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Who has the best and baddest electric superintendent ever?
Why, Modern, of course!
Meet Josh Mathews. He started with Modern this summer.
No stranger to the industry, Josh cut his teeth as a lineman with the City of Ellensburg electric utility and worked his way to foreman and operations supervisor.
Modern’s new electric superintendent isn’t just a wakeboarding and wakesurfing master; he’s also skilled at roping. He has competed at jackpot and country club roping events—winning saddles, buckles, and even some cash.
While Josh grew up riding horses, he began roping only 15 years ago. As a newcomer to the sport, he trained himself and his horse simultaneously (a strategy he doesn’t recommend). “Ol’ Jack was a bronc,” he said, “but I stuck with it and was actually pretty successful at training my future rope horses.”
Josh and his wife, Cortney, have been married for 13 years and have two boys, Wyatt (10) and Kade (8). Cortney has competed in working cow horse events. Josh said, “She has a good eye for young horses, which is why I was successful at turning them into rope horses.”
As for son Wyatt, he loves riding dirt bikes. And wakeboarding, just like Dad. Kade likes playing video games, and he dreams of one day becoming a YouTube superstar influencer. The boys also play baseball and basketball (and, if Cortney gives her approval, football). The whole family enjoys water sports and snowboarding together.
What got Josh interested in working in the electrical utility industry?
“I’ve always been a bit of a thrill seeker,” he said, adding tongue-in-cheek: “It just makes sense to do something that requires you to stand on the side of a wood pole 40 feet in the air with wind, snow, rain, sleet or heat beating you down, all while working with over 7,000 volts.”
As a kid, Josh never imagined himself climbing those poles and, now, working as an electric superintendent. In fact, his 10-year-old self envisioned himself growing up to be a doctor or lawyer. But if he could give young Josh a word of advice, it would be, “Always keep grinding. Find your passion in the workplace. Always keep moving forward.”
Josh’s greatest career mentors have been Jim Partlow, a City of Ellensburg serviceman for 28 years, and the late Ted Sonstegaard, his childhood baseball coach. In addition to coaching Babe Ruth Baseball, Sonstegaard was also a lineman for Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light and the City of Ellensburg.
“Both of these men molded and inspired me over the last 20 years in this trade,” he said.
What about Josh's career energizes him most?
“As a lineman, you always find ways to improve workflows, and you take ownership in it,” he said. “The same is true today. Solving problems, improving workflows and seeing those results benefit the utility, our customers and my team is very rewarding.”
Modern asked what career highlight makes him most proud, and Josh replied: “So far, this is it.”