Colby Wells almost turned down the top job. Now he's CEO of South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative and its broadband subsidiary, South Central Connect — a 20+ year journey that started as a groundman apprentice terrified of heights in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
On this episode, host Tom Williamson catches up with Colby at the Statewide Cooperative Directors Conference in Hot Springs, AR for a candid conversation about leadership, mentorship, and the co-op business model. They cover why line work has gotten harder, the industry's shift from training for knowledge to training for liability, the disconnect between the field and the boardroom, the challenges of expanding rural broadband, why winter demand — not AI — is straining the grid, and how to build the next generation of linemen.
Chapters:
(0:00) - Intro: Meeting Colby Wells in Arkansas
(1:38) - Colby's Role & Nearly Turning Down the Job
(5:44) - Starting as a Groundman Apprentice
(7:01) - Overcoming a Fear of Heights
(11:10) - Billy: The Lineman Who Shaped Him
(16:49) - Has Line Work Gotten Harder?
(19:21) - Training for Liability vs. Knowledge
(25:13) - From Lineman to Manager: A Rocky Transition
(28:41) - Unionizing and Becoming a Steward
(38:43) - The 2009 Ice Storm & Mutual Aid
(43:19) - Why the Co-op Model Matters
(51:49) - The Field-to-Boardroom Disconnect
(55:14) - Building the Broadband Subsidiary & New Competition
(58:43) - The Future of the Grid & Energy Policy
(1:03:15) - Surging Demand: Load Growth, Not Just AI
(1:06:41) - Lightning Round: Tools & Trucks
(1:09:06) - Biggest Pet Peeves in Line Work Today
(1:13:10) - Advice for Every Apprentice
(1:14:52) - The Hardest Days as CEO
(1:18:06) - Best Decision He Ever Made
(1:21:09) - What He'd Tell Every Co-op CEO
(1:26:26) - His Hoped-For Legacy & Fixing Workforce Development
(1:34:09) - Closing & Sign-Off
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