Chad Carter’s 20-Year Service Anniversary

Honoring 2 decades of dedication to Northern Lights and its members.

In a small, unincorporated community in Sanders County, Chad Carter is 1 of the fewer than 300 residents who call Trout Creek, Montana, home.

This month marks a significant milestone for Chad, the Trout Creek line foreman at Northern Lights, Inc., as he celebrates his 20-year service anniversary. With 3 decades of experience in the utility industry, Chad has become an integral part of the Northern Lights team, leading the Montana-based line crew and making a lasting impact on the community he serves.

Chad’s journey in the utility industry began during the summers after he graduated from Selkirk High School. For 2 summers while in college, he was an employee at Pend Oreille Public Utility District, working at Box Canyon Dam and assisting linemen as he cleared power line rights of way. He liked the electric utility industry.

In the early 1990s, as Chad was again working with linemen in Inland Power’s warehouse, he entered the cooperative’s apprenticeship program. Since becoming a journeyman lineman, he joined Northern Lights as the lead lineman. He has spent the past 10 years as a foreman.

Chad’s approach to leadership is rooted in a commitment to continual learning and improvement.

“Never quit learning and improving,” he says. “1 of the things I enjoy the most about my job is making improvements. Making things better for the members, the company, and the crew.”

This philosophy not only shaped Chad’s career but has guided his 2 sons, who now follow in his footsteps, something he’s exceptionally proud of.

Chad also likes the challenges Mother Nature presents in this region, recounting memorable winter storms such as the ice storm of 1996, when he was still an apprentice, to the more recent severe winter events. Like his fellow Northern Lights’ linemen, he sometimes faces bitter cold, lengthy outages, and demanding conditions.

“It’s not just the challenge of restoring power but doing it in all types of conditions,” he says.

Yet his passion for working outdoors is unwavering.

“I’ll take all the weather, as long as I can be outside every day,” he says.

Working for a rural cooperative, Chad finds great satisfaction in storm restoration work.

“I’m always proud to be able to get people’s lights back on,” he says. “In a small town, you know everybody—and they know you. It’s nice to be able to help people out when they need it.”

His fondness for working and living in a small town is evident at work and in his personal life. Chad and his wife, Anne, prioritized raising their now-grown children in a small community. He feels grateful for the opportunities to raise them in rural Montana, with plenty of opportunities for hunting, fishing, horseback riding, camping, and exploring neighboring Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene and Pend Oreille rivers.