It’s often hoped a son will follow in his father’s footsteps. For Todd Gordon, his two sons followed him straight to Indiana Michigan Power.

“I’ve worked at I&M since 1984 right out of college and I love it,” Todd said. “This is such a great company to work for. Never did I think my I’d get to have my two sons working here.”

Todd is a Telecomm Technician lead based in Muncie. When he noticed an open position for a lineworker in Muncie, he shared it with his son, Josh.

“Growing up and seeing my dad work at I&M for nearly 40 years now and having that long of a tenure with great benefits – I knew that was definitely something I wanted for myself,” Josh said.

Josh is approaching his ninth year as a Muncie line servicer. Josh enjoys the new tasks and the camaraderie with his co-workers. So, when there was an open position in the nearby Winchester Service Center two years ago, Joel was encouraged to apply. 

“I have a fond memory of watching Josh teach Joel how to safely climb a pole for the first time,” Todd said. “We often bring work home and talk about it around the dinner table or family events.”

That’s especially true between Josh and Joel. We have a saying at I&M to “be your brother’s and sister’s keeper.” For Josh, that takes on a new meaning.

“Joel is new to his career being a lineworker. So, I try to help him out – pass on some of the knowledge I’ve learned, safety reminders and general information to help him grow,” Josh said.

Recently, Joel deployed on his first storm restoration event out of state. When we asked Todd if he worries about his sons while on the job, he simply said no.

“I don’t worry about them because they are doing what they love and I&M has trained them so well to be safe. They have their fellow lineworkers watching out for them, just like I would if I was there,” Todd said.

Josh and Joel have learned many things from their father, including their work ethic.

“The big thing my dad taught us was that hard work pays off,” Joel said. “We also were taught to treat people with respect and you’ll get that back. I think it’s safe to say we use both of those at work each day.”

Together, the Gordon family has more than 50 years at I&M, serving their hometowns with safe, reliable power. Todd is grateful for everything I&M has and continues to provides for his family.

“It’s just so great to know your kids are in a great career, with great training, great safety standards and great benefits,” Todd said. “The company really cares for its employees and it’s all you could ever ask for as a parent.”

Throughout the years, there have been several father/son teams working in the Muncie, Marion and Winchester service area. We also employ several pairs of brothers, sisters, parents and cousins throughout our more than 4,500-mile footprint. 

We hope everyone has a safe and memorable Father’s Day weekend.