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News and Updates from Seattle City Light

Seattle City (spot)Light: Bob Ornstein

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Bob Ornstein has been with City Light for a year and a half. He serves as a Senior Program Manager in the Customer Care and Energy Solutions business unit.  His passion for environmental issues began to take shape while earning a liberal arts degree from Bowdoin College in Maine. He later earned an MBA from UC Berkeley.

“As a program manager in the CCES Division, I’ve helped roll out a few new City Light offerings.  Last year, I launched City Light’s pilot program for residential EV charging and worked across the utility to bring the program to market, with help from an installing contractor and an EV charging company,” Bob explained. “I made sure customers were happy once they enrolled. It was a lot of fun to get the program to market. I also helped release City Light’s Large Solar program this year. Lately, I’ve been spending time helping design a new residential customer service team.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Bob discusses his hobbies and what he enjoys about working at City Light.

Originally from Portland, Ore., Bob and his family moved to the Seattle area in 2017 for his wife to pursue a job opportunity. His family moved to Bainbridge Island in 2019 to enjoy a little more space and the quiet that the island provides.

 “We live right next to The Grand Forest, which has nice hiking and horse trails. Bainbridge has excellent public schools for our two young girls. When I was commuting, it was nice to come home to such a beautiful setting,” Bob recalled. “With no commuting, I get to enjoy being here all day every day. When commuting starts again, maybe I’ll get to ride in on an electric ferry! Growing up in Portland, I had a chip on my shoulder about Washington and never envisioned I would live here. It has been great so far.”

Bob is a fierce competitor on the tennis court. His tennis connections even helped him land a job at one point.

“I’m a win-at-all-costs tennis player. I’ve played most of my life and have been on men’s league teams forever. I enjoy wearing out and surprising my opponents, and of course, winning, Bob explained. “Most of my career has revolved around environmental/green issues. There was a bit of a hiccup in that career when through a tennis connection, I ended up getting a job in Germany working for the former head of the FBI for a few years.”

While Bob enjoys his work as City Light, it’s the relationships he has made with his colleagues that have made this job truly special.

“City Light offered me the opportunity to work on EV charging programs, which sounded exciting. This utility has super friendly people who I like on a personal level. When we were all together working at the 901 5th Ave office, I worked in a quad of cubicles, which I liked to say was the best cubicle quad at City Light. I enjoyed coming to work to laugh and work together with my cubicle friends.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Pavle Trifunovic

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Pavle Trifunovic will celebrate 14 years at City Light this year. He serves the utility as an overhead crew chief in the Utility Operations & Engineering business unit. “My crew includes five people,” Pavle explained. “Together, we set and transfer poles. We also tend to customer needs and emergency jobs every day.”

Born in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Pavle was living in South Africa before joining his wife in the United States. He currently lives in Kirkland with his family and has a degree in electrical engineering from Middle Tennessee State University. “I was always interested in electricity and how everything functions and is connected in the grid, building, or on the print, also it is my field of work.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Pavle talks about his hobbies and his work at the utility.

“My family loves skiing, but now our main sport is hockey. For me, to learn anything new is hard, so learning a new sport, especially one where you stand on less than 1/6 of the inch steel edge is even harder,” Pavle explained. “My kids play hockey; they started when they were four years old. They’re now10 and 13, and I did not want to be left out when teams play parents against kids games. Our favorite team is Pittsburgh Penguins, and we can’t wait for our own hockey team next year!”

 “I enjoy going on vacations with my family. Some of the places we’ve been include Aruba, Croatia and Cabo. We are planning to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico this June.”

“I learned about City Light through my professor at a local community college. I found the apprentice program and applied to it. That’s how I began my career here! I am journeyman lineman by trade and after six years, I took the position of crew chief for Over Head department, also I am helping out as a temporary supervisor when needed.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Judy Blinder

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Judy Blinder has been a dedicated Seattle City Light employee since 1993. “My whole time here, I have worked in the Finance Division,” Judy explained. “When I  started, we were three organizational units:  Budget, Rates, and Financial Requirements and Economic Analysis (FREA). Eventually, Rates and FREA were merged together to form the Financial Planning Unit and now, instead of just focusing on the financial forecast, I also work on the cost allocation and rate design components of the biennial rate-setting process. I do a lot of other economic and financial analysis as well.”

