HAPPY FATHER’S DAY
Vol 26, No. 2 • June 2026
BISHOP POOLE.........PG 9
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From the Warehouse Floor to Warehouse Leader: The Anthony Marshall Story By Justin Reid For 31 years, Anthony Marshall has been a familiar face at Ace Power. His journey began on March 2, 1995, when he walked through the doors as a nervous new employee. Fortunately, he wasn't alone. Todd Hajek started the same day, making that first step into a new career a little easier. "I remember being so nervous," Anthony recalled. "If I remember correctly, it had snowed, and we spent about a week working in the warehouse. I went home and told my wife it was the easiest job I'd ever had." That opinion quickly changed. Anthony's first position was a newly created role called a Laborer. His job was to follow behind the right-of-way tractor and hand-cut the brush and vegetation left behind around poles, fence rows, and ditch banks. "After that first week, I went home and told my wife it was the hardest job I'd ever had," he laughed. The experience taught him one of the most important lessons of his career: the value of hard work and productivity. After three years as a laborer,
Anthony advanced to the line crew as a Ground Man. There, he learned how to frame and set poles, read job prints, identify materials, and understand how each component fit into building and maintaining the electrical system. The position also introduced him to the entire county as crews worked in every corner of the service area. Being placed on call was a milestone he still remembers fondly. "I thought that was the coolest thing ever because I got to drive a pickup truck home," he said. Anthony spent 15 years on the line crew before setting his sights on another goal. When Ace Power began building a new warehouse, he knew that was where he wanted to be. As the years passed, he approached then-General Manager Don Rinehart about his interest in working in the warehouse. Eventually, after the facility was completed, Rinehart approached Anthony and asked if he was still interested. "I smiled real big and said, 'Yes, sir'; Don didn't forget me." Anthony has worked in the warehouse ever since and now serves as Warehouse Return Address: P.O. Box 1292 Corinth, MS 38835 Man and Storage Clerk, overPOSTAL PATRON seeing all power and fiber materials used
by the cooperative. Today, Anthony's responsibilities are significant. He orders, receives, inventories, and manages all warehouse materials, ensuring line crews and fiber crews have everything they need to perform their jobs efficiently. "If I don't have the materials to keep the guys working, I'd probably be looking for another job," he joked. Fortunately, he was trained by some of the best people in the business. Throughout his career, Anthony has been blessed with mentors who helped shape him into the employee and leader he is today. He credits his Uncle Eurl "Boots" Wyke for recommending him to Jim Nanny and Don Rinehart when he first sought employment at Ace Power. On the line crew, Jim Benjamin became a major influence. "Jim taught me so much about building the grid from the ground up," Anthony said. "We became so close that people started calling him my daddy." His uncle Robert "Rope" Patterson also played a major role, teaching him how to drive stick-shift trucks and pushing him to strive for excellence. "He was probably the hardest on me because he wanted me to be the best worker and truck operator in the business." Anthony Marshall
See. MARSHALL pg 8