Powerlines Blog Seattle City Light

Power Lines

News and Updates from Seattle City Light

Seattle City (spot)Light: Brandon Melland

by

Brandon Melland has been at City Light for 13 years. A journeyman lineman, Brandon began his City Light career as part of the pre-apprentice program. “I’m currently in an out-of-class position as the journeyman assigned to Safety, Health and Wellness (JSHaW). It’s my job to work with crews at our service centers and be an advocate to make changes for the better, “Brandon explained. “Each craft – line, network, tech metering and stations – has its own JSHaW representative. I’m assigned to line which is exciting. I get to work with groups like safety and engineering to help push projects forward. I like it quite a bit.”

Brandon grew up in the Mill Creek area and attended Shoreline Community College where he earned an associate’s degree in Arts & Sciences. “I was accepted into the University of Washington and was just about to transfer, but I changed course and applied for the pre-apprentice lineworker program.” He lives in Bothell with his wife Kristal and their two sons, Sean and Brian.

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

“My family and I like to travel. We’ve been to Japan twice and are planning our third trip. It’s an awesome country and has so much great food. We also like going to Canada. Norway and Hawaii are also on our travel list. I also enjoy woodworking. I inherited a bunch of tools and since I like to work with my hands, I started to build things. Nothing too involved, but I built our bed frame and a few tables.”

“Cooking is popular in our home. My mom and grandma were good cooks, but I didn’t get into it until I started cooking with my wife. She’s a tremendous cook. We do everything – from making our own pasta noodles to baking doughnuts from scratch. I also like to cook fish. My uncles and I take a fishing trip to Alaska just about every year. We visit a town called Soldotna and fish for sockeye salmon along the Kenai River. I like to do nice barbeques with the fish I bring back!”

“I’ve worked in multiple capacities at City Light, from powerline clearance with vegetation management to the docks where we build, maintain and troubleshoot powerlines. I’ve also been involved in different training opportunities. I helped develop our tower rescue program and still do tower rescue. It’s also been fun to work with our apprenticeship team. I’ve participated in some of the outreach efforts where we go to schools and talk to kids about our careers and how being a lineworker is a viable career path. I recently got involved with Grassroots Safety because I care about City Light getting better and safer for the people who work here, myself included. It seems like a good path to make change.”

“I enjoy my work – it’s very satisfying. It’s nice to see a project through completion; to see the results of your labor. Storm work is also very satisfying. It’s the most fun because people are happy to see you for a change! Most of the time, we’re either invisible, in the way or turning off people’s power. But with storm, we’re everyone’s best friend…their heroes…because we’re restoring power. And those reactions are fun.”

City Light Completes Streetlight Infrastructure Upgrades in Shelby-Hamlin

by Leave a Comment

Seattle City Light continues to improve customer safety by converting streetlights in our service area from high-pressure sodium lights to energy-efficient light emitting diodes, or LEDs. The new LED lights support visibility and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.

This past fall, contracted crews completed a six-month project to replace an aging streetlight system in the Shelby-Hamlin/Montlake area. Crews replaced the streetlight fixtures, poles and underground infrastructure with updated equipment. The new fixtures were selected, based on community feedback from local residents.


The new streetlight system will provide improved, reliable lighting for the neighborhood. City Light thanks residents and businesses for their patience during construction.

For additional information about this project, and others in your neighborhood, please visit our construction website.

ESCAPE FROM DIABLO: How a Seattle City Light safety film became so much more

by

This story was published originally in the June 2019 issue of Northwest Public Power Association Bulletin Magazine. Please note: positions and titles of contributors may have changed since the time of original publication.

Safety is paramount to our line of work, regardless if you are stationed in an office, a warehouse, or in the field. There are safety protocols for nearly any task or project, and those protocols typically are communicated through staid training videos that often amount to someone reading an instruction manual.

But what if training films were produced like an action movie? What if they opened with a description like this?

It’s a summer morning in Western Washington. A utility right-of-way crew sees a raging fire swallowing the mountainside racing towards a hydroelectric powerhouse. Employees race to evacuate with their loved ones as firefighters battle the flames and protect their beloved community. Will they all evacuate the area in time…safely!?

While this may feel like the trailer of the next summer blockbuster, this actually sets the scene for the opening of an evacuation protocol film produced by Seattle City Light for its Skagit Hydroelectric Project.

In 2017, City Light Videographer Koryn Kennedy and City Light’s Newhalem-Diablo Fire Brigade Chief Cody Watson wanted to make an instructional film for the communities of Diablo (Die-ab-low) and Newhalem. City Light employees, who work at the dams that City Light owns and operates, and their families live in these towns. The goal was to lay out the steps of what to do during an evacuation and they wanted to ensure that it was entertaining, educational, and, most importantly, memorable in a time of crisis.

This idea led to the creation of “Escape from Diablo” (“EFD”), a 12-minute safety film that includes action movie archetypes with Skagit Hydroelectric Project employees serving as the acting talent. The project grew to become more than a film, bringing a community together and transforming a standard safety procedure into something unforgettable.

