Electric Division Assistant Supervisor Pat Craighead

Pat Craighead, Assistant Supervisor of the Electric Division, has spent over 20 years seeing the industry digitize and automate.

"That's one of the biggest changes," he stated. "A lot of the tools and equipment we deal with now have come a long way in the last 20 years." Many of our smaller tools and equipment are easier to use. They now have a lot of battery-powered tools instead of manual hand ones. It makes the job a little easier."

Pat's job requires him to spend a lot of time with meters and the metering system. He also addresses problems, answers to citizen inquiries, and works with contractors on construction sites throughout town.

Pat began working for the City of Fulton in 2004 as a mechanic, first in the gas division and then in the electric division.

"I always had an interest in and curiosity about electric," he stated. "My goal was to get in the electric department."

His favorite aspect of the job is the possibility to always learn something new, whether he is working in Fulton or traveling to another community in need through mutual aid.

"There is always something new to learn in this job." With new technology, there is a never-ending learning curve, and there are a million different ways to do the same thing. When we deal with other entities outside of Fulton, such as mutual aid when someone suffers storm damage, it's always intriguing to see someone else's approach. It's always fascinating to watch how other people handle the same problem."

Pat is married, and the couple has daughter.

"We try to do as much family-oriented stuff as possible," he added. "I enjoy playing around with old equipment and machinery, such as messing around with old tractors." Outside of work, I try to spend as much time as possible with my family."