Samuel Langi has an impressive 38 years working for the City of Seattle. He started at Seattle Public Utilities before moving to Seattle street maintenance. From there, he went to Seattle Parks and Recreation until he transferred to City Light as a laborer for the Skagit Hydroelectric Project. After eight years in Newhalem, he transferred to the Electric Shop at the South Service Center. Eventually, he completed the lineworker apprentice program and worked his way to his current position as a lineworker assigned locator. “This position is a lot easier on my old body!” Samuel said with a laugh.

Samuel is originally from Tonga Island. When he was 16 years old, he moved to the United States and lived in San Francisco for a few short years. “My parents left me at Tonga Island when I was 12 years old,” Samuel explained. “They were working on getting our green card filed. When the time was right, I joined them here in the states and eventually they sent me to live with my aunt in Seattle.” Samuel now lives in Auburn with his wife Julia Maria and helps take care of his mother who lives in Seattle. “I visit my home country now and then,” he shared. “We still have properties there.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, learn more about Samuel’s home country, family and his musical hobbies.

“I have six kids: three boys and three girls. My oldest is 36 years old; my youngest is 12 years old. My oldest son served in the Army. My second son is still in the Air Force; he’s ready to retire in four years. My youngest son just enlisted with the Marines, but I was trying to get him to join our apprenticeship program!”

“I like to play the piano and guitar at home. My cousin gave me a right-handed guitar in 1979. He was going to Boston for school and left it with me to keep. I’m left-handed so I had to teach myself to play. Also, when we bought our house in Seattle, my parents bought an electric piano. No one ever played it, so when I was bored I learned how to play it. I mainly play jazz and classical music; whatever floats my canoe! I don’t read music, but I could sure give it a try.”

“I’ve been training line apprentices for 18 years. I’m with the Underground Residential Distribution (URD) line workers. We take care of and maintain all the underground services from Denny Way in downtown Seattle to 160^th Avenue south. We keep everything running smoothly. It’s good work; we’re working hard for the city and loving every minute! I love working for the City. There are great people and great opportunities. There is always room to learn and the people I work with keep me humble and motivated.”

Crew Chief Joe Andrade has worked at City Light for 29 years. “As a relief crew chief lineman, I work out on the line and restore electricity,” Joe said. “I also install new services to new customers.” He’s part of the utility’s Transmission and Distribution Operations division and is based at the South Service Center.

Joe served in the United States Airforce for seven years. “I was a cable splicer,” he shared. “I was stationed in Texas, Germany, Ohio and Tacoma. The northwest is beautiful, so I decided to stay here when I finished; it’s been 45 years!” He applied to City Light’s lineworker apprenticeship program and never looked back.

Joe and his wife Amanda live in Federal Way. He has two children, his daughter Brittnii and his son Jordin. In this week’s (spot)Light, he talks about his childhood on Africa’s Cape Verde Islands, his family (hint: Jordin is an Olympian) and his hobbies.

“In my role, every day is different. You do the same work, but there are new challenges daily. And that’s what I like about it—finding solutions for each problem. It’s exciting when you start from scratch and finish with a perfect result. In the end, we provide power and service to customers, making everyone happy. The only thing I don’t like is the weather!”

“I was born and raised on an island called Brava which is part of the Cape Verde Islands off African’s western coast. It’s rugged; the weather conditions make it hard to get on and off the island. There’s nothing on the island but rocks. We lived very primitively; our house was on top of a volcano. We survived mainly on fish and potatoes. I remember being barefoot and walking on dirt. When I was six, my family left the island on a rowboat. It was a long journey, but after stops in Portugal and Rhode Island–and after planes and larger boats—we ended up in Sacramento, California. My dad was already there. He raised money to send for us. I remember kissing the ground when we landed and thinking, ‘What is this?’ It was concrete! Things changed for me once we moved here; I was introduced to so much; everyday things like lightbulbs and toilets. It was all incredible.”

“Jordin visited the island recently and confirmed everything I’ve shared with him about my childhood. He was there because he represented Cape Verde in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil and will compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. He’s a track and field athlete. I was his coach in Brazil. I, too, ran track and field. When I was in high school, I ranked third in the United States for hurdles. Ten years later, my brother ran hurdles and was ranked third in the world. And twenty years later, my son is running hurdles in the Olympics. I like to think I inspired the sport in my family!”

