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Tullahoma Utilities Authority (TUA) will lose approximately 87 years of combined experience as two of its longest-serving leaders step down in January. Vice President of Administration and CFO Mary Mealer will be leaving the company after more than 40 years. “Forty-two-and-a-half, to be exact,” she said. That’s an impressive number in an age when job tenures rarely exceed 10 years, but Mary’s tenure isn’t the longer of the two: Field Operations Supervisor David Johnson has her beat, having spent more than 44 years with the company.

David Johnson

Johnson began his career with what was then the Tullahoma Utilities Board at age 17. His first job was as a groundman truck driver – a position then known as a “grunt” – doing the ground work for the linemen that he was assigned to assist. After a year and a half of grunt work, he moved into an apprentice linemen job. He served in that position until he became a journeyman and worked on the crew “another year or two” before he was given his own crew as lead lineman. As coworkers retired around him, he was promoted to foreman, and by 2008 he’d become an assistant supervisor. In 2010, he said, “I was given the entire job: operations and service superintendent.”

“When I was offered the [superintendent] job initially, I almost didn’t take it,” he said. “I did not give them an answer that day. I was 48 years old and still felt like I had a lot of good years left in me, and went home and talked about it and prayed about it. Of course, I got some advice from my wife and I knew if I didn’t, I would regret it.

“So, I came back in and I told them, ‘I’ll do the very best I can do to do my very best and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll just go back to the crew.” That never happened. “I know my guys have made it easy, but evidently, I’ve done something right.”

After his final day on the job, Johnson says he plans to do a “variety of things to enjoy the next stages of life” with his wife, Phyllis.

“One thing that happened when I made the choice to announce my retirement, I handed her off my letter that she typed up for me so that I could submit she said ‘now that I’ve done this for you, I need you to do something for me.’ And I said, ‘anything.’ And she said, ‘have everybody at your work pray for me when you come home.’ So, I may be a problem child!”

In retirement, Johnson said he plans to travel and “hopefully, become a better golfer.”

Johnson’s last day on the job will be Jan. 3. Andy Warren has been promoted to fill the Supervisor position.

Mary Mealer

Mary Mealer began her career at then-TUB in late 1980, as one of the company’s three customer service representatives. “But, of course, we did not have fiber at that time.”

Before Mealer accepted the job, she had to make a decision. “When I came here, I was offered a job at the base before this one,” she said. “I was trying to weigh the difference. I prayed about it and prayed about it and I thought, ‘you know, people are always going to need utilities.” At the base, she said, contracts come and go. The choice was clear. “I was led to take this job and never regretted it. I’ve always thought it was the right decision and I’ve been happy here.”

Mealer worked in customer service until 1985, when she moved to payroll. Two years later, she moved into an accounting position when a coworker retired. Soon, through another retirement, she moved up to become the accounting supervisor. She was promoted to the Administrative Manager position upon Dwight Miller’s retirement, which he delayed for several months to allow Mealer to complete her Bachelor’s degree. In June of 2015, Mealer became the first woman to claim the administrative role that, with the company’s transition from a public utility board to a state utility authority, now carries the title of Vice President of Administration and CFO.

“I’m especially proud of the fact that I am the first female manager/V.P. here at TUA and I hope that I have set the groundwork for lots of other females,” she said, noting that the utility industry has historically been a male-dominated industry. “I was so grateful for Brian Skelton and the board for giving me the opportunity and I hope I did them justice and I didn’t disappoint them!”

During her time at TUA, Mealer has worn many hats – sometimes including light-up holiday headbands while hosting LightTube’s annual broadcast of the Tullahoma Christmas parade – but it’s always been her interaction with customers that has driven her.

“I love my job now, but I really love people,” Mealer said, “so I loved the interaction with the customers that I had as a CSR; but honestly, I’ve enjoyed every job I’ve had down here.”

“There are boundless opportunities here. If you’ll step out, there’s always things that you can do – here and in the community. TUA has always been so immersed in the community that it gives employees the chance to help in lots of ways.”

It’s that heart for service that Mealer says she’ll take with her into retirement.

“I’m going to step up my volunteer work. I’ve already spoken to some organizations and am working on some details with that,” she said. “I feel like those of us who are able are supposed to give back and that’s what keeps our community growing and thriving, so I’m looking forward to community service, just in a different way than I’ve done here.”

Like Johnson, Mealer said that retirement will involve some travel, but mostly, she said, “I’m going to do whatever Mary wants to do, whenever Mary wants to do it.”

“I get emotional about it because it wasn’t just a job for me,” she said. “I was happy here and it’s going to be tough to leave. But I’ll be back; I’ll show up. They’ve already told me that when I show up, I have to bring snacks.”

Mealer’s last day on the job is Jan. 5. Jason Penny has been promoted to fill the Vice President/CFO position.