning.

United Way is the largest charity in the U.S. and is made up of more than 1,000 local organizations, including the United Way of Garland County. Local organizations post their volunteer needs on the United Way website and volunteers can choose from a variety of programs focusing on improving and enhancing education, income and health.

Employees who participated in the Day of Caring project were: Ashley Selph, Karen West, Scott Dannelley, Charlie Dumas and Chris Wasson.

Entergy employees and retirees who record twenty volunteer hours throughout the year are awarded a $250 grant to the eligible charity of their choice, thanks to Entergy shareholders. For more information on the Community Connector program visit: /our_community/volunteerism.aspx

“If you have a museum for what you do,” Riley said, referring to the International Lineman Museum in North Carolina, “then you have a craft that you can be proud of.”

He’s shared his enthusiasm for the future of the company while employees have shared various Arkansas Power & Light memorabilia and equipment they’ve been collecting over the years. A selection of artifacts now in Riley’s possession includes: old insulators, AP&L books, utility pole stamps, Reddy Kilowatt trinkets and a large metal sign squirreled away (possibly without Alicia Riley’s knowledge) at home.

“So, you want to go out to Moses?”

After biscuits and gravy, Forrest City senior lineman Buddy Autry offered a tour of the retired Hamilton Moses Steam Electric Generating Station on Highway 70.

Riley grabbed his hard hat and was out the door!

Construction began on the St. Francis County facility in 1949, with 500 workers assembling the plant over a 15-month period. It interconnects with the Entergy system by a 161 kV transmission line.

Autry and journeyman lineman Bo Bryant accompanied Riley, while clerk Charlotte Darby and third-generation employee and engineering associate Chip Arnold admired a dramatic wall of wrenches in the power house.

Riley’s tour took place almost 65 years after 5,000 people gathered on the grounds for a day-long celebration to dedicate the natural gas plant in honor of one of his predecessors, AP&L president and CEO C. Hamilton Moses.

Ben H. Wooten, president of the First National Bank in Dallas, delivered the 1951 keynote address. He praised Moses for his leadership of the state’s largest utility and for his leadership in bringing industrial and agricultural progress to Arkansas.

“The kilowatt is the life blood of modern civilization,” said Wooten.

Forrest City was “bedecked in bunting” and the plant served as “a symbol of progress for the State and the South” proclaimed a September 1951 edition of The Exciter, AP&L’s company newsletter. AP&L’s 1951 Annual Report featured a striking twilight scene of the Moses plant and celebrated the latest addition to the utility’s production system with an interior flap headline: “Arkansas…A Power-Full State.”

Gov. Sid McMath attended, along with numerous civic and business leaders. Mayors from 34 east Arkansas towns declared the day a holiday and urged folks to close their businesses to attend. A children’s chorus, a Navy band and 29 east Arkansas towns sent “princesses” to compete during the Queen Kilowatt beauty pageant held during the dedication ceremonies. (Sharis Smith of Wynne won the contest.)

A multi-colored neon sign of the power plant’s name (it was the 1950s, after all) hailed the $15 million plant that brought 140,000 additional kilowatts of generating capacity. Natural gas needed to fuel the plant became available to a large section of eastern Arkansas that had previously not had this service.

Riley enjoys engaging with employees and visiting facilities across our territory. While he’s keen to keep the founding spirit of the company relevant, he’s working hard to create an inclusive and rewarding work culture as Entergy advances economic and industrial growth.

Entergy Arkansas employees will continue to keep the lights on and support communities. In effect, We Power Life!

Employees who joined Riley for the tour were: Bo Bryant, Murray Smith, Buddy Autry, Ryan Huntington, Spencer Price, Kyle Smith, Alex Pace, Chip Arnold and Charlotte Darby.

“I was pretty blunt with the kids,” about picking a career early in life, George said. “I mean, they’re only in the fourth grade but Fountain Lake Elementary is a charter school and they’re serious about education.”

After five years in the military, George thought he’d go to college, but soon he looked within and to some of the men in his family for direction.