“I don’t run anymore—heck, I can barely walk! But I do love photography. I love photographing stationery things and snap pictures around the South Service Center for our events. My wife and I also love to travel. We visit Europe often. We also like the Caribbean. I’ve been to China, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska and recently came back from New York. Cuba has been my favorite place; I loved it.”

Janet Hart began her City career 17 years ago as a land surveyor for Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). She joined City Light nearly five years ago as part of the Generation Operations & Engineering division and manages the technical resources group. “I changed specialties and moved into design and engineering when I joined the utility,” Janet explained. “My team does design drafting, historical research, 3D laser scanning and document management to support our engineers and operations employees with capital improvement and maintenance projects. They transform napkin sketches and design concepts into beautiful construction plans.”

A Colorado native, Janet moved to the northwest to attend Western Washington University. She graduated with a degree in environmental science and a minor in geology. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always had this draw to the outdoors, to environmentalism, to electricity and to hydro,” Janet shared.

She now lives in Tacoma with her wife Molly and their two dogs Lobo and Ringo. In this week’s (spot)Light, Janet talks about her career, her hobbies (hint: you can find her on the water) and her family trips to hydroelectric facilities.

“When I first started with SPU, I was lucky enough to be placed on City Light’s land survey crew. I traveled to Boundary, Skagit and Tolt; in a way, it served as an introduction to the utility. My main job was deformation monitoring of the dams. It involved a lot of measurements and working outside. It was wonderful. Through that work, I came to know the City Light family, so when I got my job at the utility, it was like coming home.”

“Before the City, I managed the operations of a plant nursery. It was so nice to be in touch with something natural. Working there I realized that I wanted to be outside; it’s something I enjoy. So, I went back to school again and got an associate degree in survey technology. That line of work fit me well because it encompassed everything: I was outside, I like math and problem solving and there was a process to it. I also worked with engineers all the time; they needed my data!”

“I grew up visiting hydroelectric facilities. My dad was an electrician and we took our family vacations to dams. I remember being ten years old and thinking ‘Another dam. We’re going to tour another dam.’ Looking back though, it was a great experience. I also remember helping my dad pull wires in the attic. When I look at my career, I can see how these things influenced me.”

“My wife and I restored an old wood boat. It was a 1961 Chris Craft Constellation. It took us 15 years, believe it or not! We now own a fiber glass Tollycraft which turned our sanding and varnish time into more time for fun. We’re always on the water. Our favorite place is Jarrell Cove on Harstine Island. We were married there, actually! We had a campground style wedding; it was an absolute blast. We also like to fish, crab and cruise the San Juan Islands and the South Puget Sound. We’re actually planning a 6,000 mile boat trip called The Great Loop; I’d love to boat the Bahamas once we finish. I also love to golf, especially in Bend and Palm Springs.”

Irina Lusby has worked in City Light’s Regulatory Affairs division for four years. As a Sr. Compliance Analyst, Irina focuses on North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and critical infrastructure protection (CIP) for the utility. “I work on cyber-security standards across the utility to ensure that all of our critical assets are protected, “Irina said. “We read and interpret regulations to make sure they are implemented quickly and correctly.” Irina enjoys her work because there isn’t any routine to it—she has new and different projects all the time.

Hailing from Rostov, Russia, Irina has lived in Washington for over 20 years. “In about a year, I will have been here longer than I was in Russia,” she shared with a laugh. Though she graduated with a degree in psychology from a university in Russia, Irina found herself working in the compliance world. “I used to work for the State of Washington as a Program Manager for federally qualified health centers and that was my first involvement with compliance. I continued in healthcare with Kaiser Permanente as a Compliance Analyst, and then I came here! It’s definitely a different field of work from healthcare.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, read about Irina’s journey to the United States, traveling with her family, and their active, outdoorsy lifestyle.

“I grew up with my mom in Russia. We lived in a big city, so it was a completely different pace when I moved to Olympia; it was a culture shock! My husband Brian is from Washington and I met him when he was opening a new office in St. Petersburg for Boeing. We dated long distance, got married and I’ve been here ever since. I still have extended family in Russia, but my mom moved here when we had kids. We have an 11-year-old son named Nicholas and a 13-year-old daughter named Sasha.”

