Maneet Jain has been at City Light for 14 years but began his City career 23 years ago. “When I started working at the City, I was in the Parks department. I really enjoyed it; in fact, that’s where I met my wife!” Maneet shared. “Opportunity brought me to City Light. I wanted to apply my degree and there was room for growth.” Maneet is part of Transmission and Distribution Operations (T&D Ops.) where he manages two work groups: field operators and planning and scheduling.

Maneet was born and raised in Seattle. “My family lived in Licton Springs, right by the North Service Center,” Maneet said. “I have fond memories walking to the service center and paying the bill with my dad.” He graduated with a degree in business management from the University of Washington and lives in Edmonds with his wife Kelly and their two daughters, Meena and Nyla.  

In this week’s (spot)Light, Maneet talks about his career at the City and family time.

“We’re a big Husky family. We go to lots of games and events – trying to breed that pride young! We keep busy on the weekends with all sorts of activities. There’s always something to do! I coach my daughter’s basketball team. We get outdoors and try new hikes. Our favorite getaway is the Oregon coast, particularly Manzanita and Cannon Beach. We love to hang there and just veg out. I also want to take them up to Skagit and check out that north loop.”

“My dad worked for Parks. He retired last year after 20+ years of service. I’ve always been around public service. I was part of the City’s summer youth employment program. I worked at the community centers and helped run the basketball and youth programs. I later moved on to grounds maintenance – that helped me pay for college! After that, I joined City Light’s Customer Care team where I worked for twelve years in different capacities. Things like credit and service representative (both electrical and customer), meter reading, technical metering operations, streetlights, LED engineering and capital improvement projects.”

“The last two years I’ve managed three groups in T&D Ops. The field operators at the System Operations Center are our first responders; the eyes and ears for our dispatchers. They let the dispatchers know what’s going on and troubleshoot things like flickering lights and car pole accidents. I also managed civil construction for the utility, both in the city and at our hydro facilities. Basically, any infrastructure that needs to be put in place. Lastly, I manage planning and scheduling. We plan and schedule work load, so we can meet our customers’ demands and expectations.”

“I fell into management. I attended UW as a civil engineering student but switched majors after taking a few business classes. I like being part of the solution, but I also like working with others and getting their perspective. I do a lot of that at City Light. I work with cross-functional teams and gather input from different backgrounds and disciplines. I really like our service work and problem solving. It’s been amazing to have had a variety of roles and responsibilities. I’ve enjoyed it. Not to mention, the camaraderie you build working with different people across the organization.”

Kyler Flores has been at City Light for more than five years. He first joined the utility as an intern and was later recruited by his former colleagues to return as part of the Distribution Mapping Team. “I supervise the Looped Radial Distribution Mapping Team,” Kyler said. “There are eight people on my team. They’re located at our service centers, Seattle Municipal Tower and the System Control Center.”

Born and raised in Washington state, Kyler attended Edmonds Community College and the Universal Technical Institute for Automotive Technology before graduating from Seattle University with a degree in civil engineering. “At Seattle University the motto is to develop the whole person, because of that, it is required to take courses on Ethics, Philosophy, and Theology,” Kyler shared. These courses gave me a broader perspective on how my actions affect the environment, people, and communities and I’m grateful I had to take them.

In this week’s (spot)Light, Kyler talks about his family and life at City Light.

“I live in Everett with my wife Kirn and two children Mata (two years old) and Suhavee (five months old). I like to enjoy the moments I have with my family, especially my kids since they grow and change so quickly. I play soccer on Sundays in a league in Everett. I actually played soccer for two years at Edmonds Community College. I also love to read and watch anything Sci-Fi. Frank Herbert is my hero.”

“An internship is what first attracted me to City Light. It was posted as an electrical, mechanical and civil co-op. A year into it, I found out there were no mechanical or civil aspects! What kept me around were my colleagues and the challenge of learning about the utility and its systems, applications and procedures. The same notion brought me back to City Light, but the second time around there was an updated Geographic Information System (GIS). There were opportunities to streamline processes and supply our internal and external customers with information they had been needing and requesting.”

“My team has many responsibilities. We maintain the as-built electrical model of the Looped Radial Distribution System in GIS; maintain overhead and underground structures and transformers in Work and Asset Management (WAMS); maintain transformer to customer connectivity and underground drawings and respond to general requests for maps. The data we maintain is seen in City Light’s quarter section maps, Advanced Grid Analytics, Outage Management System, CurrentView, WAMS, and Customer Care and Billing. Currently, I’m reviewing our processes and focusing on improvements and efficiencies, so we can meet customer needs.”

“I enjoy the people at City Light. I believe people are genuine about their commitment to provide a quality product to our customer-owner and it’s contagious. I also enjoy the challenge. Things have been done a certain way at City Light for many, many years – no matter the division. With new technology, there’s an opportunity to change our processes, to maintain data that has not been previously maintained, and to provide additional information in a user-friendly way to our internal and external customers. It’s challenging to reach across well-established silos to convince others to do things differently. But I believe it’s worth the effort because in the long run, we’ll be able to provide a higher quality product to our customer-owners.”

