Steven F. Faw
Nomination Letter/Essay

Please allow me to introduce my friend, my mentor, and lineman extraordinaire, Steven F. Faw. Steve has been the standard by which other lineman and crew supervisors have been compared at Santee Cooper. For 40 years he has exceeded the call of duty and exemplified the true nature of the Brotherhood of Electrical Lineman. But don't call him a "Lineworker". Still hooking 100' poled at 57 years of age, keeps the "man" in the term "Lineman"! Steve is known as a man of few words. He is a man of action!

Distribution:
Steve began his linework career immediately after he graduated from high school. He entered the distribution apprenticeship program at Appalachian Power in 1969 where he worked in Martinsville, VA for 18 months. To get back closer to home in Linclonton, NC, he left Appalachian for Duke Energy, working as a distribution lineman in Charlotte. He married the love of his life, Mary, in 1972 and moved to Myrtle Beach, SC where he worked for Santee Cooper as a journeyman lineman in distribution.

Transmission:
After seeing contractors building some transmission high lines, Steve decided he wanted to try his hand at that. He left Santee Cooper in 1974 and went to work for R.H. Bouligny Construction traveling the country on their high line crew. There he met the second love of his life, transmission line work. Steve loved a challenge and he found what he was looking for on the high lines. He excelled in running digger/derricks, flex tracks, and wire stringing equipment, but what he really loved was the climbing. Steve loved cutting deadends and clipping in conductor from Baker boards and hook ladders, but he was never fond of bucket trucks. He always said if he fell climbing it was his own fault, but you never knew when something mechanical would fall! In that spirit he accepted responsibility for a 60' fall that should have ended his life. A machine bolt nearly tore his nose off during a fall. Fortunately, it knocked him unconscious before he hit the ground. The doctor said being limp when he landed probably saved his life. He quickly learned the transmission construction side of the business and was promoted to a foreman position while at Bouligny.

Tired of life on the road, Steve went back to work for Santee Cooper in September of 1976, this time as a journeyman lineman on the transmission crew in Darlington, SC. It was there that Steven learned the art of hot sticking. Much of the transmission line maintenance was done energized at Santee Cooper. Steve found hot sticking voltages of 69, 115, and 230 kV to be both extremely challenging and rewarding.

Supervision:
Steve was promoted to Crew Supervision in 1985.Under his direction, Steve's crew was quickly recognized as one of the best at Santee Cooper. Over and over again his crew was called on for the tough projects. Simply put, Steve quickly became out management's "go to" guy. Whether for rush-rush construction projects or difficult maintenance issues, they knew Steve would get the job done.

His knowledge of linework and his supervisory skills were put to the test in the fall of 1989 when Hurricane Hugo made a call to South Carolina. Working on the east coast for his entire career, Steve had worked his share of ice storms, tornados, and hurricanes. However, nothing could have prepared him for the devastation of Hurricane Hugo. With over 1/3 of Santee Cooper's 3,000 miles of transmission on the dirt, Steve knew they were in for a long, difficult, and dangerous restoration. Well, Steve always loved a challenge! Working 120 hour weeks, Steeve served as one of our primary coordinators for the extended restoration effort in the Northern Division, running not only his crew but several outside contract crews. Although injuries to lineman occurred on his restoration effort, there were none on Steves watch. When faced with the opportunity to move higher in management, Steve elected to remain a crew supervisor. He loved the work and his men too much to take an "office job".

Leadership:
In the old days supervisors were often chosen for their knowledge and skill in linework. However, there is certainly more to supervision than knowing how to get the work done. Steve had worked for his share of though, hard men; he was the epitome of that himself. He therefore set out to learn how to be a "good" supervisor. He attended every class he could take, read books, and learned from others. Over the years he dedicated himself to become the model supervisor. His men respect, even revere him. "To hell and back", I've heard them say...they would follow him anywhere. "Follow him" I say, because he leads from in front.

Safety Record:
Steve's record speaks volumes about his dedication to safety. Over his years of supervision, Steve's number one priority was the safety of the crew. In fact, he has won our highest safety honor 19 out of 22 years. This is awarded to line crews having no lost time injuries for the year; a grand accomplishment for the crew who also ranked near the top each year in total work accomplished.

Training/Employee Development:
Steve has always supported lineman training. Daily teaching and training on the job, he prided himself on the education and accomplishments of his crew. He prepared his employees in advance and expected them to be tops in their formal training classes. Over the years Steve has worked with various groups to develop formal training and OJT standards for Santee Cooper's apprenticeship program, serving as an instructor as needed. Steve was one of the first to support the Lineman's Rodeo at Santee Cooper. IIt was late in his career when the rodeo was started here. When asked the first year if he would judge, he said "judge, no way...I'm competing!" Steve anchored several rodeo teams, winning the right to represent our utility at the APPA Lineman's Rodeo on three occasions. He encourages and expects all of his apprentices to participate in the rodeo because he believes it greatly helps in developing their skill and condficence.

The Future:
Steve retired from his Crew Supervisor position at Santee Cooper in June, 2008, but he's not ready to give up linework for the rocking chair just yet. After a few months off to take care of 40 years of "honey do's", he plans to rehire at Santee Cooper, as of all things, a journeyman lineman!

Summary:
Highly respected by management, colleagues, employees, and customers, Steve Faw is the consummate "Professional Lineman". The figure of speech "been there, done that"fits perfectly to describe Steves career. He has demonstrated the highest skill level, dedication, and ethical standards as he has accomplished nearly everything one could hope to accomplish in our career field. I guess it was summed up best by one of our customers(the manager of one of the electric cooperatives we serve and parter with. A major storm had knocked out transmission service to a majority of their substations. He said, "When i head 508 come on the radio, I knew everything was under control and Steve would have our service restored soon."