Two retire from Carroll County Electric with 88 years of service

PLAQUE PRESENTATIONS – Carroll County Electric manager Ryan Drewry (right) presented Carroll County Electric Co. retires (from left) operations manager Mike Williams and manager Danny Brawner plaques signifying their years of service 45 and 43 respectively. They were also presented watches.
PRESENTATIONS – Carroll County Electric Co. employee Mark Simpson (left) presents Danny Brawner and Mike Williams with a Henry – lineman edition rifle, a gift from the employees.

Two Carroll County Electric Co. employees with almost 90 years of service between them have retired.

Danny Brawner with 43 years and Mike Williams with 45 years of working for the company were honored with a retirement luncheon June 2 at the Colonial Tea Room in Huntingdon. Brawner is retiring from the manager’s position while Williams is leaving the operation manager’s job.

Carroll County Electric employees and several officials from other electric companies came to bid the retirees farewell and wish them well.

The luncheon featured barbecue pork and bologna with all the trimmings along with cake and ice cream.

Ryan Drewry, who was recently appointed general manager, presented each one with watches and plaques with the number of years that each worked and words of appreciation for their service. Company employee Mark Simpson presented each one with a Henry – lineman edition rifle, a gift from the employees.

Faron Collins of Greenfield, who is retired from the manager’s job at Weakley County Municipal Electric Co, spoke about the retirees.

He thanked Brawner and Williams for their long years of valuable service to the company,

“Everybody is family in this situation,” said Collins, noting that he worked with Danny at Bolivar Electric Co. in past  years.

Brawner says he and his wife, Sheila, who is retired as the technology coordinator for the West Carroll Special School District, will be doing some traveling and will shortly be taking to the road in his white 2014 Chrysler convertible to the Smokeys as their first trip.

“We expect to do some traveling now,” he said.

Brawner began working for Carroll County Electric in 1979 as an engineer. In 1985 he became the chief engineer. In 2014 he was promoted to manager and overseeing the system and its approximately 15,500 customers and 45 employees.

“Our number one priority has always been seeing that the people have electricity,” he said.

During his tenure automatic meter reading became a reality about three years ago. No one lost their jobs during this transition and the people affected moved into different jobs with the electric company.

A computer mapping system was also installed.

“We have a good mapping system that’s important and saves time,” he said. “This was done without having to borrow any money.”

The worst of times was back in 1994 when the ice storm came, he recalled.

“Every customer in the county was without power except Grange which was Norandal at the time,” he said. “I stayed up 72 hours with no sleep.”

He says that he will miss the connections and associations that he has daily with the employees and TVA associates.

Williams began working at the electric company in 1975 as a lineman. He moved from that job to be assistant foreman to foreman, to general foreman and to operations manager.

He says he’s always enjoyed helping people whose electricity is off because of storms and assisting other utility companies who had widespread outages.

“I have always believed in giving service,” he said. “I like the people I work with and have appreciated the opportunity given me by Carroll County Electric”.

Now that he is retired, he and his wife, Zona, are downsizing and have sold their house to their daughter and are building a house on Cedar Tree Lane.

“I will wire it. I feel qualified to do that,” he joked.

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