His uncle was a lineman in Missouri for 35 years. His dad worked as a supervisor with Texas Power & Light, the predecessor to TXU ���ϳԹ���, an electric utility headquartered in Dallas.

“It’s good to have a Plan B,” George said.

George asked the students what they wanted to be when they grow up.

“An NBA basketball player!!”

“A football player in the NFL!”

George listened and nodded and then described the path to becoming a lineman doesn’t necessarily mean earning a college degree, but, instead, may include a tour of duty at Entergy’s Linemen Boot Camp followed up with on-the-job training alongside senior craft workers. With children gathered around him, George explained Entergy’s priority number one working with energized line requires special safety procedures and equipment to manage the job’s hazards.

“Choose a career that makes you happy,” George said. “Being a lineman makes me happy and provides for my family.”

School counselor LeAnn Robertson is a pro at getting folks to visit Fountain Lake to share personal reflections about their careers. The “Counselor’s Corner” has featured a banker, a basketball coach, a chiropractor and an occupational therapist.

“It was apparent that Corey wasn’t just there to show the materials and bucket truck,” Robertson says, “but he really wanted to get through to them that it is important to do something in life that makes you happy.”

With the support of management, George stepped outside of his day job to educate and engage with young people, demonstrating a commitment to providing sustainable value for our communities, one of Entergy’s four key stakeholders.

As an Entergy brand ambassador, George delivered a message that echoes that of incoming president and CEO Rick Riley. Riley has been visiting service centers throughout the Entergy Arkansas territory to meet employees and share his business philosophy as the transition nears when he takes over from Hugh McDonald, who’s retiring next month.

“If you don’t love coming to work and have a little bit of fun at what you do,” says Riley, “maybe it’s time to consider hitting the pause button and realize what you do here every day is a noble cause.”

Did Corey George’s spirited presentation make an impact on young Caden and his classmates?

“Well, after it was all said and done, by the end of the day, I heard, ‘I want to do YOUR job!’”

“We had hundreds of thousands of individual parts and pieces of equipment to ship, stage, catalog, track and deliver where and when materials were needed along the 18-mile route,” said John Ellis, who served as the overall project manager.

“Brock Durham, our construction supervisor,” Ellis said, “developed an innovative plan to use helicopters to install transmission poles. This allowed the line to be completed more than two months faster than originally anticipated with the team setting 53 poles in one day.”

Entergy’s award-winning storm restoration work sometimes employs helicopters to set large transmission structures. It’s unusual to use them in a non-emergency situation.

“The conventional wisdom was that it was cost prohibitive; our team proposed it and proved that it was not–plus utilizing the helicopter method minimized the environmental impacts, reducing the amount of large equipment needed on the right of way,” said Ellis. “And, that’s great for the Natural State and Entergy Arkansas customers.”

Three years ago, the communities of Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton first learned during an open house about the need for a new 18-mile 115 kV line connecting Hot Springs Milton substation to Carpenter Dam Hydro Electric Station and a new distribution substation near Albright Road.

“As electric demand grows, upgrading existing or constructing new facilities is necessary to maintain and improve reliability,” said Greg Asbell, customer service representative for Hot Springs. “This reliability project has been made in collaboration with community members and is one of many investments across our territory positioning Entergy Arkansas and our customers for a brighter future. We’re investing $1.7 billion dollars between 2016-2018 to make the company’s electrical service even more safe and reliable.”

Other project team leaders included:

• Brian Eddins – Construction engineer who oversaw the construction of the line and work at the Carpenter Dam and Hot Spring Milton substation.
• Brandon Hopson and David Hardin – operations coordinators in transmission construction, who worked in the field with dozens of contractors to implement the projects.
• Sal Faisal – Construction engineer who oversaw the construction of the Albright substation and is currently overseeing the added reliability project at Mountain Pine South, which has an expected completion date of June 2016.

The new transmission line serves existing demand, provides for future growth and supplies a new distribution substation just south of Albright Road. The new substation eliminates the area’s original radial system from Mountain Pine South Substation to Hot Springs Milton Substation that provided only one power source for some customers. The substation also relieves the load from other substations along Highway 7 South.