David Logsdon joined City Light in January of 2020 as the Director of one of the utility’s newest divisions, Electrification and Strategic Technology. “Our teams focus on Grid Modernization, Electrification, Strategic Technologies, and the Lighting Design Lab,” David explained. “Our mission isn’t modest – we are building the grid of the future by scaling innovations in grid and customer technology but also by moving forward as an organization. We are innovating across the utility and City – with our internal and external partners’ help – around new approaches to serve our customers more efficiently while enhancing the automation, flexibility, functionality, and reliability of the grid itself.”
David’s introductory visit to Washington state was in 2019 for his initial interview at City Light. “I’ve always been intrigued by the West Coast,” he shared. “My wife and I took an anniversary trip to Cannon Beach five years ago, which planted the seed of moving to the Northwest.”
In this week’s (spot)Light, David shares more about his work, the transition to Washington, and what brought him to City Light.
“It has been an interesting and exciting year to launch a new division. I met most of the team in-person when I first started, but there are several people with whom I still haven’t been in a room. Like everyone, we’re doing what we can to stay balanced and connected digitally. Overall, the adjustments we’ve made to the many curveballs of 2020 have shown how adaptable and flexible our organizational culture at City Light is.”
“Ultimately, it was the job at City Light that brought my family to Seattle; it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I had founded, managed, and led many teams focused on Electrification, Grid Modernization, Product and Service Development, and Emerging Technologies at Con Edison in New York City. City Light is facing the right conditions and has the leadership and team in place to truly lead at the national level on all of these transformational initiatives. One of our big achievements in 2020 was receiving unanimous approval from City Council for our Transportation Electrification Strategic Investment Plan. This plan sets priorities, based on community feedback, for our transportation electrification investments over the next four years.”
“My family and I landed in North Seattle. The neighborhood has been an amazing surprise, and we’ve gotten to know many neighbors, at a distance, of course. My daughter started Zoom kindergarten at Loyal Heights Elementary (Go Beavers!) and is thriving. My favorite thing about the neighborhood, particularly through COVID, is that you can head out your front door, walk in any direction, and make discoveries. I love taking evening walks with my family and finding new places to see. My kids and I are learning the names of the flowers and succulents that grow along the sidewalks. We even did a little spring gardening; tomatoes were challenging, but we got an amazing number of cucumbers and raspberries!”
“Most of my hobbies have lined up pretty well with the move to the PNW – hiking, camping, fishing, and the outdoors. Despite COVID, we made a trip to the San Juan Islands, saw bears while hiking on Mount Rainier, and have loved exploring Whidbey Island, Deception Pass, and other areas. I also enjoy games, and it seems my daughter has taken after me. She is really into playing board and card games with the family now, but I have to keep an eye on her as she’s a skilled cheat.”
“City Light has a culture that is open to change and innovation and is not afraid to go big on behalf of our customers. In my short time here, I’ve been fortunate to address challenging problems, develop long-term plans with my team members, and work broadly across the organization on special initiatives. I’m particularly proud of the achievements of Utility Next, a major cross-departmental effort on how City Light can move forward as a next-generation utility while creating jobs that help the region recover from the economic hardships of COVID and bring stimulus funds to accelerate our climate progress. The people at City Light are passionate about climate change, our customers, and equity. I am too, but have found that working with such engaged and passionate employees is pushing me even further, which is a great thing.”