South Georgia Technical College Industrial Electrical Alumnus Al Jordan has worked at Flint Energies for almost 20 years now and has held multiple positions during his tenure. He began his career as a lineman apprentice, then served as a first-class lineman, and is now a service man. He is the son of SGTC Adult Education Assistant Lisa Jordan and her husband, Lee.
Jordan was highlighted recently in a publication titled “Everyday Heroes,” in an article written by Joshua Miller, the HHJ Sports Editor. He was able to secure a job with Flint Energies after graduating from the South Georgia Technical College Industrial Electrical program with some support and help from his instructor, the late William Mathis. He has been with Flint ever since.
“Al’s one of my best guys,” said Jordan’s supervisor, Greg Hion. “He gives his all every day, doesn’t complain and does what he needs to do. He’s willing to work after hours, before hours, all the time.” And that is the reason that he was featured as an everyday hero in the community.
“Linemen are the outside electricians responsible for maintaining the power lines and cables. While installing new lines, repairing transformers, and working up in a bucket that’s 50 feet off the ground – linemen like Jordan are out in the elements,” wrote Joshua Miller. “The job can be gritty, and linemen could end up assisting to restore power in another state or within the region they reside at.”
Jordan has worked in almost every situation. He has gone out in hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and ice storms to restore power for people and businesses. “You see a lot of devastation out there,” said Jordan. “Working in storms and seeing the people’s reactions when you turn the power on after its been out for a while is my favorite part of the job,” said Jordan.
The SGTC alumni has traveled as far away as Kentucky and Indiana to help restore power. His longest trip away from his wife and kids was for 18 days and he said working in those types of conditions for that length of time is tough but very gratifying when they are able to help people in need.
“This business is like a brotherhood,” said Jordan about his coworkers. “When somebody needs help, somebody is there to pick up and has your back. Especially on storm situations; they send out a list for who’s going to be around when we know a storm’s coming in, and you’ll see a lot of the guys who aren’t on call come in to help.”
Jordan’s contributions as an everyday hero often go unnoticed as people use the power they maintain. Heroes are consistently acknowledged as the people who save lives and keep us safe, but what about the people who keep the power on?
Lineman like Jordan play a pivotal role in our everyday lives to keep the power flowing so that we have lights to see and cold refrigerators to store our food. Imagine a world without lineman, our daily routines would change drastically. And for that reason, Jordan is an everyday hero who enjoys what he does. “This is a great job,” said Jordan. “I enjoy what I am doing and serving the community.”
When Jordan’s not serving the community as an everyday hero, he enjoys coaching his kid’s travel ball teams.
Individuals interested in one of the over 200 associate degree, diploma, or technical certificate of credit programs at South Georgia Technical College should visit the website at www.southgatech.edu. The college offers in-person and on-line classes. Registration for summer and fall semester is currently underway. For more information contact the admissions office at 229-931-2394 in Americus or 229-271-4040 in Cordele.
For more information in the Electrical Lineworker Apprentice program available at South Georgia Technical College contact Tami Blount at 229-931-2040 or tblount@southgatech.edu.