Originally from the Washington D.C area, Judy came to the Northwest to attend Reed College in Portland Oregon. “I have an MBA in finance from Seattle University and I am a Chartered Financial Analyst, but before that, I went to Reed, where I majored in French Literature,” Judy shared. “I really wanted to experience being somewhere far away from D.C., and I loved being outdoors, so this was the perfect place for me!”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Judy talks about her connection to electric utilities, her background and her embodiment of the “culture vulture”.

Judy and her husband at their contra-band class.

“I come from a family with a background in electric utilities. My dad worked for the American Public Power Association for 30 years. During my undergraduate years, he helped me get a summer job at a law firm that represents plaintiffs in lawsuits against energy, telecommunications, and transportation companies. This familiarized me with electric utilities and helped me understand how they function. He was a trainer, specializing in engineering and operations but also covering the cost of service analysis and rate design, funny enough. Toward the end of his life, we were able to have in-depth discussions about mutually familiar areas of our work, which was nice.  We never did come to an agreement on nuclear power, though.  Dad: for it.  Me: against it.”

“I started learning French when I was in second grade and have really built upon my understanding and knowledge of the language. I still maintain my French fluency and use it a little bit just for fun! I am part of a French-language book group. I also occasionally use my language skills to do volunteer work. I believe that everyone in Seattle should feel welcome here, so I do a little translation for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, usually for African immigrants from francophone countries.  I am also in the Seattle Language Bank, which results in my occasionally receiving requests to translate information or help French-speaking callers.”

“I also consider myself to be a ‘culture vulture’ and a ‘book-worm’. I love going to plays and movies, reading and of course, in the Pacific Northwest, going outdoors and exploring.  I am a subscriber to the Seattle Symphony and love folk music. I am a guitar player and participate in a band that plays for family-friendly contra dances. Benaroya Hall is one of my favorite places to attend music performances.  I would also like to give a shout-out to the Couth Buzzard Book Store and Café; they turn their back room into a concert venue on weekends and provide great underground performers with an affordable venue. I am  really looking forward to Wintergrass, an annual winter folk festival in Bellevue.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Ned Lichty

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Ned Lichty has been at City Light for three years. He’s part of the Contracts and Procurement team as a Sr. Contracts and Procurement Specialist. “My job is to procure products and professional consulting services for the divisions and project managers I support,” Ned explained. “I provide guidance and training in the consultant selection process and ensure my customers remain compliant with City rules and policies.”

Ned’s father served in the military and so his family moved frequently before settling in the Evergreen State. “We lived in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Colorado and Livorno, Italy,” Ned shared. “When I was ten, we made our final move to Washington state and I’ve lived here since. I love its natural beauty and diversity.” He lives in Edgewood with his spouse Frank and their daughter Allison where they embrace the country-vibe.

In this week’s (spot)Light, Ned talks about his family, hobbies and what he enjoys about City Light.

L-R: Ned, Allison and Frank

“Allison is attending UW and we couldn’t be prouder. She’s on the Dean’s List and has received several scholarships. We were Allison’s foster parents and decided we didn’t want to live without her, so we made it permanent and adopted her in 2014. Prior to Allison, Frank and I were foster parents to his two nephews. I learned that raising boys is much more challenging than girls! She definitely is a gift from God, as we’ve grown and learned so much from her.”

“I love camping and exploring new destinations in Washington. I plan to visit Newhalem this summer and check out our dams. I also love traveling to new destinations and have a passion for learning about ancient history, civilizations and religions, mysteries of the unexplained and exploring fringe topics. I’m an avid animal lover and have two Boston Terriers, a yellow-nape Amazon parrot that I’ve owned for 28 years and a chicken-coop! I also love bird watching so I have bird feeders to draw them to my deck. Skiing is another hobby of mine.”

“I was attracted to City Light because of its emphasis on creating a positive work culture and its focus on diversity and service to the community. I really love that my job is downtown which lets me experience the City’s energy. Another bonus is working in the Seattle Municipal Tower, which has some pretty fantastic views…not to mention the convenience of having a Starbucks in the building! It has a stream of people throughout the day, making it feel like the social hotspot.”

