I began my career at Patterson & Dewar in 1976, following my graduation from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I retired from the company at the end of 2020. Initially, I assisted with work plans and system studies.
At that time, personal computers did not exist, and handheld calculators were starting to replace slide rules and trigonometric tables for calculations. During my sophomore year at Georgia Tech, I reluctantly purchased my first calculator, the HP-35. I sacrificed my beer money to buy it because I noticed that students using calculators during tests typically finished much earlier than those of us relying on slide rules. The calculator cost me over $300, while the average price of a six-pack in 1974 was $2.31.
When I joined P&D, Mr. Patterson and Mr. Dewar had already retired, but were regulars in the office. Mr. Patterson was outgoing and loved to laugh and tell stories, while Mr. Dewar was more serious and concerned about his image within the company. Their presence added a personal touch to my early days at P&D.
My initial responsibilities included assisting with work plans and system studies. After several years, substation design was added to my job responsibilities. It was common for an engineer to be a jack-of-all-trades during that time. While working on substation design, JW Porter and I noticed that some start-up tests required for the substations were not performed correctly. With permission from Norman DeLong, we purchased a ground resistance tester. We learned how to conduct these tests and began performing them at P&D-designed substations.
JW and I also attended a graduate-level class on protective relays at Georgia Tech, taught by Clayton Griffin, the head protection engineer at Georgia Power. This led to the acquisition of a protective relay tester and a donation of surplus relays from Georgia Power, allowing us to practice before heading into the field. Our first on-site relay testing project was memorable—we had to test relays in freezing temperatures at a live substation in Monteagle, TN. Unfortunately, we accidentally opened a live circuit breaker while attempting to put the relay back into service. The look on our faces when we realized what we had done, and when we had to confess to the cooperative manager, is something I’ll never forget.
During an IEEE Power Engineers Luncheon meeting, JW and I discussed the possibility of collaborating with Richard Hood, a former GE engineer who started his own consulting and testing business. This collaboration led to the formation of Hood Patterson & Dewar (HP&D), a separate company initially owned by P&D (with controlling interest), Richard Hood, JW Porter, and me. HP&D’s first year was a success, generating over $90,000 in gross income and serving a diverse clientele, including electric utilities, hospitals, and telecommunications companies
After Richard Hood retired, I took over as President of HP&D and earned an MBA from Georgia State University. My expertise was soon sought after by MCI, an emerging telecommunications company, leading to numerous design and testing projects at their facilities. This work with MCI opened doors to international opportunities, including representing the company in a consortium that installed an underwater fiber optic cable spanning Japan, Hawaii, and the mainland United States.
HP&D eventually merged with P&D, and I became President and CEO of P&D, a role I held for about 25 years. Throughout my career, I participated in several notable projects, including the commissioning of Apple’s microgrid control system for its new corporate headquarters, providing troubleshooting and expert testimony for a microgrid installation in St. Croix, and overseeing the commissioning of a data center in Buenos Aires.
As I reflect on my journey, I realize how many invaluable lessons have shaped not only my career but also my entire life. Each experience has been a stepping stone, guiding me toward growth and personal development in ways I never imagined. Let me share some things I’ve learned throughout my journey:
- Communication is essential.
- A little fear and anxiety can be great motivators; use them to your advantage.
- If you make a mistake (and you will), admit it and do so as quickly as possible.
- Whenever possible, build friendships rather than enemies, and enjoy your work.
- Take care of your clients, your company, and your team, and they will all take care of you.
- A good supervisor should identify the team members who are most critical to the team’s success and ensure they are supported.
- A smart employee will strive to be recognized as one of those critical team members.
- You may not always be the smartest person in the room, but you can always be the hardest working.
- Achieving a work-life balance requires effort and focus, and it is never perfectly balanced at any given time.
- Retiring is wonderful but knowing that you can retire is even better.