Cherryland’s line crew grew a little bigger this past year. We sat down with four of our newest lineworkers, (L-R) Hunter, Dallas, Kyle, and Jeff, to see what motivated them to take on this important job.

Hunter Brengman

I have been in the area for the past 15 years, originally living in Maple City. I am a bit of an outdoor enthusiast, so living and working in this area is perfect for me.

I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to help people. For that reason, I always thought that I would become a paramedic. However, becoming a lineman has worked out because I am still able to help people, just in a different way!

At Cherryland, I’m outdoors, I’m surrounded by experienced people, and I genuinely enjoy the work I am doing. What’s not to like?

Dallas Knoll

I’m originally from the Kalamazoo area. I grew up on Gun Lake and loved everything about living on a lake. I went to school at Alpena Community College and received my associates degree in utility technology.

Growing up, my family and I always vacationed up north, and I always thought I would live up here one day. I heard about Cherryland and was very impressed when I visited. Now, I live on Lake Ann and have been working here since May of 2016. I love it!

I wanted to become a lineman because I love being outdoors and being a part of something bigger than myself. Being a Cherryland lineman is great because we are member-focused, unlike big utilities. It’s a great place to work and learn!

Kyle Mason

I was born in Grand Rapids and lived in Lowell for a time before my family moved north when my dad became a Cherryland lineman. I always knew I wanted to stay in northern Michigan. It’s a great place to live and raise kids.

Early on, I knew that I didn’t want to work behind a desk, so I studied to become a lineman at Alpena Community College. I worked as a lineman all around northern Michigan. I started with a summer job at Great Lakes Energy Cooperative, and that eventually turned into a full-time position. From there, I got a taste of the municipal utility life at Traverse City Light & Power before joining the team at Cherryland.

Since starting at Cherryland a year ago, everything has been great. I enjoy the other guys I work with, and there is a real sense of comradery here. In everything we do, we are in it together.

Jeff Morris

I feel incredibly lucky to have been born and raised in Traverse City. Most people don’t realize how lucky they are to live in such a beautiful place.

I’ve always loved building things with my hands. From a very young age, I was out with my dad helping him with his construction projects. I loved working with my hands so much that I became a contractor, which seemed to be an appropriate career path for me. But I wasn’t satisfied. I had a couple of friends that were linemen who encouraged me to try a lineman apprenticeship and sent me in the right direction. Needless to say, I took their advice, and haven’t looked back in these last 10 years.

My wife and I got married this last fall and want to start a family. Since I had been a contractor my whole career, traveling and living in hotels—it would have been very difficult to raise a family the way we would like. So when an opportunity came up to be a lineman at Cherryland and be able to come home every night, I jumped on it! All I can say is, it’s great working in my backyard again.