LIFELINE

S PA N S O F S E R V I C E
2 6
Howard “Bud” Carpenter,
Regional Safety Specialist,
Region 461 – 15 Years
Bud’s experience in the tree industry began long before coming to work for
Nelson Tree Service in 1992.
“Since 1978, I’ve been heavily involved in the tree work industry,” states
Bud. “And my grandfather was in the industry for 40 years … I guess you
could say it’s in my blood!”
Currently, Bud is utilizing his years of experience as a Regional Safety
Specialist for Nelson Tree operations on First Energy property throughout
Region 461, in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Bud is always looking for ways to improve. He is currently taking Dale
Carnegie courses, which focus on developing managerial skills.
Anthony, Karen and
Bud see Michael (second
from left) off from
Ft. Shelby, Mississippi,
before his deployment
to Afghanistan
“These courses have enabled me to develop myself. They are definitely one
of the most unique challenges I’ve ever undertaken,” claims Bud. “I’ve
almost completed the 12-week course, which I never could have done
without the support of my regional manager, Fred Dotson.”
When Bud is not attending his evening classes, he spends time with his
“beautiful” wife, Karen. They have two sons, ages 24 and 14.
“My youngest boy loves to fish and is big into football and other sports,”
shares Bud. “My oldest is serving in the National Guard. He’s completed
tours in Iraq and is presently on deployment in Afghanistan.”
Bud’s favorite pastime is fishing the bass tournaments. He claims, “It’s how I
relax when I’m not at work.”
Crewleader, George
Granter, pictured with
one of his RC trucks
Gary Higgins, General
Foreman, Region 468 – 15 Years
Gary began his Nelson Tree career right out of high school thanks to his
uncle, Dick Partridge, who was working for Nelson Tree at the time.
Like many others, Gary started out as a groundsman. He worked his way up
to crewleader, then to general foreman. Today, Gary oversees eight distribution
crews on AmerenIP property.
Gary and his wife, Ann, have a ten-year-old son, Alex, and a seven-year-old
daughter, Alina, both of whom were adopted from Siberia. Although they
were born in Russia,
Gary claims they are
completely Americanized
now!
In his free time, Gary
enjoys deer hunting
and fishing. He has a
passion for bow
hunting and has been
out scouting since the
season opened in
October.
Gary and Ann with their beautiful children,
Alex and Alina
George Granter, Crewleader,
Region 468 – 15 Years
George has been in the utility line clearance industry since 1978. In
1992, he came to work for Nelson Tree as a journeyman trimmer on ConEd
property. George was quickly promoted to crewleader and currently runs a
bucket crew on Ameren Southern Division property.
“In the past ten years or so, I’ve spent a lot of time moving around; from
Joliet to Crestwood, to University Park, then Champaign to Bloomington, and
finally where I’m at currently, in Northern Prairie,” explains George.
George and his wife, Barbara, have two sons: George Jr. and Joshua.
“Our oldest, George Jr., is in the Army and has been serving in Iraq for the
past couple of years now,” says George. “We miss him a lot and, Joshua, our
youngest boy (who just turned 18) really misses his big brother.”
“We’re all also very proud of him,” adds George. “We weren’t aware of it at
the time, but when soldiers were sent in to capture Saddam’s sons, George,
Jr. was the one in charge of the effort. We didn’t realize he was in command
until the reporters started calling!”
George and Barbara also have a two-year-old grandson living with their
daughter-in-law in Kentucky.
During his time away from Nelson Tree, George and Joshua mess around
with RC trucks.
“I started with planes, but that can get really expensive,” claims George. “So
I switched to the trucks. Joshua became interested and we used to race. We
don’t race anymore because, once again, the costs can really rack up, but
we still mess around with them.”
George also enjoys playing fantasy football, which he plays over the computer.