“Escape From Diablo” Movie Poster

Learning from the past
“EFD,” although funny at times, was inspired by an unprecedented and destructive event: the Goodell Creek Fire. In 2015, lightning struck Ross Mountain in the North Cascades National Park Complex, less than a mile away from the Skagit Hydroelectric Project. The combination of the blaze engulfing the area in flames and the limited amount of aid and resources available put the project at risk. As the fire reached the boundaries of City Light’s facilities, the utility evacuated all of its employees and residents, along with visitors to the area.

The utility and its Newhalem-Diablo Fire Brigade also provided support for the surrounding resorts, national park centers, and small towns within the area. It took nearly 20 days to contain the fire even with the support of 300 volunteer firefighters. All told, the fire burned more than 8,000 acres and cost the utility $2.2 million in damages, response, and labor, along with $900,000 of power purchases and generation loss. Thankfully, no significant injuries were reported.

“The Goodell Creek Fire became a jarring reminder that wildfires in Western Washington, which were unheard of, were now a present threat to our region,” said Watson. “Following the fire, we established evacuation procedures, so both City Light employees and residents of Diablo and Newhalem know what to do in the event of an emergency.”

The Goodell Creek Fire approaching the Skagit Hydroelectric Project

Lights, camera, action!
Kennedy had her work cut out for her. She was the director, producer and entire production team of “EFD,” with occasional support from an intern or colleague willing to hold a boom mic. Most of the footage needed to be filmed at the Skagit Hydroelectric Project, roughly 130 miles northeast of her office in Seattle, and she had to coordinate the cast of 20 City Light employees. Nevertheless, filming took place over a few months and garnered more excitement with each shoot.

“EFD” is set during a fire similar to the Goodell Creek Fire that’s approaching Newhalem and Diablo. With little time to act, the City Light employees implement the new evacuation plan created by Watson and his team. Each scene goes through the procedure step by step with intermittent pauses to define critical terms typed out on the screen. Finally, the community evacuates the area safely because they followed protocol even if at times it may have been easier to cut corners. “EFD” closes with Watson (the protagonist in the Aviator sunglasses and fake mustache) explaining that the film was created to provide a visual element for their plan.

Along with its instructional aspect, “EFD” was written with a niche audience in mind: the tight-knit community of Skagit Hydroelectric Project employees who are not just coworkers but neighbors and friends. Kennedy ensured that “EFD” honored that community. With that in mind, the film includes a myriad of inside jokes suggested by the employees/actors explicitly meant for the community while still being funny to a larger audience. It was authentic, lighthearted, and never lost sight of the seriousness of the subject at hand.

“I believe there are three things that connect people: humor, cultural references, and people they know,” Kennedy explained. “‘Escape from Diablo’ is fun to watch because it’s not taking the subject lightly. Instead, it uses humor and the target audience is in on the joke. The actors were willing to be a little campy because they care so much about their community. They want to make sure that everyone remembers what to do when disaster strikes.”

Koryn Kennedy and Chris Armstrong introducing
“Escape from Diablo” at the Concrete Theatre

Taking “Escape from Diablo” to the big screen
With “EFD” in the can, Kennedy and Watson were ready for its debut. But how can a film of its magnitude just be relegated to a YouTube channel only to be referenced occasionally? A film like this called for a premiere. That’s when Kennedy and Watson brought in Chris Armstrong, City Light’s senior outreach and engagement specialist, to help organize the Baker Street Block Party, a community event in Concrete, Wash., near the Skagit Hydroelectric Project. Armstrong worked on premiering the film at the block party and providing the surrounding communities with an opportunity to connect with City Light and local emergency management agencies in a unique way.

“This might be the first event I’ve planned that was over 100 miles away,” Armstrong said, laughing. “City Light’s Communications team doesn’t work or live in the area, but our employees do. We turned to them for guidance regularly to find out who we needed to connect with locally. Engaging with those stakeholders was vital to ensure that it wasn’t just a team from Seattle trying to put on an event. Having advocates who grew up in that community was crucial.”

Early on, the City Light team connected with Valerie Stafford, the owner of the Concrete Theatre and president of the Concrete Chamber of Commerce. She loved the idea of a premiere and was happy to connect the community with City Light.

On a warm July night in 2018, “EFD” was ready for its premiere at the Baker Street Block Party. The party included a “touch-a-truck” with emergency vehicles of all kinds for the kids, safety tips from local agencies for the parents, and a time for the utility to connect with its neighbors. The event also included a display describing the Goodell Creek Fire, and even Smokey Bear made an appearance. The premiere included two showings of the film at the Concrete Theatre followed by panel discussions with local emergency management officials and a climatologist from the University of Washington to discuss current protocols and the increasing threat of wildfires in the area due to climate change.

The sold-out crowds loved the film. They cheered for their coworkers on screen, laughed at the inside jokes, and asked specific questions to find out how they could prepare in case of an emergency.

“The local community was impressed that City Light put so much effort into bringing such a fun and informative event to our area,” said Stafford. “To have a few hundred people attend an event like this is huge and speaks to what it meant to our community.”