“Most of my time is occupied with my kids because they’re heavily involved in sports. My daughter plays club and school volleyball and my son plays football and lacrosse. As a family we travel a lot. We went to Europe for a few weeks in the spring and we’ve gone to Mexico and Hawaii as well. We also like to hike and do RV camping in the summer. We’ll go out to the lakes and do watersports. We really like Banks Lake in eastern Washington. This year will be our eleventh year going there. My kids love wakeboarding and surfing, so we do those a lot. When we travel we try to incorporate outdoors activities like ziplining!”

“I like to run, bike and practice yoga. I’ve checked off two items on my bucket list: run a marathon and skydiving. Last year, I ran a marathon in Victoria B.C.; it was a gorgeous setting. I decided on that location because it was listed as one of the best marathons for beginners. I also went skydiving in Las Vegas. I’ll continue running half marathons but probably not full ones. I’m doing a couple of cycling races soon! As for traveling bucket list items, I want to visit Australia and go on an African Safari.”

Billy O’Neal has been a safety specialist at City Light for nearly 10 years. In his role, Billy helps the utility stay in compliance with safe workplace regulations; he interprets laws and then enforces them to keep our workplace safe and sound. Billy was introduced to City Light by a friend who worked here and sold him on the company, and he’s never looked back. “I have great coworkers and a great team. We’re split into different areas, but we work together and have each other’s backs,” Billy said. “We help each other out; no problem. I’ve said it before, but this is the best job I’ve ever had.”

Born and raised in Texas, Billy moved to Washington in 1992. He lives in Bremerton with his daughter, two grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. “I love the summers here. It’s the most gorgeous place,” he shared.” I don’t think the weather could be any better.  There are so many places we can visit but I like the beaches near Bremerton.”

In this week’s spotlight, learn about Billy’s time in the Navy and his goal to learn Spanish and play the keyboard.

“I am originally from Texas. I came to Washington by way of the Navy. I was in the Navy for 20 years and I decided to stay here. In the Navy, the medical people are called the corpsmen. Being a corpsman, you can work in the pharmacy, in labs, do physicals, sew people up, all sorts of medical stuff.”

“I was originally a medical assistant when I got out of the Navy; my first job was a medical assistant in an occupational safety and health office. They do things like workplace physicals, but they allowed me to move into the safety realm. I went to Columbia Southern University and got a degree in safety.”

“During my time in the Navy, I got to travel the world and see a lot of different places. Singapore was my favorite. Coming from Texas, my view of the world was kind of small, so visiting other cities and countries allowed me to appreciate the world a lot more. You’re exposed to the different levels of poverty and lack of resources. It’s probably a cliché that people say Americans take things for granted, but we do. The smallest things like taking apples to an orphanage is a big deal in other places. We just have so much, and you don’t realize it until you see people in other levels of living.”

“I’m attempting to play the keyboard and learn Spanish. I haven’t mastered them, but I’m trying! I’ve enrolled in classes and use programs and CDs to learn. My mother used to play piano which was pretty cool. As I became an adult and had time, I thought if my mother could do it, then I could, too! Some people are more gifted, and some work harder. I think I’m one of those that has to work harder!”

 Business Unit Administrator Jackie Smith began her City Light journey 39 years ago as a meter reader. Through her tenure, she’s worked in 11 different positions including her present role in the utility’s Engineering and Technology Innovation business unit where she focuses on budget processes, strategic planning, project improvement and more. “One of the things I really like about City Light is the opportunity to coach people,” Jackie shared. “I like to pass on what I’ve learned. I worked my way up from being a meter reader, so I like helping employees with personal development plans, resumes and interview skills so they can move up in the utility.” 

Born and raised in Washington, Jackie has been married to her husband, Terry, for 46 years. They live in Burien and have one daughter and one granddaughter. “Burien is a hidden gem that celebrates the diversity of our neighbors with numerous multicultural community events throughout the year,” Jackie said.

In this week’s (spot)Light, read all about Jackie and Terry’s impressive travels (spoiler: party cruises), dancing and her plans for retirement.

