Open house for Lincoln's new lineman

Northwestern Energy hosted an open-house style meet-and-greet at the Lincoln Community Hall Thursday, Apr. 19, encouraging locals to stop in and get to know Lincoln's new Northwestern Energy Town Manager, Shea Forkan.

Forkan, who began work Jan 15, filled the position vacated by the retirement of Lincoln's well known "power guy" Mike Campbell, putting to rest concerns the position would be dissolved and that Lincoln would be serviced by technicians traveling from Helena.

"He's Mike 2.0," joked Forkan's supervisor, District Operations Manager Greg Bailly, who was on hand to host the gathering.

Forkan, whose parents live in Lincoln, became friendly with Campbell while working here during his apprenticeship.

"I've been pretty good friends with Mike for a long time, so he sent me a picture of the posting for the job," Forkan said. "I worked up here when I was a first-step apprentice and just fell in love with it, fell in love with Mike and always wanted to work up here every time work came up. I told myself, if the job ever opened, I would put in for it."

Formerly of Helena, Forkan and his wife Melissa have an infant son and three-year-old daughter and are in the process of purchasing a home in Lincoln.

Although Forkan is new to Northwestern Energy, his duties in Lincoln will be similar to those he has performed during his 12 years prior experience with Rocky Mountain Contractors and PAR Electrical.

"It's the same as far as the scope of the work, building power lines and fixing power lines, but it's going to be a lot different because I'll be home every night, no more traveling, and get to see the wife and kids every night," he said. "That will be nice."

Forkan said he and his wife, who encouraged him to apply for the job, are both looking forward to the small-town lifestyle, and are eager to become members of the community.

"We're both pretty tight-knit...we like to be around family and good friends, and I think we're really going to enjoy that about Lincoln," he said.