The Concrete Theatre in Concrete, Wash.

Reaching the communities your utility impacts
Like other utilities, City Light operates in communities outside of its service territory. Though opportunities to connect directly with these communities at this level may be rare, it’s essential to identify them as they arise to provide a potentially lasting impact while fostering new relationships.

For Jenny Levesque, City Light’s community outreach manager, even though communities like those near the Skagit Hydroelectric Project aren’t City Light customers, the utility’s presence is apparent and affects their lives.

“It’s important to be aware of the impact we have in these communities and for them to know that they are appreciated,” Levesque explained. “The event in Concrete was an opportunity for us to connect with our employees while giving back to the local community.”

Since the “EFD” premiere and Baker Street Block Party, the event has been recognized as a best practice for utilities and public safety agencies alike. It has been referenced at conferences and is still a topic of conversation throughout City Light. At its core, “EFD” exemplifies City Light’s value of safety and to ensure that standard operating procedures are followed during a catastrophe.

“Any project that aligns and promotes your utility’s values should be embraced and celebrated,” said Faz Kasraie, City Light’s generation operations and engineering director who helped champion the project. “The film and the event never lost sight of the importance that we value the lives of our employees, their families, and their communities.”

Elementary Students Experience Nature Through City Light’s “Homeward Bound” Field Trip

by

City Light employees from various divisions completed its fifteenth year of the “Homeward Bound” field trip on Oct. 15. This program gives fifth-graders from Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in south Seattle an opportunity to learn how to read maps and use compasses, witness the return of salmon to local rivers, and learn about natural sciences. We are intentional about offering the program to schools where at least 95% of the students attending are students of color.

Students learning about the Salmon along the Cedar River

Part of the participation in this program includes their teachers using the Land and Water Curriculum, a set of lessons designed by the National Science Resources Center to teach students the story of how the earth formed and how it continues to change. The goal is to give these students, many who have not had field experiences, an opportunity to walk trails, and to learn about rivers, fish and the use of maps and compasses. We hope that at least one child realizes that natural sciences are exciting and that there are job opportunities that can include many of the skills learned that day. Observing and touching (with gloves) salmon carcasses was again a hit with the students.

Students and City Light employees working together

The field trip takes place on the Cedar River at Ron Regis Park near Renton. Staff who participated included Liz Ablow, Meg Andres, Hina Arai, Dave Beedle, Kristin Cappellano, Nida Cayetano, Tim Croll, Sarah Hartwell, Paul Haase, Denise Krownbell, Kathryn Mork, Kiyomi Morris, Julianna Ross, Melissa Skelton and Hannah Staples. Thanks to the Customer Energy Solutions group for the giveaways of rulers, pens, and flashlights-greatly appreciated by the kids and the teachers!

Seattle City (spot)Light: Armand Shahbazian

by

Armand Shahbazian joined Seattle City Light in 2015 as an intern in Network Services Engineering. He continued his work in Street Light Engineering and was later hired on the Distribution Services Engineering team. He recently accepted a new position back in Streetlight Engineering! “I’ll be working on new capital improvement projects throughout the city,” Armand explained. “Installing new street lighting on the waterfront and re-doing some of the lighting on 23rd Avenue in South Seattle. One of our group’s larger projects is the installation of 5G antennas on streetlight poles. I’m going to be super busy!”

Growing up in Bellevue, Armand moved a short distance to attend college at Seattle University where he studied electrical engineering. “I just finished my first quarter back at Seattle U where I’m pursuing my master’s degree in public administration!”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Armand shares how he found City Light, his role at the utility, and range of exciting hobbies.

Armand enjoying one of his favorite activities!

“When I was in undergrad, I applied to a scholarship through the American Public Power Association. I was selected and part of the requirement was to meet with a sponsoring utility that happened to be City Light. I met the director of Energy Delivering Engineering which is pretty much the team that I work with now! I shadowed the director for a little bit and it really piqued my interest in the utility.”

“Thankfully all of my positions have meshed together in a way. I interned with Network Service Engineering which covers all of downtown Seattle’s services. One of my biggest projects was working on the machines that freeze the soil for the seawall construction. It was so cool seeing the impact of my work! Street Light engineering covers City Light’s entire service territory so having the network experience was very helpful because we had to use similar resources. It was super nice to have that background. In distribution, I connect people to our grid but in a different system.”

“I’m super pumped for my new position! It’s a lot of plan reviewing. When there are large capital projects, businesses have to apply for a permit from SDOT and City Light reviews the plans. We make sure that they’re going to build something to our standards and regulations.”