“I enjoy my job because I interact with different departments and people who work on a variety of projects and commodities. One would think writing contracts would be boring and monotonous, however, that’s not the case due to the type of projects and scopes of work that comes my way. Projects range from Dam Safety Compliance, Boundary Licensing projects, Fish & Wildlife Research, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, Management Services, Construction Management, Environmental projects, Generator repair and maintenance, LIDAR detection, Energy Conservation…the list goes on. The best part of my job is working with an amazing team that has so many positive traits that I could go on and on, but to keep it brief I’ll sum it up in one word: Fabulousness!”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Ed Hill

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Ed Hill has worked at City Light for 25 years. He began his utility career as an apprentice cable splicer in 1993. Currently, he serves as the Electrical Construction & Maintenance Supervisor in Transmission & Distribution Operations. “My job involves supervising the day-to-day operations of the line crews at the South Service Center (SSC),” Ed explained. “I oversee the line service, streetlight and pole yard crews.”

Ed is from South Seattle but has also lived in Texas and Connecticut. “I live near Seward Park,” Ed shared. “I grew up in this area and watched the hydroplanes and the Blue Angels every summer. It was a benefit of living near the lake. The neighborhood has changed over the past years, but I still relive childhood memories every time I travel down Lake Washington Blvd.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Ed talks about his hobbies and the value of education.

“My favorite activities are going to Seahawk games—I’ve had season tickets since 1998! I’m also a season ticket holder for Sounders FC and have been since their inaugural season in 2009. My favorite hobbies are cooking. I usually cook more than my wife and I can eat! We enjoy traveling and recently returned from a trip to Italy. I’ve also been known to karaoke a song or two.”

“I completed my undergraduate degree in Business Management in 2013. I actually started right after high school when I joined the Army, but being young and on my own, there were many distractions.  I learned radar electronics in the military and after leaving the service I worked for Motorola in Texas and DEC (now Compaq) in Connecticut. Those jobs taught me a lot about robotics and automation.”

“With that knowledge, I returned to Seattle. I was hired at an electronics manufacturer in Redmond where I set up an automated production line. Hindsight let me see the value of education and foresight gave me the vision of where at-risk youth would be without an education. So, I started mentoring high school kids. After seven years of watching them graduate college, I knew it was my time to get my degree.”

“What I enjoy most about my job and working at City Light is the ability to take advantage of opportunities to challenge myself as much as I want. Knowing the value of education, I’m always striving to learn more and put that knowledge to use.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Mandana Baniani

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Mandana Baniani joined City Light IT in 2014 as Temporary Senior Quality Assurance Analyst. “When my contract ended, I moved to Asset Data Group, where I learned so much about the importance of data governance and maintaining high-quality asset data for the utility in order to improve reliability, safety, and efficiency,” Mandana explained. “Last year I became a permanent employee with the Supply Chain Management team, and I couldn’t be happier!”

Born in Iran, Mandana moved to Seattle after high school to attend Seattle University, later transferring to Central Washington University. There she earned her bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management. Mandana has lived in Washington for the past 40 years with her husband and two children..

In this week’s (spot)Light, Mandana talks about her life in Edmonds, a range of hobbies and her love for volunteer work.

Mandana with her grandchildren

“My husband and I live in Edmonds not too far from our daughter and her family and we are fortunate to spend time with our six & seven-year-old grandsons regularly and being involved in their daily lives and activities.”

“I enjoy gardening, baking, traveling and event planning. I am creative and absolutely love floral design and have done many wedding flower arrangements including my daughter’s wedding,” she shared. “I enjoy going for long walks and hikes and have participated in many 5K run/walks for various charities. I am passionate about helping those in need and I’ve been volunteering at Mary’s Place and the Ronald McDonald House for over ten years. I’ve held wreath making events with my team of volunteers during the holidays at RMH for kids and their families that are receiving care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. I find volunteering very rewarding and it’s the smallest acts of kindness that make a larger impact on the community.”

“I was initially attracted to City Light because of its flexibility in providing a work-life balance. The greatest part of my job is the people I have met that are so passionate and hardworking and strive to provide the best service to our internal and external customers. I am proud to be part of such a wonderful team here at City Light.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Julianna Ross

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Julianna Ross celebrated four years at City Light in August. She’s part of the Environmental, Land & Licensing business unit where she serves as a Senior Community Program Developer. “I was hired to transition the Georgetown Steam Plant into its next chapter. City Light has owned the plant since 1951, but it’s been completely decommissioned since 1977,” Julianna explained. “It’s incredibly unique and intact, much like a museum. We’ve been offering tours to the public and I led the work with an advisory committee to determine next steps. Based on their recommendations, the plan is for City Light to maintain ownership of the building and have a non-profit take over daily operations with a focus on education, arts, and other community programming. The agreement is almost signed so this is going to take place soon!”

