2024 Hall of Fame
Harold Andrew "Andy " Batty Jr.
Over the course of four decades, Harold Andrew “Andy” Batty Jr. has revolutionized safety and performance standards in the electrical utility trades. As owner of Buckingham Manufacturing since 1984, Andy spearheaded the development of groundbreaking products like the BuckSqueeze, OX Block, and GRIP technology, each addressing critical risks and advancing lineworker protection. He was instrumental in bringing double-locking snap hooks and full-body harnesses into standard use. Andy’s commitment to innovation is evidenced by over 35 patents and his leadership in making Titanium climbers a reality. Beyond product design, he has shaped industry protocols through decades of service on ANSI and ASTM committees, helped establish national safety mandates, and ensured his company achieved ISO certifications to maintain uncompromising quality. His efforts extended into education, sponsorships, and hands-on outreach—from supporting JATCs and lineman rodeos to helping utilities transition safely to new equipment. His work not only influenced what lineworkers wear but how they train, perform, and stay safe every day. Andy Batty's career is a masterclass in how visionary leadership, innovation, and deep respect for the end user can reshape an industry. From transforming safety gear standards to mentoring industry professionals and investing in future generations, Andy’s contributions are foundational to modern linework. He exemplifies the spirit of the Brotherhood of Electrical Linemen—even without wearing the title himself.
Danny Raines
Danny Raines, has devoted over five decades to the electric utility industry, beginning as a lineman with Georgia Power and evolving into a respected supervisor, safety trainer, and nationally recognized safety consultant. After retiring from Georgia Power, he founded Raines Utility Safety Solutions, continuing to champion worker protection through OSHA-certified training and industry education. He is also a founding member of the Utility Safety & Ops Leadership Network which developed and manages the Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP) credentialing program. A trusted subject matter expert, Danny has influenced safety practices across the U.S. through his teaching, leadership in national panels, and his long-running “Voice of Experience” column. Danny’s career is defined not just by technical innovation and dedication to safety, but by a deeply human approach. Through storm repairs, training sessions, safety conferences, and heartfelt conversations with apprentices, he has left a lasting legacy on how linework safety is taught, practiced, and lived. His wisdom, faith, and humility have inspired thousands. He didn’t just teach safety—he lived it, shared it, and lifted others through it. Danny Raines exemplifies the Brotherhood of Electrical Linemen and is deeply deserving of induction into the International Lineman’s Hall of Fame.
George L. Brooks
George L. Brooks was a visionary lineman, inventor, and safety pioneer whose legacy transformed the electrical industry. He was elected President of IBEW Local 77 in the early 1910s, he fought for and achieved the nation’s first legislated high-voltage safety rules in 1913—laws that became the blueprint for modern OSHA standards. After being blackballed for his activism, he continued his contributions by inventing the first adjustable lineman climber—the Brooks Hooks—a tool that revolutionized the trade and laid the groundwork for today’s titanium and ergonomic climbers. Every lineman—union or non-union—who has used adjustable hooks has benefited from Brooks’ innovation. He passed away on May 1, 1934, the same day his groundbreaking patent was granted. His legacy lives on in every safe climb, every protected worker, and every lineman who returns home because of the standards he helped create.
Melvin Tipsord
Melvin Tipsord devoted more than four decades to the electrical line trade, beginning his career in 1956 as an apprentice with Illinois Power Company. Over the years, he rose through the ranks to become a highly respected line foreman known for his steady leadership, deep integrity, and unwavering commitment to his crew. He mentored countless apprentices, passing on not only technical skills but also a deep sense of Brotherhood, responsibility, and pride in the trade. Melvin was the kind of leader who always led from the front— the first to show up when his community needed power restored in the dead of night or in the aftermath of a storm. He was a quiet cornerstone of the lineman culture in central Illinois—shaping how others approached safety, teamwork, and professionalism both on and off the pole. Colleagues remember his clear-eyed wisdom and unshakable patience, often saying, “If you learned from Melvin, you learned the right way.” After retirement, his legacy continued through the stories, tools, and traditions he preserved, and through the many linemen who still credit him as their greatest teacher. Melvin Tipsord exemplifies the very best of the Brotherhood of Electrical Linemen.
Mike Benton
Mike Benton has devoted more than 40 years to the electrical utility industry, building a legacy rooted in leadership, mentorship, and selfless service. Beginning his career at Cobb EMC in 1984, Mike rose through the ranks—from lineman to foreman, then to district supervisor, and ultimately to his influential statewide role as Manager of Training and Safety at Georgia EMC. Mike’s reputation was forged not just in the field, but in the way he shaped people. He is revered for his hands-on teaching style, his tireless advocacy for safe work practices, and the thousands of apprentices, crews, and future leaders he helped mold. His words carried weight because he lived the values he taught every single day. As a result, his influence now echoes through every energized line, every hard-earned journeyman’s badge, and every crew that works safer because Mike Benton showed them how. Mike Benton is, in every sense, a lineman’s lineman—one whose mark on the trade is etched not just in infrastructure, but in the character, confidence, and community of those who carry the torch forward.
Willie Warren
Willie F. Warren, a U.S. Air Force veteran, an Army-certified draftsman, and the recipient of the John A. Britton Award for heroically saving a man trapped in an overturned vehicle, has led a life and career that are a testament to perseverance, trailblazing courage, and unwavering service to both the electrical industry and his community. Born into humble beginnings in Bakersfield, California, where his family lived in an abandoned boxcar and picked cotton in the 1940s, Willie rose above the confines of segregation and hardship to become a pioneer in his field. In 1963, he joined Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and by 1966, he made history as the first African American lineman in the company’s history. His technical excellence earned him a prestigious spot on PG&E’s “500,000-volt team”—a specialized group trained to work on the then-new Extra High Voltage 500kV transmission system. Willie continued climbing, not just poles but the leadership ranks, becoming a Lineman Instructor, Crew Leader, Field Line Foreman, General Foreman, and ultimately Superintendent of Gas and Electric Operations for California’s Central Valley regions. His post-retirement service included key roles at companies like Quanta Services, PAR Electrical, Maslonka, and CANUS Corporation, further influencing the industry long after his official retirement. Willie Warren’s story is not only part of lineman history—it is a quiet, powerful reminder of how one man’s integrity, perseverance, and belief in something better an entire generation.
