H.L. England has taken over as electric system director at Sparta, TN, E & PW.

England, who was hired Sept. 1 by the utility’s board of directors and started Sept. 6, succeeds the late L.R. West, who died Oct. 29, 2015.

A Sparta native, resident and cattle farmer, England followed in his father’s footsteps and became an electrician at just 20 years of age. He worked for residential and commercial contracting firms before going into business for himself in 1974.

England became a full-time contract electrical inspector for the State of Tennessee in 1998, then joined the City of Sparta Codes Department in 2015.