Originally from Colorado, Julianna and her family moved to Bellevue when she was six. She later returned to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado where she majored in journalism. “I still love journalism and believe that I use my degree every day in the work that I do,” she shared. Julianna and her husband lived in California before returning to the Seattle area in 2000 to be closer to family. 

In this week’s (spot)Light, learn about Julianna’s work, her passion for historic preservation and her involvement in the community.

“My position with City Light is half-time and at the other time, I serve as executive director of an arts non-profit called SPACE (Sand Point Arts and Cultural Exchange). The organization was formed in 1994 when the U.S. Navy transferred the former Sand Point Naval Air Station property to the City of Seattle. We now operate a low power FM radio station (Space 101.1) and the Magnuson Park Gallery. Our board of directors and I intend to save other historic buildings in the district and also activate them for the arts.”

“As an advocate for historic preservation, it’s been a dream to work with the Georgetown Steam Plant. It was built in the early 1900s to fuel Seattle’s electric streetcar system and it ended up fueling the economic growth of neighboring cities as well. It features historic equipment from the time period and became an official historic landmark in 1984. I often say that ‘you can’t care about a building you don’t know about. The Georgetown Steam Plant deserves a lot of care from the community and there is a resounding love for it, but there are also a lot of people who don’t even know about it. So, I generate awareness and access through public outreach to the community and help produce good news through our programs and media relations.”

“I credit my love of historic preservation from growing up in Bellevue. When I was a kid, Bellevue still had a lot of agricultural areas and practically nothing in terms of historic landmarks – downtown Seattle was the place to go.  I’ve always valued the craft and character of older buildings and the stories they tell.”

“One place I’d love to travel and see the historical architecture is Pittsburgh. I love Chicago and New York, but I need to travel more! I have to say that the Georgetown Steam plant is phenomenal; I have no doubt it will be an internationally recognized heritage tourism destination. I’ve also always had a soft spot for the Smith Tower and if I had all the money in the world, one of the first things I would do is buy it and make sure it’s taken care of forever!”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Ryan Simmons

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Ryan Simmons joined City Light in 2015 as the fisheries field coordinator for the Boundary Licensing Team and is now a project manager, overseeing several fisheries projects. “My projects are designed to improve conditions for trout and mountain whitefish populations native to the lower Pend Oreille River,” Ryan explained. “We are studying the genetic structure, demographics, and behavior of these populations through field studies and simulation modeling to inform how best to protect and enhance these native fish species. On any given day, I could be focused on project planning, coordination with our Boundary fisheries biologists, data analysis, contract administration, or communication with stakeholders.”

Ryan was born and raised in Olympia and has spent most of his adult life working in the streams and forests of the Northwest. He attended Western Washington University and pursued his graduate studies at the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. “During grad school, I spent summers at a remote field station on the Alaska Peninsula studying the early life history and ecology of sockeye salmon,” Ryan shared. “I remember most vividly the rough weather, the rewarding work, the bear encounters and the isolation.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Ryan talks about his hobbies, family and work at City Light.


“I live on Vashon Island with my wife and four kids. The island offers a great network of trails and natural areas to explore, and we try to spend as much time as we can discovering new areas. The beaches are also a highlight, whether for a summer picnic or a good winter storm. We enjoy growing food and flowers and have gotten to know some great families with whom we have built community.”

“I’m an avid skier, sailor, and enjoy most water sports! My time is devoted to my family… getting the kids outside and interested in the natural world and the sciences. I also enjoy woodworking and building furniture, an interest I picked up from my dad. During this time of year, I like to pick apples and press cider with family and friends. We try to pick 20-30 bushels which yields about 50-60 gallons of cider. A friend and I ferment hard cider; several of our hard ciders have placed or won in regional competitions.”

“I was attracted to City Light because of its longstanding work in some very unique watersheds, and the opportunity to devote a career to working in those systems. As a consultant, it was common to move from project to project on a regular basis. At City Light, I’ve been able to build a deeper understanding of the stream systems I work on and the positive impact of my work.”

“I enjoy what I do at City Light; it’s challenging and diverse. I continually apply my past work experience and education while learning new things along the way. Part of my job satisfaction comes from knowing the work is valued by City Light. We also have the support to investigate novel approaches to better meet project objectives. The greatest part of my job is the people I work with, who come from a diverse range of technical disciplines which has helped me better understand the utility. I feel fortunate to work with a dedicated team who genuinely believes in the work they do.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Tammie Luc

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Tammie Luc has been at City Light for 11 years. During her tenure, she’s served in a variety of roles, including four and a half years in human resources where she processed payroll and three years on the administrative team for Operations. Currently, Tammie serves as a Management System Analyst at the South Service Center (SSC) where’s she’s been for three and a half years.

