Peter Held has been at City Light for 14.5 years and will retire in early June. He’s part of the Customer Energy Solutions Division where he works as an Energy Conservation Analyst. “I meet with commercial and industrial customers and help them upgrade their old electrical equipment to something more efficient and up-to-date,” he explained.
Born and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota, it was his service in the Navy that introduced him to Washington state. “When I was in the Navy, I was sent to Whidbey Island to compete in the 12th Naval District horseshoe tournament,” Peter shared. “The Deception Pass area reminded me of northern Minnesota. The difference was that it was drizzling and 45 degrees in November. And you don’t have to shovel rain! I knew I would return one day.”
He now lives in Everett and loves the fact the he can be at the ocean or mountains within two hours. “My bride and I have been married for 35 years and have two amazing daughters, Mikayla and Shawna,” he said. “Each has blessed us with grand boys, Beckham (four years old) and Hudson (one year old) respectively.”
In this week’s (spot)Light, Peter talks about his hobbies and his work at City Light.
“I‘m addicted to golf and play almost anywhere, any time. I’m one of eight people who still have an annual Everett resident golf pass; the city stopped selling them about 15 years ago. I look forward to playing golf with the grandboys in retirement. In fact, I’ve recently started to practice retirement. These past few months I’ve enjoyed golfing in San Diego, Arizona, Florida and Eastern Washington.”
“I’m a baker and have been baking cookies for over 30 years. On average, I bake twice a week. I never make a single batch, because I eat about a dozen while I’m baking! I give most of the cookies away to friends and family. It apparently runs in the family. My brother has been doing the same for around 30 years. My grandson Beckham is learning the trade. When he spends the night, he always wants to bake cookies.”
“In the Navy I was a computer operator and programmer for the Fleet Intelligence Center Pacific. It is a land-based operation located on Ford Island, Hawaii. I had to go through two (bank vault type) doors to get into my work area, which was two floors underground. Only 13 people in the command had access into my work area. After the Navy, I wanted to work more with my hands and started working with a developer/contractor building homes. I went to school at Portland Community College and received an associate degree in Building Construction. Then I decided to combine my computer experience with my construction background which lead me to an associate degree in Energy Management from Lane Community College in Eugene Oregon.”
“City Light has the longest active Energy Conservation program in the nation. I really enjoy working with my customers. It’s nice to provide a service that helps them reduce their energy use which ultimately saves them money. I love to hear about their savings and how it positively impacts their business. It’s great when they realize the opportunities and the improvements go into production.”