Andy Boatright is the General Manager of Zeeland Board of Public Works and one of the newest members of the Zeeland Rotary Club. The following is an interview from the first of a series of member spotlights:
- Where did you grow up? Do you have any brothers or sisters? Do you have any fun facts or a story about your childhood that you would like to share?
I grew up in Lebanon, Indiana – some may remember that this is the hometown of Rick Mount, who was the first high school athlete to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and was a basketball phenom for Purdue University where he led the team to its first NCAA finals in 1969.
A fun fact about my childhood is that on my school bus ride home after my first day of kindergarten at Central Elementary School, I was apparently so exhausted from the stress of the day that I fell asleep on the bus. When my Mother realized I was not exiting the school bus with the other neighborhood children, she went into panic mode calling my Dad at work and the Town of Lebanon Police informing them, and anyone else in earshot, that I had gone missing. When Mr. Rodgers, the bus driver (not the tv personality and definitely not the minister – I learned new words on that bus, and not all from my fellow riders), returned to his home driving the school bus (yes, back in the day, they drove them home and parked them, instead of to the bus garage), while performing his end of day refuse and vomit inspection, he discovered me sound asleep in a seat in the back of the bus. He promptly contacted my Mother and then re-delivered me home, much to my her relief.
I am the youngest of three male siblings. My next oldest brother John is 5 years my senior and my oldest brother Ned Jr. is 14 years my senior.
- What is your educational background? Did you always know you wanted to work in the utilities industry? If not, how did you arrive at your career?
I went to Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana probably more than anything due to being brainwashed by my Dad and Mom who both attended Purdue, and my oldest brother Ned Jr., who I idolized, also attended Purdue. Ned Jr. graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering and this was very influential in my chosen career path at a very young age. I remember his bedroom being completely tricked-out with all kinds of electronic switches, sound systems, radios, and gadgetry. I wanted that when I grew up! For reasons I still don’t understand, he maintained a fairly comprehensive inventory of vacuum tubes in his closet and people in the neighborhood would come to our house and secure their replacement vacuum tubes. So cool! Needless to say, the geekiness of my brother Ned did not pass on to me. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m a geek, but not like the cool geek my brother was and still is. I did not know that the utilities industry would be my ultimate career path until I met some folks in a few of my electrical engineering classes at Purdue who worked for an electric utility and encouraged me to apply for an open “Engineering Assistant” position in their field office. The rest, as they say, is history – a 38 year history to be precise.
- What do you enjoy doing during your free time? Do you have any hobbies or interests that you would like to share?
I mentioned geek.
I do like to “fix” things around the house (I have a 66.67 percent success rate – at fixing things.) I can while away a lot of time just tinkering. Right now, I’m having some fun with some home automation stuff. Nothing too dramatic. And I’ll probably get hacked and have to take it all down. I like to explore new locations with my wife and we often take a weekend day here and there to just find someplace new to us in the area, and there are so many of them nearby. I also like to work in the garden and make things pretty in the yard. My wife and I both like to be physically active in the gym (at home now) and outdoors bike riding, walking, hiking, etc.
- Tell us a little bit about your family…wife, children, pets.
I have been happily married to my wife Eileen for 37 years (this September). We have three adult children – Sarah (33), Karl (32), and Leah (29). They live in NYC; Chapel Hill, NC; and Bethel, NY; respectively. No marriages yet (at this stage, we aren’t holding our breath). We have an 80 lbs. brown lab who used to belong to our son Karl. But Karl left home and the dog stayed. The dog’s name is Oliver and we love him.
- Why Rotary? There are so many different organizations in which to be involved. What is it about Rotary that is so special?
Rotary has provided me a trusted means for establishing long-lasting friendships in the various communities my career has taken me (Westerville, Ohio; Independence, MO; and now Zeeland MI). I can always know that I will find a warm place to land in the community Rotary chapter. In addition to great fellowship, Rotary is a great way to get involved in community service and give back in meaningful ways.