The Basics
How long have you been at City Light? 22 years
Division: Engineering and Technology Operations
Tell us about your role. For the last 22 years, it has been a great pleasure to work and grow in the Technical Resources Unit. In my current role, I manage a talented and skilled team of Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) professionals. We provide design, drafting, and engineering technical support to the Generation and Substation Engineering team, ensuring efficient workflows and providing quality construction design plans.
Side by side with engineers, our hands touch every phase of a project, from planning and permitting to design and construction to as-built phases. We interpret and translate engineering designs and plans into detailed visual representations that serve as guidelines for construction.
Our projects are varied and involve different types of engineering: civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, and architectural. The projects we have been involved in are interesting and different every time, like relocating a transmission tower, stabilizing and rebuilding the roads after a big landslide, fabricating a 230-foot-tall communication tower, installing a new bridge, realigning the roadway, and many more.
Our team also uses 3D laser scanning to help engineers analyze the existing conditions, identify potential clashes early in the design process, and help to create accurate 2D CAD drawings and 3D building information models (BIM), leading to more accurate, efficient projects and as-built documentation.
Our goal is to continue to create digital twins that can be exact replicas of our physical assets – powerhouses, dams, and substations – and update them with real-time data to reflect their actual state.
We also manage and archive documents. We have an electronic document management system that stores more than 280,000 documents for Seattle City Light, which includes construction drawings, specifications, asset manuals, and engineering calculations.
I feel honored and privileged to be a leader of this talented team. As I like to say, “Every drawing we produce is a piece of constructional art!”
Background
Hometown: I was born and finished high school in Vietnam. I came to the U.S. in 1993 with my family and started to build my life in Washington.
Alma mater: Highline Community College and Pennsylvania University
Discipline/Trade of study: Manufacturing and engineering technology
Tell us about your family/pets: I’m married and have two children, Kenny and Tiffany. My son is an undergraduate at the Savannah College of Art and Design in film and television, and my daughter is a third-year student at University of Washington Bothell, majoring in media and communications studies.
Just for fun
What is your hidden talent or hobby?
I have a “unique combination gene” from my parents that makes my handwriting resemble calligraphy. I also can draw and paint. I work with both pencil for black-and-white sketches and acrylic paint for colorful artworks. A few years ago, I painted two large pieces on canvas and donated them to my temple for a fundraising event. It was an honor that the mayor of the City of Auburn and a chiropractor got my paintings. Not sure if they still have them today!
What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day?
My brother, who is also a City Light engineering specialist, is a ping-pong and tennis champion. He introduced me to tennis three years ago, and now I am addicted! I watch it, read about it, and kind of get sad when it rains. I play at least three to four days a week. I play not only on sunny days but also light rainy days, although it’s generally not recommended. We have equipment to dry the court. We usually do a “tennis triple” format with three players on each side: one player at the net and two on the baseline. It is so much fun! I wish I started playing 20 years ago like my brother!
What’s a place you’ve always wanted to visit, but haven’t had the chance.
Vietnam! There are so many places in Vietnam that I have not had the opportunity to visit. Although I have lived here for more than three quarters of my life and contributed to this country, my sacred connection to my motherland is strong. It’s a deep and precious feeling of patriotism, attachment, pride, and a sense of responsibility in protecting and preserving. All of those things have been deeply ingrained in my blood, which is why I want to go back and spend my last days there.