“I really love to ride motorcycles! I do that whenever the weather is nice, so in the Northwest, that’s basically spring and summer. I also enjoy going camping and backpacking. I try to take six camping trips per year along with one to two backpacking excursions. I’ve traveled to Canada a lot this year and have really enjoyed exploring the area. I still need to visit Banff National Park. That’s on the bucket list for sure! Surprisingly, I haven’t done much in Washington yet. I’ve done more international traveling up to this point, but I definitely need to see more of the United States. Last year I took a trip to Boston and rented a car to just drive around and state hop along the coast (Maine, New Hampshire, etc.). It was so beautiful!”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Nicole Schultz

by

Nicole Schultz has worked at City Light since 2011, but her City career began in 1997 as an intern for Seattle Police Department (SPD). She continued with the City by joining Seattle Municipal Court in 2001 and then the Mayor’s Office in 2002. She is now a Senior Marketing Strategist on the Communications Team where she’s served the past eight years. “My main focus is marketing conservation programs to our residential customer base,” Nicole explained. “My work covers a plethora of topics like energy efficiency, how to lower your bill, ways to save energy, different types of technologies like appliances, lighting, solar and our Green-Up program.”

Nicole was born and raised in Seattle. “I’ve lived in the Seattle and Shoreline area pretty much my whole life,” Nicole shared. A true local, Nicole attended Edmonds Community College before transferring to the University of Washington where she majored in Sociology. She recently moved to Lake Forest Park with her son Jackson and two dogs, Buddy and Swayze.

In this week’s (spot)Light, she talks about her community, her role at City Light and shares her favorite hobbies.

“Before getting into marketing, I wanted to be a police officer. I minored in Society Injustice and one of the requirements was to have an internship. So, I interned at SPD in the Crime Survivor Unit. I loved it so much that after my internship was complete, I stayed on as a volunteer for three years!”

“I love to golf. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I go to Alta Lake Golf Resort as much as I can. My dad is the one who got me into golf – he was the golfer. When I was ten years old, he would sneak me into the Jackson Park Golf Course. That’s how I learned, and I became hooked. I take my son Jackson golfing, too. He can play an 18-hole golf course!”

“I’m also very active in my community. I’ve been involved with the Shoreline Little League for many years and currently serve as the president. After my term is up, I plan to stay on the board. I love the community. It’s so much fun watching Jackson and his team. I also love to gamble and going to casinos. I’ve been lucky and have had two big wins on scratch tickets!”

“I’m big on family and spend almost all my time with Jackson. He’s the main reason for everything I do. In fact, one of my rituals is to take a quick walk to Jackson Street. It’s reminds me why I’m here and provides me with a sense of gratitude. It reminds me to be grateful for where I am and is motivation to keep on going. It works out since I also love to exercise and try to move as much as I can!”

“One thing I’ve always liked about my job is that I’m always learning. It’s constantly evolving because we must keep up with new technologies. But it’s more than knowing the new gadget on the market. It’s also about keeping up with best practices and understanding how the industry is operating and functioning. And people always want to save money! A huge part of my job is telling our customers how they can save money. So, it’s not a hard thing to talk about.”



City Light Continues Lynnwood Link Wire Relocations on I-5

by

Seattle City Light crews plan to relocate existing overhead power lines over Interstate 5 near Northeast 189th and 195th streets to support Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link Extension project. This work will result in traffic impacts on October 22-25.

Crews will relocate existing overhead power lines over Interstate 5 in mid-to-late October.

To complete this work safely, Washington State Patrol troopers and contracted crews must intermittently conduct rolling slowdowns of traffic in both directions of I-5 to ensure safe work operations and passage for motorists. Traffic will be intercepted and escorted at slow speeds for up to 15 minutes between Lynnwood and north Seattle as crews pull overhead feeder cables across the highway. Traffic will return to normal speeds once past the work area.

Rolling Slowdown Limits on I-5

Rolling slowdowns will occur on the following dates:

  • Tuesday night (11:59 p.m.), October 22 to Wednesday morning (4 a.m.), October 23
  • Wednesday night (11:59 p.m.), October 23 to Thursday morning (4 a.m.), October 24
  • Thursday night (11:59 p.m.), October 24 to Friday morning (4 a.m.), October 25

Traffic using the following on-ramps to I-5 will be affected:

  • On southbound I-5: I-405 Interchange, 196th Street Southwest, 44th Avenue West (Lynnwood), 220th Street Southwest, 236th Street Southwest (Mountlake Terrace), State Route 104 (Shoreline)
  • On northbound I-5: Northeast 175th Street, 5th Avenue Northeast (Shoreline), Northeast Northgate Way, Northeast 80th Street (Seattle)

Drivers should expect delays and consider using alternate routes during construction. Real-time traffic information is available on the WSDOT mobile app and the WSDOT Traffic Twitter feed.

For more information on Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link Extension project, which will extend light rail into south Snohomish County and serve stations in Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood, please visit www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/lynnwood-link-extension or seattle.gov/light/atwork.

Haunted Concrete: Exploring the Community’s Creepy Past

by

Near City Light’s Skagit Hydroelectric Project stands Concrete, Wash., population: 729. Its earliest settlers can be traced back to the 1890s, and through an influx of industries (including, of course, a cement production), Concrete was set to be the metropolis of Skagit County. Over time, jobs came and went; the lumber industry tapered off, mining dissolved and the cement plant closed.
But the one thing that never left were the people – dead or alive.

