Powerlines Blog Seattle City Light

Power Lines

News and Updates from Seattle City Light

Seattle City (spot)Light: Jen Chan

by

Jen Chan joined City Light in May 2019 and celebrated her 20 years at the City of Seattle this past August. Jen grew up in Boston, but after one too many snow-shovel laden winters, normalized negative experiences with Boston drivers (okay, she may have been a co-participant in certain, totally justifiable situations), and a huge desire to see what the other coast was like (GO, SEAHAWKS!!), she moved to Seattle in 1996 to pursue her Master of Social Work at the University of Washington.

In this week’s (spot)Light, Jen shares more about her work at City Light, her life in Seattle, and overall, what she wants to accomplish in her role at the utility.

As City Light’s Chief of Staff, Jen oversees Communications, Performance Metrics & Benchmarks, Strategic Plan, Continuous Improvements, Organizational Change Management and other high-profile projects from the GM’s Office. One of the most common questions Jen hears is: What does a Chief of Staff actually do? Which is a great question since she has wondered that herself, given there is no standard definition and always a challenge to explain to her parents that she is not literally the “Chief” of all staff. So, one way she thinks of her role is: “Aside from management responsibilities for specific work areas, I like to think of myself as the behind-the-scenes person trying to align timing, information, opportunities and decision-making to develop a path forward and get stuff done. While not intentional, I have spent most of my career facilitating workstreams or executive decision-making on topics where I am not the subject matter expert. Having an outsider’s perspective helps me stay out of the weeds, hone in on the most salient issues or concerns at hand, and draw out broader connections, risks and impacts to develop a more informed, scalable and systemic response.” While this explanation may help clarify her role to some, she knows her parents may still not understand what she does. To which it may be easier to just respond: “Yes, mom and dad. I am the Chief of a very small number of staff.”

Jen lives in the Bryant neighborhood in Northeast Seattle with her husband Vince and her two children, Olivia (14), Marcus (12) and dog, Remy (2). Pre-COVID, they spent most of their free time watching their kids’ soccer, basketball and ultimate frisbee games. However, now with their family time freed up, they spend most weekends thinking about the yardwork, closet cleaning, home projects or hiking adventures they should do instead. Three-quarters of the family loves traveling; the other quarter barely tolerates it. This means the family’s traveling habits are typically set by the family member who does most of the household planning (i.e., Jen), so yes, traveling is one of their hobbies.

When reflecting on what Jen would like to accomplish at City Light, she shared: “I absolutely believe that our time here in life and at work is very precious, so for whatever issue I work on, I want to add value to the organization and to customers. At the same time, I think it’s super important to keep everything in perspective, have a little fun when doing good, and definitely enjoy and cultivate the people relationships we form along the way. So, to me, how I judge my time here will boil down to two things: added value and people connections.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Kelly Haren

by

Kelly Haren has been a dedicated member of the City Light team for 20 years. “I’m the Generation Supervisor at Cedar Falls and Tolt hydro projects where I support the crew and operations at both sites,” Kelly shared. “My responsibilities include coordinating projects with utility divisions, facilitating training and safety programs, and supervising activities that impact fisheries, deal with environmental issues or influence our dam and public safety programs. I also work with City Departments, like Seattle Public Utilities, for operations planning.”

Originally from Idaho, Kelly moved to the Seattle area after joining the US Coast Guard, where he was stationed in Seattle and Astoria. “I met my wife during that time, and we’ve lived in the Northwest ever since.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Kelly talks more about his life pre-City Light, his family, and more about his work at the utility.

“I spent a couple of years at the University of Idaho before joining the Coast Guard. In college, I studied engineering, basic science, and math. In the Coast Guard, I received experience and education in many engineering and mechanical fundamentals but became an electrician after completing my trade schooling and necessary hours. I was attracted to City Light because of its apprenticeship opportunities, the ability to support my family better, and the varied types of work and opportunities the City would provide throughout my career.”

“I live in the Auburn area on a small lake and enjoy being on the water, boating and relaxing! My favorite activity is traveling with my wife; Hawaii, Cabo, and the Florida Keys are a few of our favorite destinations. For hobbies, I love golfing, boating, and taking the RV out for weekend getaways. I also have four young grandchildren with whom I enjoy spending as much time as I can!”

“What I love most about working at City Light is the many opportunities I’ve had in my career, up to this point. I started in the Constructor Apprenticeship, worked as a journey-level Constructor in Substations downtown, and transferred to the Generation team, where I learned about hydro operations. I also assisted our Apprenticeship Office as a Craft Advisor. Now I can apply all my previous experience to my current role as a Generation Supervisor. City Light has been such a great place to build a career and provide for my family.”

Community (spot)Light: Bob Weeks

by

Meet Seattle City Light volunteer, Bob Weeks. Bob, along with the occasional help of family and friends, has spent the past year working tirelessly within a utility transmission corridor next to the Duwamish River. During his weekly visits, he mulches native plants, cuts back and digs invasive Himalayan Blackberries as well as other noxious weeds.

City Light volunteer, Bob Weeks

Bob’s site is adjacent to Tukwila’s Cecil B. Moses Park and part of North Wind’s Weir, a habitat restoration project on the Duwamish River. The stewardship of this site began with Bob’s sister, Pam. She began removing non-native blackberries and planting native plants several years ago as part of a volunteer party for her 70th birthday celebration. Last fall, Bob noticed the native plants that Pam and her party planted were being overgrown with blackberries. As a result, Bob picked up a shovel (technically, a Pulaski), clippers, and got to work.

Bob’s restoration work began as a child when he dug up non-native blackberries at his family home in West Seattle, replacing them with native conifer trees. Sixty years later, most of them are still thriving. As young boys, Bob and his brother played on Harbor Island while their father worked on a boat at the nearby Jim Clark Marina. Later he canoed around the lower Duwamish and began exploring upriver by kayak. Eventually he took a Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition tour of the river led by B.J. Cummings.

His connection to the Duwamish continues through his restoration work. While volunteering at his site, he enjoys seeing Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Herons, King Fishers and other birds and critters that grace the Duwamish River. Freeing native plants from the blackberry overstory and adding new native plants serves the Duwamish River and its native salmon runs. Bob’s stewardship is motivated by his appreciation of the Duwamish River’s history and restoration efforts. Thank you so much for your time, energy and dedication, Bob!

Seattle City (spot)Light: Bob Ornstein

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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!”