Tammie emigrated from Vietnam when she was four years old. “My father left Vietnam to seek better opportunities for us and I went with him,“ Tammie shared. “After five years of separation, he was able to sponsor my mother and younger brother to join us. I’ve lived in Seattle most of my life and really enjoy its seasons.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Tammie talks about her hobbies, work at SSC and love for the Seahawks.

“I’m a huge Seahawks fan. At SSC, I’m known as the Seahawks rally person! I also play pickleball once or twice per week and like to run races, anywhere from 10Ks to half marathons. During the summer, you can catch me paddle boarding. I love to hike year-round in Washington and am the team captain of City Light’s #3 softball team! Crafting is another activity I enjoy but haven’t had time since I’m the Uber driver for my kids and all their activities – ultimate frisbee, swim meets, softball and basketball games.”

“I have three kids: Amber (17), Hunter (14) and Logan (11). Amber was a high school intern for City Light this past summer. They keep me busy and I love it.  As their Uber driver and cheerleader, they are my world. I’m usually driving them to different sporting events, but they also like to hang with me when I paddleboard and hike.”

“I wanted to work at City Light because growing up in the city, I had always seen the yellow City Light trucks. The crews would ride in and restore power whenever we had an outage. I felt like they were superheroes and wanted to be a part of that. To this day, I still feel have that feeling and my chest pumps with pride knowing that I work alongside them now.”

“In my role, I provide technical support to various positions, develop training plans and create and maintain reports for managers, supervisors and crew coordinators. I coordinate with OH, URD and Line Services Crews to maintain accurate and efficient work schedule. I also work closely with SDOT and other City ROW departments to make sure all permits are in compliance and assist with any coordination that’s needed.”

“Not only do I enjoy my job and get paid for it, but I work with the greatest, friendliest and most unselfish peers. At SSC, I’m often the point person for several activities that my colleagues generously support. I love to collect money for donations and special events, suck their blood by coordinating blood drives, and inflict pain with flu shots. Who else can say they do all those in one place? ME!”


Seattle City (spot)Light: Tara Benjamin

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Tara Benjamin has been with Seattle City Light for a little over three years. She started as a TES Camp Service Aide and quickly became fulltime. Tara recently celebrated a promotion to Administrative Specialist II at Skagit. “I have the pleasure of interacting with everyone that comes into the main office. It is my responsibility to support management and staff. I do everything from onboarding to housing and everything in between. It keeps me busy!”

Tara spent the most part of her childhood living in Goldendale, WA. “I married my high school sweetheart right after I graduated and went straight to work. My background has always been in Hospitality and Restaurant Management.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Tara talks about life in Darrington, her hobbies and what she enjoys about her work at City Light.

“My husband and I settled in North Idaho for 20 years. Living in Idaho, I hadn’t even heard of Seattle City Light until my husband went to work as a temp machinist at Boundary. When he got on fulltime at Skagit, we moved. It made perfect sense to work where I live due to location. It is really remote and requires you to get really good at making shopping lists!”

“We live in Darrington, WA. I love that its a small town and a tight-knit community. For me, that’s the best feeling. We have been very blessed by all of the small towns that we’ve lived in. I wouldn’t trade that small-town living for anything. Darrington has been overwhelmingly welcoming! The views are to die for! We get to kind of play mini farmer with a bunch of chicken and a decent garden.”

“My garden isn’t a favorite hobby, but it fuels my love of canning. I’m definitely not a pro, but I love growing and preserving new things. I really love to cook and bake. I am a bit of a homebody and love our little homestead. My goal is to have it grow with cows and pigs as well. Family is definitely my #1 priority. As for being a mom of boys, the hobbies that take up a great portion of my time are football and baseball! GO LOGGERS! I absolutely love being their cheerleader! We love to camp and hunt as a family, however, we need to do more of both next year. Other than that, I enjoy working on my skincare/cosmetics side business.”

“I have met so many people that have called Seattle City Light their second home for years. That fact spoke volumes to me, and I wanted to be a part of it. I absolutely love the challenge of my new role! I love the interaction it gives me with not only the staff at Skagit but all-around City Light. Walking into this new position, it has been my pleasure to observe that everyone within is open and willing to help. It has been a fantastic experience to know that everyone is on the same team.”