Valerie Stafford, owner of the Concrete Theatre, grew up in Concrete. After moving around Washington, she and her husband returned and purchased the Concrete Theatre.

While vacationing in Georgia, Valerie attended multiple ghost tours out of curiosity. When she came home, she questioned if Concrete itself had any ghostly inhabitance.

“I am not particularly susceptible to paranormal experiences” Valerie explains. “I don’t know what to think about people coming back to haunt an area, but after spending time in the theatre alone, I have come to believe.”

The Concrete Theatre on Main Street

“I decided to go door to door to all of the businesses on Main Street to ask them if they thought their buildings were haunted. I was amazed by how many people told me that they had had some paranormal experience or had at least heard stories. However, nobody was scared. Instead, many took that as part of what you got with the structures – most of the buildings had ghosts in them.”

After doing her research and connecting with people around Concrete, Valerie decided to organize the first Concrete Ghost Walk.

“When we advertised it, I didn’t think that anyone would show up, but to my surprise, we had 20 to 30 attendees. I was stunned to see that many people interested in the ghosts of Concrete! We’ve been doing it ever since.”

On the walks, Valerie shares some of her own personal spooky experiences.

“For a while, I was scared to drive home at night after a Ghost Walk,” she explained. “I would drive past the buildings in the dark and couldn’t help but think about what had happened in some of them.”

Sometimes, strange things even happened during the walks from flickering streetlights to issues with technology.  

“We’ve had people tell us that in certain spots, their watches stopped working or they can’t get their phones to work. One year we had a black cat follow us through the whole town, it was bizarre. People also see unexplainable things in the shadows.”

A group on the Concrete Ghost Walk

The frights go beyond just the Ghost Walk. “I have had so many weird and unexplainable experiences in the Theatre. One night, people thought they saw orbs and that their seats were vibrating for no reason.”

Valerie herself has had close encounters with paranormal activity, as well. She shares some of them during the Ghost Walk.

“I have had things brush up against my arm or thought there was someone standing beside me while sitting in the balcony. There are plenty of other weird things that I just can’t explain.”

After all the nonhuman interactions Valerie has experienced, she says that she is never scared to go back to the Theatre.

“After talking to so many people on Main Street about the ghosts in their buildings, we’ve concluded that these ghosts have no intention of harming us. We don’t believe that they are threatening or evil; we think of them as people that loved Concrete so much that they never wanted to leave!”

One of the young volunteers depicting a young girl who has yet to leave Concrete…

The Ghost Walk is a highlight of the spooky season in Concrete, but don’t be fooled; they are not intentionally meant to scare participants or convince them that ghosts exist.

“The walks let you see, meet and hear the stories of the people that used to live there. We share these stories so people can learn why these buildings are haunted. People come from all over, and they have so much fun!” Valerie exclaims.

The 90-minute Ghost Walk is offered at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. every Saturday night in October. Tickets can only be purchased online at https://ghostwalk.bpt.me/. Valerie suggests that attendees be 16 or older to attend the tour. Those with any mobility issues may need to make other arrangements.

The Concrete community offers a variety of unique events year-round! Learn more at concrete-wa.com/.

WOMEN IN POWER: How Seattle City Light’s Employees Came Together to Empower

by

This story was published originally in the March 2019 issue of Northwest Public Power Association Bulletin Magazine. Please note: positions and titles of contributors may have changed since the time of original publication.

On ladders L-R: Shaina Cornelius and Koryn Kennedy. Standing L-R: Rachel Berry, Kim Kinney, Leigh Barreca, Maura Brueger, Sarah Davis, Lea Fisher, Paula Laschober, Liz Zimmerly, Debra Smith, Katheryn Mork, Uzma Siddiqi, and Deloris Marks. Seated L-R: Bianca Smith, Hina Arai, Stefanie Johnson, Courtney Adams, Michelle Vargo, and Joan Woods.
Photo credit: Fischer Wallace, Swae Photography.

It started with an idea.
For Seattle City Light’s Sarah Davis, the idea stemmed from attending a Women in Energy conference in 2016. She left the event excited, hoping to return home and find a group to join that focused on empowering women. But after a little reflection, instead of joining a group, better yet, why not start something together with other employees at City Light? After emails and casual hallway conversations, the idea of creating a group at City Light with her coworkers began to take shape. As it turned out, others shared the same interest, felt the same need, and had the same energy around the idea. The idea was simple: create a positive space to empower women (and men) at City Light.

In January 2017, these conversations converged, and Women in Power (WIP) held its first official meeting. The energy in the room was exhilarating and full of possibilities. This meeting established an employee group that has become a champion for equity and has positively impacted people from all divisions across the utility. Today, Women in Power has more than 200 members, consisting of both women and men, and focuses work in three areas: bimonthly meetings; a mentoring program; and Citywide events addressing topics such as gender equity, diversity, and inclusion. WIP’s mission is to foster professional development, better support one another, and address unique issues women face in the workplace. As an employee group, WIP currently doesn’t have a budget, so programming operates solely on members volunteering their time. Based on the work WIP has accomplished, it has garnered support from a large portion of City Light’s executives, directors, and employees.

