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ONEIDA — Joey Zachary, a veteran journeyman lineman at Plateau Electric Cooperative, has been named the new Power Line Construction and Maintenance instructor at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville, President Dwight Murphy announced Monday.
Zachary joins TCAT Oneida/Huntsville after a 20-year career with Plateau Electric. He first went through an initial round of interviews with an advisory committee before being selected as one of two finalists to interview with college administrators. His appointment comes as Darrell Evans, the current program coordinator, prepares to retire. Evans has been instrumental in building TCAT’s Power Line Construction and Maintenance program into one of the region’s top training programs for line workers.
“I’ve been in the industry for 20-plus years. I’ve lived it, and I’ve worked it, and it’s a career that’s been good to me,” Zachary said of his decision to transition into the field of education. “I’ve built lines and systems and got to come back home and work. I want to be able to give back and see these young kids be able to do the same thing I did.”
Zachary has been shadowing the program on campus since his hire and will welcome his first class of students at the Summer Trimester midterm in July.
“It’s a good program,” Zachary said of his initial impressions. “The instructors here are knowledgeable, it’s a nice setup, and there’s also room to grow, which is always good. There’s always room for improvement, and we want to continue to build on this program over time.”
The Power Line program is a six-month pre-apprenticeship that includes a CDL component, OSHA 10, CPR, and flagging training.
Zachary is a 1997 graduate of Scott High School. His father, the late Johnny Zachary, was a Scott County Assessor of Property and served as pastor of New River Missionary Baptist Church. Joey is the first native of Scott County to serve as an instructor of TCAT Oneida/Huntsville’s Power Line program.
He and his wife, Erica, have two children. Jesse is a senior at Oneida High School and has signed to play football at the University of the Cumberlands in the fall. Elizabeth is a sophomore at Oneida High School. Joey serves as pastor of Bible Believers Baptist Church in Oneida.
For more information about the Power Line Construction and Maintenance program, or any of the other 22 programs of study offered by TCAT Oneida/Huntsville, visit www.tcatoneida.edu or call (423) 663-4900.