People Behind the Power – Meet Brandon Rigsby

Tennessee electric cooperatives power the state. Co-ops provide for 3 million Tennesseans —that’s 72% of the state’s landmass and 41% of the state’s population. That power wouldn’t be possible though without the employees, lineworkers and board members across the 23 cooperatives. Brandon Rigsby is one of the people behind that power.

Rigsby lives in Kempville in Smith County. He began his journey with Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation at the young age of 19. Almost 26 years later, he serves as a line foreman for the co-op’s Carthage District Office. In that role, Rigsby leads a construction crew that builds and maintains power lines.

“This is a great job as far as pay and benefits,” Rigsby said. “But on the other side of that, we work for members. We are supplying those members with the power they need, and that is what’s most rewarding.”

The crew Rigsby leads also helps a great deal during storm reconstruction, which is one of the tasks he enjoys most on the job.

“I love going to storm restorations so that we can help people and other co-ops,” Rigsby said. “You know a time will come when we need the help in return, and it’s very nice to see other lineworkers roll in to help us. It’s a blessing that does me good.”

Aside from his work at the co-op, Rigsby has been married for 24 years, and the two have three children together. It’s a busy time for their family as their daughter just graduated from Western Kentucky University and has plans to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Tennessee in the fall. Their middle son plays basketball at Cumberland University. Their youngest son is in high school, and he plays basketball and baseball.

On top of all the fun, family excitement, Rigsby still finds time to serve on not one but two first responder teams in the community. He joined the Defeated Creek Volunteer Fire Department in 2012. The department is entirely made up of volunteers, and they go on about 20 fire calls a year for their community of about 1,500 people.

“I do this for the little community I live in just as an effort to give back,” Rigsby said. “We’re usually the ones there on people’s worst day of their life. So, it is kind of hard seeing people lose everything they have, but it is also so rewarding helping them salvage and save what they can.”

Rigsby is also on the Smith County Rescue Squad, another team that is completely made up of volunteers. They respond to various calls including vehicle wrecks, search and rescues and water rescues as many in the community enjoy the Caney Fork River. Rigsby is even certified for technical rope rescue.

“This is another way I can give back to my community by being there at people’s worst time to help them out,” Rigsby said. “I don’t do it for any kind of recognition. I’m just big on helping people when they need it most.”