Author - Chris Gent
Submitted By - Kissimmee Utility AuthorityKissimmee Utility Authority's longest-serving employee will hang up his hard hat for the last time on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Edward F. “Ed” Carter, superintendent of transmission and distribution operations, retires after 44 years, three weeks and six days of service to the electric utility.
Carter, 64, was honored Wednesday by KUA’s board of directors and presented with proclamations from the utility and the city of Kissimmee. In addition, the Kissimmee City Commission has designated Oct. 8 as “Ed Carter Day” in recognition of his many years of service to the community. Carter also received framed personal letters of commendation from Sen. Bill Nelson and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
To recognize his significant local contributions to public power, Carter was also named to the honor roll of the American Public Power Association, the national service organization for the nation's more than 2,000 community- and state-owned not-for-profit electric utilities.
A graduate of Kissimmee’s Osceola High School, Carter joined the utility as a lineman's helper on September 12, 1966, at the age of 20. That year, Lyndon Johnson was president, groundbreaking was held for the World Trade Center in New York City, and new inventions included Kevlar, fiber optics and the hand-held calculator. Over the years, Carter worked his way up the utility ladder to lineman (1966), journeyman lineman (1988), line crew supervisor (1997) and finally, in 1998, to his current position.
Carter was KUA’s very first employee of the quarter in 1985, employee of the month in March 1997, employee of the year in 1997 and employee of the again month in December 2000. He is the longest-serving employee in KUA's history.
Carter is considered the architect of the utility’s power restoration efforts following three major hurricanes in 2004 that left 100 percent of utility customers without electricity.
Carter and his wife Dixie will retire to Tennessee.
Founded in 1901, KUA (www.kua.com) is Florida's sixth largest community-owned utility providing electric and telecommunication services to 62,000 customers in Osceola County.