Seattle takes notice
WIP’s influence in Seattle reached a new level on March 8, 2018, International Women’s Day. Members of WIP and employees from across other City of Seattle departments organized Women in Power: Press for Progress, an event to connect, discuss, and celebrate powerful women working for the City. More than 450 people attended the event (both physically and virtually) at Seattle City Hall inside the Bertha Knight Landes Room, aptly named after Seattle’s first female mayor.

Female City of Seattle leaders, including Mayor Jenny Durkan, Chief of Police Carmen Best, four of Seattle’s six female councilmembers, and City Light representatives participated in panels that addressed the importance of mentorship, being heard, and how to become an agent of change within one’s environment.

The members of WIP were thrilled with not only the turnout but the energy of the event from beginning to end. It was contagious. It embodied what could be accomplished when working together around an idea fueled by passion and vision.

Seattle Department of Transportation Facilities Manager Holly Krejci was instrumental in organizing the event. She connected the organizers with the right resources and helped them navigate the City systems to make this event a reality. It all happened because of a conversation she had with Davis while ordering coffee.

“We didn’t actually know each other, but Sarah had this idea about organizing an International Women’s Day event, and I said, ‘Why not?’” Krejci described.

The event laid the groundwork for the creation of SDOT’s women’s group, Women in Motion, thanks to a little encouragement from Davis. Similar to WIP’s origins, Krejci reached out to SDOT employees to gauge interest, including co-chair, Jessica Alinen. After a few interest meetings and email exchanges, Women in Motion was formed. Today, it has established committees with plans to expand, on a trajectory like WIP. The key to success is determining interest and then finding talented, organized people to make it take flight.

“We’re here to support one another,” Alinen explained. “People are drawn to others who have a passion and energy for an issue. Holly brought that to Women in Motion. As members, we are there to support that passion and nurture it into something special.”

WIP Mentorship Program Cohort

The Women in Power Mentorship Program
WIP attempts to better serve the needs of its City Light colleagues by creating meaningful programs. When someone has an idea and identifies a need, the group encourages them to take the lead and make it happen. Liz Zimmerly, performance support services manager and a WIP vice-chair, and Anna Kim, power resource planner, did just that. Zimmerly and Kim wanted to create a mentorship program that connected employees and enhanced the professional development of the mentor and the mentee. Together, they led a committee of 12 members who developed and managed the program. The six-month pilot launched in early 2018 and included an application process to identify potential matches, multiple events with the cohort, and surveys to better assess the program.

The committee’s work provided these women with an opportunity to utilize and enhance skills outside of their current job description. Professional development for both the cohort and the committee is promoted throughout WIP’s structure and processes. It benefits both the individual and the utility.

“The mentorship program felt like something tangible that we could do to support women’s professional development,” said Zimmerly. “We felt creating our program here along with the other opportunities available within the industry would make mentorship accessible to even more people.”

Based on the success of the pilot, the mentoring program is launching its second cohort. This year, interest was so great that applications exceeded capacity and a waiting list had to be created.

Kathleen Wingers, the executive administrative staff assistant to City Light’s CFO and a program participant, believes the mentorship program created an opportunity to connect with another coworker on a personal level in a way she couldn’t have otherwise.

“What I have appreciated most is the opportunity to build a relationship with someone that I otherwise would not have met in the utility,” Wingers explained. “My mentor and I enjoyed sharing our experiences, both professionally and, in our case, as working moms.”

Creating connections
It’s common for employees to feel as if they don’t have inclusive spaces to discuss potentially sensitive topics or defined channels to connect with others outside of their business unit. The survey results from the mentorship program confirmed what WIP members had already theorized: City Light employees, especially women, were searching for ways to connect with each another. It quickly became apparent that WIP had the potential not only to empower but to help break down the proverbial silos that most organizations have.

WIP’s bimonthly meetings have become an open space to connect and learn. Usually held over the noon hour, meetings are lunch-and-learn style that highlight a speaker and address topics like equity and inclusion, communication styles, and development resources available to employees with speakers ranging from executives to HR representatives. The topics are typically sourced from members, keeping the organic fluidity that reflects WIP’s culture.

Organizing a group around an idea the way WIP has, independent of the utility, provides an opportunity to grow at a sustainable rate. Like the larger Citywide events that WIP spearheaded with other departments, it hopes to continue to link both women and men together across the utility by making it less opaque.

Stefanie Johnson, a senior power analyst and WIP vice chair, believes the connections WIP has created have become invaluable for her job. “Like many employees, I only interface with people in a limited number of roles at the utility,” said Johnson. “Being involved with WIP has allowed me to build a more complete understanding of the utility and to develop professional connections that I can call on when I run into a question or an issue in my work.”

Cover Image from March 2019 issue of NWPPA Bulletin
Back row L-R: Uzma Siddiqi, Liz Zimmerly, and Sarah Davis. Front row L-R: Shaina Cornelius, Joan Woods, Bianca Smith, Stefanie Johnson, and Koryn Kennedy.
Photo credit: Fischer Wallace, Swae Photography.