“My husband likes to fish. We love to cruise on our boat, but we recently sold it — we’re boat less right now! Our boating club plans weekend rendezvous to all the coastal towns where we hang out together and play games. As soon as you’re on the water you’re on vacation. You’re not stuck in any traffic.”

“A love for getting out on the water led to becoming elite level cruisers. Our destinations include: Alaska, the Mediterranean and Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and Monaco as well as Caribbean cruises to Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and Grand Cayman. We also do one-night trips to Vancouver that are full cruises with meals and shows. They’re very affordable and popular for bachelorette parties and family reunions, so they’re referred to as the party cruise!”

“In 2009 we got the traveling bug and went to China. That was our first international trip. Last year we visited Vietnam and Ecuador and just returned from a trip to Scandinavia and Russia. We have a future trip planned to Morocco and a trip to Germany, Amsterdam, Bruges and Paris after I retire. We’ve met some fun people on our travels. In fact, we stayed in touched with people from our Vietnam trip and ended up going to Ecuador with two of them! We’re also going with them to Morocco and are planning trips to Thailand and Peru.”

“My husband and I also enjoy the outdoors and like to dance. We go to Zumba five days a week. We also attend Daybreaker Seattle and just finished private salsa lessons. Our favorite outdoor activities include long walks in our neighborhood and day hikes. We can usually work hiking into our vacations and have also done local treks like Crystal Mountain. What I love about Seattle is that we don’t have to go very far to enjoy nature.”

Looking toward her future and retirement, Jackie says, “I’ll really miss the people and the work. I’m used to being busy and I love helping people so I’m looking for volunteer opportunities in the community.”

From Electrical Engineering Manager to his current position as Generations Operations & Engineering (GO&E) Director, Faz Kasraie has played an active role in City Light’s generation projects since joining the utility in 1983. “I’ll celebrate 35 years with City Light this November,” Faz said. “I started as an assistant electrical engineer and have worked through the ranks across different business units. It’s been rewarding because I got to learn different facets of the utility.”

Born and raised in Iran, Faz moved to the United States after high school. “I didn’t speak a word of English, so I took courses to learn the language,” Faz shared. He enrolled in Oklahoma State University, transferred to the University of Washington and completed his studies at Seattle University, where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. He later earned a second degree in mechanical engineering.

Faz and his wife Melinda live in northeast Seattle and have two sons Michael and Mark. He’s also an avid biker. “I love biking, it’s recently become a big part of my life,” he shared. “I enjoy big biking events. A few co-workers and I participate in organized rides like RSVP, STP and Cycle Oregon.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Faz talks about the work of his team and what he enjoys about his career.

“Before moving here, I came across an article in Time Magazine that featured the first female governor of Washington state. Because that was the cover story, a big chunk of the magazine was focused on Washington. Boeing was huge at the time and it was impressive to me that it was based here. I remember reading the article and thinking that Washington had to be a cool place; it just caught my attention. I also had a friend at UW which helped influence my decision to come here.”

“When I was going to school, power wasn’t a field that was emphasized. I was interested in telecommunications engineering. Fiber optics was just starting to emerge, and the technology was so young. After graduation, I was in downtown Seattle and happened to walk by City Light’s administration office. There were several job listings posted, so I applied and never looked back. That’s the nice thing about electrical engineering—it’s quite diversified. It’s so broad that with a little adjustment and additional training, you can shift your focus and get into a different field than what you originally intended.”

“City Light has three engineering disciplines—electrical, mechanical and civil which also includes structural engineering. Through the years, I’ve managed our electrical engineering staff which supports GO&E operations, including our seven hydrogeneration facilities. That team also provides a variety of electrical engineering support for these facilities. If a generator or power transformer needs troubleshooting, our electrical engineers will get those calls.  They also support the plants themselves.”

“I’ve had great mentors at City Light. They were tremendous assets and helped develop my experience with the utility and the industry. And that’s one thing I’ve tried to do over the years—to provide support and mentorship to our employees. Part of that is to bring new blood into the organization. To teach them, to mentor them, so that when they finish their education they can begin their careers here. It’s been a great success. Many of our students are supervisors, managers and directors, either here or at other utilities. It’s rewarding to see that progression and to see individuals thrive in the industry.”