Joseph Fernandi will celebrate five years at City Light in August. He’s part of Customer Energy Solutions (CES) where he serves as an Energy Management Analyst Supervisor. “I supervise a team of program managers that oversee the design, development, and ongoing management of demand-side management programs in our commercial portfolio,” he explained. “We build and manage programs and services to help our customer owners meet their energy needs and maximize energy performance in their buildings – and work closely with a network of contractors and service providers that enable this work.
Joseph grew up in New Jersey but also lived in the Phoenix area for 18 years before moving to Seattle. “I’ve always been drawn to the Pacific Northwest. My brother and his family have lived here for 20+ years so I visited often,” Joseph shared. “I knew I wanted to end up here for the better part of ten years, but it took a while for the stars to align. Surprisingly, a number of my friends also moved here from Arizona which made the transition quite easy.” He lives in Greenwood and loves the proximity to Green Lake and surrounding neighborhoods.
In this week’s (spot)Light, learn about Joseph’s musical background, energy career and more!
“I come from a musical family. My dad and four half-siblings sing and play guitar or piano. I didn’t get the singing gene, but I’ve played the drums for 15+ years and was in two different bands in Arizona. I play a lot less these days, but still love music and going to shows. I’m also a big sports fan and have picked up favorite teams from various places (Sounders season ticket holder, Phoenix Suns, Washington football team, etc.). I also play an absurd amount of ping pong. Outside of that, I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend Kelsey and dog Chloe!”
“I graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in sustainability. After spending five years in energy consulting working with utilities, I decided I wanted to sample life on the other side of the fence working for a utility. I was drawn to the region as a result of its sustainability leadership, shared goals around energy & climate and excited by the network of passionate and capable folks with a common vision. When I saw an opening at City Light, it was a no-brainer. Dream job.”
“I enjoy the people at City Light. We have an incredibly talented, creative, and dedicated workforce. We also have the privilege of being part of a City network and responsibility to do what’s best for our customer-owners. I appreciate our mission and vision and feel connected to broader sustainability goals at the City, state, and even regional level. I feel fortunate to support the work of our team, which is a critical component of providing value to our customer owners, especially as the value proposition and role of the utility is changing rapidly. I also appreciate the unique challenges here in our City around rapid development and population growth, equity, affordability, declining load, and a rapidly changing landscape to name a few. Working with smart people to solve difficult problems and fulfill ambitious and meaningful goals is about all you can ask for professionally.”