The 2024 HEATS (Hoosier Energy Apprenticeship Training & Safety) graduation ceremony took place on October 18 at the French Lick Resort.
This year’s class featured 15 lineman graduates, 12 MSR (member service representative) graduates and nine substation graduates.
The MSR graduates featured Wayne-White Counties Electric Cooperative for the first time. While linemen keep their safety training focused in Illinois, the MSR class provided an opportunity for Wayne-White to take advantage of HEATS. Graduates were: Dara Belangee, Wes Clark, Matt Garner, Caitlin Glisson, Denice Kinney, Misty Kitley, Kandras Kunkel, Alyssa Parrott, Kim Rodgers, Derick Trout, Landon Vaughan and Lisa Vaughan.
Graduates of the HEATS Advanced Climbing School pose for a photo at the Franklin Training Center.
Nine Hoosier Energy member cooperatives were represented in the lineman graduating class. Graduates were: Courtney Metzger, Ethan Smith and Jerry Smith of Bartholomew County REMC; Wyatt Binkley of Clark County REMC; Tyler Schnell, Kory Voelkel and Andrew Weidenbenner of Dubois REC; Bobby Frasur of Henry County REMC; Jared Bartlett of Hoosier Energy; Derek Davis of Jackson County REMC; Jennifer Fugate and Sam Wood of JCREMC; Chris Pile of RushShelby Energy; Noah Williams of Whitewater Valley REMC; and Alex Kitchin of WIN Energy REMC. Davis earned the academic award.
The substation graduates, all from Hoosier Energy, were: Jeff Carter, Todd Chenoweth, Lance Ellett, Ryan Foster, Cody Morgan, Cameron Thomson, Scott Smith, Greg Welsh and Jimmy John Yeryar. Morgan took home the academic award.
Earlier this fall, there were 17 graduates of Advanced Climbing School as part of the HEATS program. Those were: Robby Allen and Broden Goodman of South Central Indiana REMC; Zane Anderson, Zackory Moorman and Jacob Wente of UDWI; Gage Back and Luke Sullenbarger of RushShelby Energy; Andrew Cross of Whitewater Valley REMC; Robert Garza and Bryce Gentry of Clark County REMC; Ben Harlemert, Mitchel Meyer and Morgan Sutton of Southeastern Indiana REMC; Caleb Miller of Daviess-Martin County REMC; Max Rickelman of Southern Indiana Power; Ethan Smith of Bartholomew County REMC; and Josh Smith of WIN Energy.