Gallatin resident Austin Bonnett is the recipient of the 2007 Electrical Apparatus Service Association’s Exceptional Achievement Service Award presented at their annual convention held in Minneapolis, Minn., on June 24.
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This was Austin’s fourth major electrical industry award in the last decade. He is considered by his peers to be a leading world expert on electrical rotating machinery and energy conservation. His work has taken him to Europe, China, Mexico, South America, Canada, and all across America.
He served in the Navy stationed aboard the Icebreaker Burton Island and made trips to the Arctic and Antarctic regions. He has degrees in electrical engineering and business management. After a 35 year career at Emerson Electric, located in St. Louis, he retired as the vice-president of engineering.
With his wife of 50 years, they formed an engineering consulting company and moved to their farm in Gallatin. The Internet, cell phones, overnight mail service and KCI airport made such a move to beautiful rural Missouri possible. Here they enjoy their 300 acres of farm land with all the wonderful creatures of nature and the peacefulness of the countryside. They have even managed to convince some of the clients to meet at the farm with the promise of a tour of the beautiful countryside and a home-cooked meal.
The Bonnetts have five married children and 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Hence, the farm makes a perfect family retreat from the city life they all enjoy.
Austin serves as the chaplain for the Gallatin Police Department, is the Bishop of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is very active in community service. The Bonnetts state that these are the best years of their lives and that they love Gallatin and its people.