Veterans Day Salute: CarolinaPower’s Jake Creese, Director of Operations, Columbia
Each November, CarolinaPower salutes all veterans who have served this great country – including 16 of its own employees who are now focused on delivering exceptional value to CarolinaPower clients across the two-state region and beyond.
This year, CarolinaPower is spotlighting Jake Creese, Director of Operations, in the Columbia office. Jake served in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer from 2006 to 2012, based at Fort Hood, Texas. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Jake spent 15 months on his Squadron Commander’s Personal Security Detachment in Iraq, where he worked as a driver, dismount, and gunner.
Fast-forward to 2026: As Director of Operations for CarolinaPower, Jake is responsible for day-to-day operations of the Columbia office, which has served the Midlands region of South Carolina up to the North Carolina border for nearly 20 years. The Columbia office has experienced tremendous growth and momentum over the past 12 years, evolving into a key contributor to CarolinaPower’s success, particularly in the commercial and healthcare sectors.
Before joining CarolinaPower last spring, Jake was branch manager for a national crane company. Elaborating on how he got into the construction industry, Jake noted “After the Army, I gave college another try, but soon realized it just wasn’t the right fit. That led me to the heavy-equipment side of construction, where I spent 11 years in sales before moving into management for four years.”
When asked about any takeaways from his military service that still help him today, Jake explained, “My time in the Army had a lasting impact on me, teaching me discipline, accountability, leadership, and how to make sound decisions under pressure. Those lessons made the transition into construction feel natural and continue to shape how I lead my crews today. I was a ‘knucklehead’ before joining the Army, but the experience taught me quickly that it was time to grow up and take responsibility.”
CarolinaPower thanks Jake and all the other veterans at CarolinaPower for their service!
Meet CarolinaPower’s Veterans
The following individuals selflessly served their country before joining CarolinaPower.
Lowcountry | Charleston, SC
- Joey Jose, Project Manager (U.S. Navy)
- Quntico Milford, Foreman (U.S. Marine Corps)
Midlands | Columbia
- DeWalt Alderman, Operations Senior Manager (U.S. Air Force)
- Mike Anderson, Safety Specialist (U.S. Army)
- David Beidler, Foreman (U.S. Marine Corps)
- Jake Creese, Director of Operations (U.S. Army)
- Thaddeus Miles, Apprentice (U.S. Marine Corps)
- Gary Sturgell, Superintendent (U.S. Marine Corps)
- James Whitcomb, Superintendent (U.S. Army)
Upstate | Greenville, SC
- David Atherton, Preconstruction/Project Manager (U.S. Army)
- Matt Johnson, Project Manager (U.S. Army National Guard)
- Will Price, Superintendent (branch of service????)
- Michael Quinones, Corporate Accountant (U.S. Navy)
- Sean Shriner, Management Trainee (U.S. Army)
- Louis Wise, Apprentice (U.S. Army)
- Paul Yanovskiy, Construction Manager (U.S. Coast Guard)
About CarolinaPower — CarolinaPower is a leading regional electrical contractor serving industrial, commercial, healthcare and federal market sectors in South Carolina and North Carolina. CarolinaPower has a total of four offices across South Carolina – Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, and North Augusta. The firm, which celebrated 25 years in business in 2025, is consistently honored by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) as a Top Performer, a prestigious national ranking that recognizes contractors for demonstrating world-class performance in five specific areas: safety, quality, diversity, project excellence and special designations. CarolinaPower has been named one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina for nine consecutive years. To learn more, visit www.carolinapower.com.
