Hillary Winchester celebrates five years at City Light this month. She has always been part of the Joint Use Engineering group, but recently started a new role as a Strategic Advisor on the Customer Experience Improvement Team. “In Joint Use I was an Associate Electrical Engineer where I reviewed and engineered application requirements, handled process updates and consultant work,” Hillary explained. “I loved it but am also excited to support the utility’s strategic initiative in my new role; something different!”
Originally from Virginia Beach, Hillary graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science in engineering and a minor in mathematics. “I mostly studied design and environmental engineering, but also took classes that had a sustainability focus,” Hillary said. “In 2018, I completed an MBA with an emphasis in Project Management from City University of Seattle.”
In this week’s (spot)Light, learn about Hillary’s family, her hobbies and her work at City Light.
“I met my husband in college. He was stationed in Virginia but got transferred to Washington state. We had a long-distance relationship and got married two weeks after I graduated! I moved here right away and love it. We live in Lynnwood with our kids, cat and dog and enjoy that we can easily be in the city or the mountains depending on which direction we drive. We do a fair amount of hiking and camping, so it’s nice to be so close to such gorgeous scenery.”
“I love to bake, cook and spend time with my family. My daughters are at an age (3.5 and 1.5 years) where we can play outside, so this year we’ve been visiting new parks every weekend. It’s been a lot of fun. We love being outdoors, even if it’s a quick neighborhood hike or working in our garden. This year we tried cabin camping and my girls had a blast. I also bake cookies for CLEA and often bring treats into the office…if my husband doesn’t claim them all first! I like to bake cakes and macarons but I’m always trying new recipes.”
“Joint Use is a unique body of work. Every job was different and often a challenge. Over the last five years, our program has grown exponentially due to the introduction of 5G to our city. We play an integral role in the implementation process and are constantly evaluating how to make our processes better and more efficient. I’m excited for my new role because I’ll get to work with a part of the utility that is important to me: our customers. The challenge of delivering better experiences for our customers and leveraging new technology will be rewarding.”
“When I moved to Seattle, I kept a close eye on city and county engineering jobs because I liked the idea of working for a public entity. I didn’t know much about City Light before I started working here. I love City Light for a variety of reasons: the people, the emphasis on excellence and the environment, and our commitment to our community. Everyone I meet is passionate about making the utility better and serving our customers in new ways. During my time here, I’ve realized that being part of a public utility is incredibly fulfilling.”