Lighting the Way: Gray stakes a path at the co-op

In 12 years at Noble REMC, Zane Gray has earned his way from apprentice lineman to journeyman lineman and, a few years ago, to staking engineer. 

Making the decision for his family and a new change of pace, he enjoys the freedom of setting his schedule to meet with members starting new services or building new businesses and homes. 

Our members are his mission. “Every job I lay out, I look at it like if this was my house or business, what would I want done? And those are the suggestions that I try to give.”

Let’s hear from Gray himself:

WHAT IS THE JOB OF A STAKING ENGINEER?
There are different components. All new services, all new accounts, running power to new homes, new businesses, new entities — I do that. I also create most of the work orders. I do the work on the front end, then pass it off to the linemen who go to the field and perform it.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
There’s a lot. I like the variety. I have a great boss, and I get to make my own schedule. As long as people are happy, I’m doing my job. I set up all of my own appointments, and I meet with people. I always tell people I’ve got one of the best jobs here.

ARE THERE ANY MISCONCEPTIONS IN YOUR WORK?
We are not the same as another REMC. We are a separate entity, and we have our own service area. People call in, and I ask them where they’re at. It’s not us, but they say, ‘Yeah, but you’re the REMC.’ We’re different. It’s like Lowe’s and Home Depot. 

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. 
I was born and raised here. When I was born, five generations were living in Albion at one time. I graduated from Central Noble, so I went all the way through school here. I went off to college and graduated from Ball State University, then went to the military and came back after that. I started here in 2012. 

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR LIFE?
My family.

WHAT MOVIE DO YOU THINK YOU’VE SEEN THE MOST?
I don’t know. … I watch everything across the board. I’d say the only genre that I don’t like is horror movies. They don’t scare me. The willing suspension of disbelief is too much. I just struggle with it because I’m like, this is dumb. 
I love comedy movies, but I hate uncomfortable comedy movies. I like dialogue comedy movies, like “Mallrats” and “Wedding Crashers.”

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
Right now, I’m reading a couple. I’m reading Marcus Aurelius’s “Meditations,” and then I read “The Daily Stoic” every day. Stoicism is an ancient Greek way of thinking, a philosophical way of thinking. You’ll get tidbits and learn how to apply the stoic ideas to daily life. And then I read Bible verses, like a daily man’s Bible. But then, also, Jack Carr’s “Red Sky Mourning.”

YOU CAN ONLY LISTEN TO ONE KIND OF MUSIC FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE?
My favorite genre, which I listen to most of the time, is Texas, country, red dirt music. I have a huge love for people who write their own music. 

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT?
Every year on my birthday, I like to go to Paula’s On Main and get a pound and a half of king crab legs. 

DO YOU VOLUNTEER OR SERVE ON ANY BOARDS? 
We do a lot for our kids at Trinity Daycare. My wife serves on the board, so we do quite a bit for that. We’re active members of our church at Sugar Grove. We’re both Legionnaires, so we’re part of the Legion uptown and still put up all the flags every year in the cemetery at Rose Hill on every veteran’s grave.