Celebrating 15 years with the City of Seattle, Rose Feliciano is part of City Light’s Government and Legislative Affairs team where she’s served the utility since 2009. A Tennessee native, Rose moved to Southern California when she was nine, but ventured to the Pacific Northwest after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University (she holds a degree in Public Policy and Applied History). Currently, Rose resides in West Seattle where she enjoys her friendly neighborhood and its proximity to the baseball stadium (go Mariners!).
In this week’s (spot)Light, Rose dishes on her love for running and her role at City Light.
Rose (right) and Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon
“I run a lot. The SeaFair Triathlon is fun for me. I’ve also run the Boston Marathon four times. It’s quite an amazing race…26.2 miles of party. That town knows how to put on marathon. The entire community is involved. Before the race, everyone is asking ‘Are you racing?’ and saying ‘Have fun’ ‘Good luck’ and Welcome.’ After the race you hear ‘Congratulations’ ‘You’re a champion’ and ‘We hope you come back.’ They just totally embrace it. It’s the longest running marathon in the United States, and you must qualify to compete. It’s humbling in a lot of ways.”
“I started running because I was getting bored with my workout routine. I had a friend signing up for a sprint triathlon so I joined her. It was suggested that I try Team in Training which provides coaching and raises money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It’s great because you have a group of people that you train with for this good, worthy cause. Each race is dedicated to an honored patient—someone who has gone through treatment or is going through treatment. I’m happy to say that I’m good friends with the family of my honored patient. It’s amazing because it reminds you how fortunate you are to do something like this. I’m not going to cure cancer, but if I can raise a little money that helps someone get a little closer to figuring it out, then that’s a good thing.”
“I work in Government and Legislative Affairs covering state issues. So, I’m the face of Seattle City Light down in Olympia where I lobby on behalf of the utility. I also work closely with the City’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations. My focus is on key priorities for the utility. This last year I concentrated on the electrification of transportation and seeking authority for public utilities to get the authority to provide incentives to our customers for electrification.”
“My mentor taught me a valuable lesson—the importance of honesty and trust. That if you’re honest with your coworkers, with decision makers and with others, people will trust you. Whether you’re sharing good or bad news, people will know what you’re saying is true. I found, that in my profession, your word and reputation is everything. If people don’t believe you, then you’re not going to be successful. Being truthful is a kindergarten concept, but it’s still applicable. It’s not just about being honest with someone else, it’s about being honest with yourself and knowing what makes you happy and fulfilled. Figuring that out makes a big difference.”
Congratulations, Rose, on celebrating 15 years with the City of Seattle! Keep on running!