After 38 years of tireless service to the citizens of Covington, TN, Richard Fortner, Covington Electric System Operations Manager, finally hung up his hooks in August. Richard began his career at CES in 1977 as a groundman, topping out as a journeyman lineman in 1980. He took over as Operations Manager in 1996, the position that he held until his retirement.
"I’ve had the pleasure of working with several really good Operations Managers at various utilities over the past 35 years" said CES General Manager Tim Sallee, "but Richard Fortner’s dedication to duty far exceeds anything that I have witnessed elsewhere. Richard took ownership of the electrical system, and took it as a personal affront any time the lights blinked. When the chips were down, Richard was always the first one there to pick up the pieces."