Ward brings 40+ years of experience to SCC’s Electrical Lineman program as new coordinator and instructor

David Ward, a Whiteville native, is Southeastern Community College’s new Electrical Lineman Program Coordinator and Instructor. He brings more than 40 years of electrical lineman experience, in addition to being a heavy equipment operator with a commercial driver’s license. While on the brink of retirement, Ward decided that his career was not over yet, and he wants to pass on his electrical lineman knowledge to the next generation.  

“I’ve made some of the best money doing this kind of work,” Ward said. “And now I’m ready to teach these boys what I know so they can make some good money.” 

In the early 1980s, Ward started his electrical lineman career with Sumpter Utility as a groundman, which operated as a contractor with Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation. He preferred working locally, so he could be home with his family. Ward got his first taste of post-storm power restoration as a traveling lineman with Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Ward stayed with Sumpter Utility for 30 years and then moved to MasTec near Fort Bragg where he worked for another 12 years.  

“You can learn a lot by doing powerline construction,” Ward said. “You can’t learn everything from a book because 99% of the time, you have to put your hands on it.” 

Ward’s 10-week electrical lineman classes are structured around hands-on experience. He prepares PowerPoint presentations for the morning portion of the class, where he covers safety procedures, industry regulations, equipment operation and the basics of wire splicing. The afternoon portion of class is spent outside at the electrical lineman lab area that is equipped with poles, powerlines and transformers.  

“I enjoy the challenge of teaching this stuff and seeing how I can make it stick in their head,” Ward said. “When they’re on the job, they’re literally playing with electricity, and they have to know how to handle it.” 

When students graduate from Ward’s class, they will walk away OSHA 10 certified, pole-climbing certified, earn their CDL permit, CPR and first aid certified and AED certified. Students also graduate with an apprentice certificate. Ward said the most important aspect of his class is gaining hands-on experience with tools and safety equipment.   

“I’m teaching them the basics of powerline construction, what they need to know to be a groundman and what they need to know to help the more experienced linemen on a job,” Ward said. “They have to know how to help others first before they get hired as a lineman.” 

So far, Ward is pleased with the operations of the electrical lineman program at SCC. He observed great potential in his first class of students.  

“If I can make them apprentice linemen at their first job, I have accomplished something,” Ward said. “These guys are going to be working these storms and putting together secondary wires that get torn down during storms. These companies hire a lot of storm chasers.” 

While not working, Ward enjoys fishing and hunting because “there are no powerlines out there in the lake.” He enjoys deer, bear, and hog hunting at Pork Boys Hunting Club. Ward and his wife, Kay Ward, have one son and four grandchildren. 

Interested in the Electrical Lineman program at SCC? Click here to learn more about SCC’s Electrical Lineman program and how to get started!