Executive championship
While WIP is a grassroots employee group, executive support was essential. From the beginning, they received support from City Light leaders, largely through participation. This show of support was especially visible leading up to the 2018 International Women’s Day event when executive leadership, driven by Interim General Manager and CEO Jim Baggs, allowed City Light employees to attend the event without having to use personal or vacation time.

“The group has worked hard to operate in a way that fosters strong positive relationships with our leadership to make supporting the work we’re doing possible,” said Davis. “We are an employee group, but we’re part of the utility. We have wonderfully supportive leadership at City Light, but we also have a responsibility to earn and maintain their trust.”

Participation in WIP by officers and directors is high, with the second WIP meeting consisting of a candid panel discussion by City Light’s three female officers about their experiences in the industry. One of whom was Chief Financial Officer Paula Laschober, who has been with the utility for 32 years. Laschober served as a sounding board and an advocate for WIP, especially in its formative stages. She believes it is her responsibility as a leader to pay it forward by investing in others who want to improve the utility and the industry.

“Women are still a minority in the power industry. In my position, I need to do what I can to encourage other women within the utility,” said Laschober. “Support looks different for everyone, but it can be as simple as a conversation or a gentle nudge in the right direction.”

Power Supply Officer Mike Haynes has also been a strong champion for WIP since its inception. Like many of the employee-led grassroots efforts, he feels that groups like WIP can fill a gap within the utility and can become a vital resource in the future. Haynes believes that executive leadership should be present in its support and should go beyond showing up by actively engaging.

“It’s easy for executives in my position to forget how impactful our support can be. What we’ve learned as officers is that sponsoring bottom-up initiatives like WIP, even if they are not officially tied to the utility, can pay dividends in the future. It enhances our culture,” Haynes said. “As executives, we are responsible for creating an environment where our employees will succeed. We owe it to our employees to foster that healthy environment. If we’re intentional about supporting these issues, we can proactively work together and provide the support they deserve. That way, we can celebrate that work.”

Since assuming her role as general manager and CEO of City Light, Debra Smith has spoken at a WIP bi-monthly meeting and has engaged with its members. “I attended my first ‘Women in Power’ event more than 15 years ago in Washington, D.C. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of participating in similar industry groups, all with a common purpose. I was fortunate to have strong mentors along my career path—some women but also men—and I know the importance of being encouraged by both colleagues and leaders,” she explained. “Grassroots groups, like Women in Power, are especially important because even as its members support one another, they also provide opportunities for personal empowerment,” she continued. “Sarah is a great example of someone who saw a need and made it happen. I’m proud to work with people who understand that it’s our job to create the environment and culture where we can all succeed.”

Providing support
How do men fit into Women in Power? For some, it may seem daunting, or frankly feel awkward to join a group like WIP. They may want to get involved, but don’t know where to start or how to show support. WIP is open to all City Light employees regardless of what gender you identify with and believes that change can only be achieved when everyone is part of the conversation.

“It’s the idea that we support each other,” said Uzma Siddiqi, automation and relay supervisor and mentorship committee co-chair. “It doesn’t need to be just about women or men, but a group who is open in their thinking and supports each other in hopes that it will impact the culture of the organization.”

It’s important to be supportive in your daily work environment as well. It can be eye-opening to take a step back to think about issues that your female colleagues may be facing. Analyzing your work through this lens of thinking can improve how you interact with your coworkers and possibly create spaces to address the challenges they are facing.

“Support can take all different forms,” Davis explained. “A great first step is simply asking ‘How can I help?’ Sometimes it’s as easy as spreading the word to your coworkers or showing up to an event. While it may feel small to you, demonstrating your support speaks volumes to the larger group.”

Organizing your own group
If you were to ask anyone within WIP about how to start a group like theirs, they would all emphatically state that their method is a model, not the model. There are other great examples of employee groups like WIP across the region, each with their own unique structure and origin. Regardless, WIP wants to serve as a resource to women and men across all utilities. These are a few tips to help form your own group.

1. Start with a common goal and grow
WIP started with an idea, but it took working together and utilizing everyone’s talents to help it take shape. The first meetings won’t be perfect, but something as simple as watching a TED Talk can initiate a conversation and open the channels of communication. As your group begins to grow, don’t be afraid to try new things. Give your group the latitude to try something and decide whether it’s worth doing again. The Mentorship Program was intentionally a pilot program for this reason. Be supportive of your members and their ideas.

2. Provide options
When a group is voluntary people aren’t showing up because they have to, they’re showing up because they want to. Provide something for everyone by offering comprehensive programming and a wide menu of options to support varying levels of engagement and interests. Additionally, keep member registration simple. There’s no formal initiation ceremony to join WIP; all it takes is an email to WIP’s Programming Vice-Chair and City Light Program Lead Bianca Smith to be added to their listserv. She encourages other groups to use members as a resource for meeting topics. “Listen to what your members want,” she said. “What’s missing? What barriers are you facing? What skills do you want to learn? Be receptive to that. Show what your utility can offer you in a more comfortable setting to receive this information. We intentionally keep it informal and honest.” If you have members who want to be more involved in the leadership of the group, encourage them to apply skills that may be outside of their daily work. This gives them the opportunity to enhance their talents while being involved, benefiting both themselves and the group.

3. Look for opportunities to connect
With more than 1,800 employees and multiple facilities across the state, it is a challenge to ensure that everyone who wants to be involved can. WIP has live-streamed some of its events and is working to make all its bi-monthly meetings available through Skype. This will help provide another avenue for participation for people working in the field and employees at more remote locations like the hydroelectric projects. While not all utilities are the size of City Light, it’s important to remember that this model can be scaled up or down to any size organization. If you work for a smaller public municipal utility, reach out to your counterparts at other departments like public works or transportation. The more connections you can create expands the conversation and can help grow support for your organization.

This all started with an idea.
Women in Power has become a vehicle for change within City Light and Seattle itself. Its members are proud and even surprised by its progress in only a few years. They hope to continue to help create an inclusive utility culture for all, by working together.

“We’re off to a good start but we have the ability to do more, especially around intersectionality and women in the trades,” said Davis. “But together, we can. This group is a true testament to the simplistic beauty inherent in teamwork. Everyone plays a role; everyone has something to contribute. You just have to decide what that looks like for you, and then take action.”

Seattle City Light receives Save America’s Treasures grant for rehabilitation of Georgetown Steam Plant

by

Award is one of 41 distributed by National Park Service, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Humanities

Seattle City Light has received a $500,000 Save America’s Treasures grant for the rehabilitation of the exterior historic concrete of the Georgetown Steam Plant, a 113-year old National Historic Landmark, the National Park Service (NPS) announced. This work will extend the building’s life, protect priceless early era electrical equipment and allow more public use than currently programmed.

“We thank the National Park Service, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Humanities for recognizing the historic importance of the Georgetown Steam Plant, which represents an important development in the early history of electrification in the United States,” said Lynn Best, City Light Chief Environmental Officer. “This funding will support City Light’s efforts to rehabilitate this building and protect the significant historic resources inside including the two vertical Curtis turbine generators.”

The Georgetown Steam Plant, a National Historic Landmark, stands today as a reminder of the era of electrification of America’s cities and a time when industry was first attracted to Seattle by its inexpensive hydroelectric power and electric trolley car system. Built in 1906-1907 by the Seattle Electric Company, the plant was purchased in 1951 by the City of Seattle Department of Lighting – today’s Seattle City Light – which continued to operate the plant on a very limited basis, until the 1970s. In recent years, City Light has been working to restore the plant and has partnered with community volunteers to staff the open houses held each month.

The Save America’s Treasures grant will help fund work to halt the deterioration of the plant’s exterior concrete by removing multiple paint layers and repairing the historic concrete to stabilize the building envelope. This is part of a larger phased rehabilitation project that includes repairs to the windows, doors and a new roof. Other project funding comes from 4Culture, Washington State Historical Society’s Heritage Capital Projects program and City Light.

Since October 2014, City Light has opened the steam plant one Saturday a month from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for free public tours, which have proven very popular, attracting over 7,000 visitors within these limited hours. Private tours are regularly provided to local community, professional, and educational groups, across a range of ages from children at the Museum of Flight Aerospace Camp Experience and the Seattle World School (public school serving new immigrants), to organizations for seniors. The local artistic community has brought an additional audience to the steam plant through a variety of projects, including the production of an original play, in-house artist residencies, an interpretive dance performance, small concerts and several film productions. The rehabilitation work will ensure continued public use for tours and expanded programming guided by a recently established Georgetown Steam Plant Advisory Committee. 

About the Save America’s Treasures program

The NPS, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), awarded $12.6 million in 41 matching grants to support the preservation of nationally significant historic properties and collections through the Save America’s Treasures program.

“Save America’s Treasures helps preserve nationally significant historic properties and collections that convey our nation’s rich heritage to future generations of Americans,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “This $12.6 million in funding will leverage more than $22 million in private and public investment for preservation and conservation projects without spending taxpayers’ money.”

The Federal Save America’s Treasures program was established in 1998, and is carried out in partnership with IMLS, NEA, and NEH with the objective of preserving nationally significant historic properties and museum collections for future generations of Americans to experience, learn from, and enjoy. For more information about the grants and the Save America’s Treasures Program, please visit http://go.nps.gov/sat.

About Seattle City Light

Established in 1910, Seattle City Light is the City of Seattle’s municipally owned electric utility. City Light owns and operates seven hydroelectric power plants in Washington state, two of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Seattle Municipal Light and Power Plant (aka Cedar Falls) and the Skagit River and Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Projects. With more than 109 years of service, Seattle City Light is dedicated to producing and delivering environmentally responsible, safe, low-cost, and reliable power while also respecting our heritage and managing numerous historic resources to tell our story.