Hillary Winchester celebrates five years at City Light this month. She has always been part of the Joint Use Engineering group, but recently started a new role as a Strategic Advisor on the Customer Experience Improvement Team. “In Joint Use I was an Associate Electrical Engineer where I reviewed and engineered application requirements, handled process updates and consultant work,” Hillary explained. “I loved it but am also excited to support the utility’s strategic initiative in my new role; something different!”

Originally from Virginia Beach, Hillary graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science in engineering and a minor in mathematics. “I mostly studied design and environmental engineering, but also took classes that had a sustainability focus,” Hillary said. “In 2018, I completed an MBA with an emphasis in Project Management from City University of Seattle.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, learn about Hillary’s family, her hobbies and her work at City Light.

“I met my husband in college. He was stationed in Virginia but got transferred to Washington state. We had a long-distance relationship and got married two weeks after I graduated! I moved here right away and love it. We live in Lynnwood with our kids, cat and dog and enjoy that we can easily be in the city or the mountains depending on which direction we drive. We do a fair amount of hiking and camping, so it’s nice to be so close to such gorgeous scenery.”

“I love to bake, cook and spend time with my family. My daughters are at an age (3.5 and 1.5 years) where we can play outside, so this year we’ve been visiting new parks every weekend. It’s been a lot of fun. We love being outdoors, even if it’s a quick neighborhood hike or working in our garden. This year we tried cabin camping and my girls had a blast. I also bake cookies for CLEA and often bring treats into the office…if my husband doesn’t claim them all first! I like to bake cakes and macarons but I’m always trying new recipes.”

“Joint Use is a unique body of work. Every job was different and often a challenge. Over the last five years, our program has grown exponentially due to the introduction of 5G to our city. We play an integral role in the implementation process and are constantly evaluating how to make our processes better and more efficient. I’m excited for my new role because I’ll get to work with a part of the utility that is important to me: our customers. The challenge of delivering better experiences for our customers and leveraging new technology will be rewarding.”

“When I moved to Seattle, I kept a close eye on city and county engineering jobs because I liked the idea of working for a public entity. I didn’t know much about City Light before I started working here. I love City Light for a variety of reasons: the people, the emphasis on excellence and the environment, and our commitment to our community. Everyone I meet is passionate about making the utility better and serving our customers in new ways. During my time here, I’ve realized that being part of a public utility is incredibly fulfilling.”

Peter Held has been at City Light for 14.5 years and will retire in early June. He’s part of the Customer Energy Solutions Division where he works as an Energy Conservation Analyst. “I meet with commercial and industrial customers and help them upgrade their old electrical equipment to something more efficient and up-to-date,” he explained.

Born and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota, it was his service in the Navy that introduced him to Washington state. “When I was in the Navy, I was sent to Whidbey Island to compete in the 12^th Naval District horseshoe tournament,” Peter shared. “The Deception Pass area reminded me of northern Minnesota. The difference was that it was drizzling and 45 degrees in November. And you don’t have to shovel rain! I knew I would return one day.”

He now lives in Everett and loves the fact the he can be at the ocean or mountains within two hours. “My bride and I have been married for 35 years and have two amazing daughters, Mikayla and Shawna,” he said. “Each has blessed us with grand boys, Beckham (four years old) and Hudson (one year old) respectively.”

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

“I‘m addicted to golf and play almost anywhere, any time.  I’m one of eight people who still have an annual Everett resident golf pass; the city stopped selling them about 15 years ago. I look forward to playing golf with the grandboys in retirement. In fact, I’ve recently started to practice retirement. These past few months I’ve enjoyed golfing in San Diego, Arizona, Florida and Eastern Washington.” 

“I’m a baker and have been baking cookies for over 30 years. On average, I bake twice a week. I never make a single batch, because I eat about a dozen while I’m baking! I give most of the cookies away to friends and family. It apparently runs in the family.  My brother has been doing the same for around 30 years.  My grandson Beckham is learning the trade.  When he spends the night, he always wants to bake cookies.”

“In the Navy I was a computer operator and programmer for the Fleet Intelligence Center Pacific.  It is a land-based operation located on Ford Island, Hawaii.  I had to go through two (bank vault type) doors to get into my work area, which was two floors underground. Only 13 people in the command had access into my work area. After the Navy, I wanted to work more with my hands and started working with a developer/contractor building homes. I went to school at Portland Community College and received an associate degree in Building Construction.  Then I decided to combine my computer experience with my construction background which lead me to an associate degree in Energy Management from Lane Community College in Eugene Oregon.”

“City Light has the longest active Energy Conservation program in the nation. I really enjoy working with my customers. It’s nice to provide a service that helps them reduce their energy use which ultimately saves them money. I love to hear about their savings and how it positively impacts their business. It’s great when they realize the opportunities and the improvements go into production.”

Steve Crume will celebrate 20 years at City Light in July. He’s part of the Asset Management and Large Projects division as the Joint Use and Streetlight Engineering Manager. “The best way to describe Joint Use is anything that you put on a utility pole that doesn’t belong to the utility – all your communication networks like 4G and 5G, small cell, wireline communication, things like that. And, streetlight, well, it’s in the name,” he said with a laugh.

Steve grew up in the middle of Indiana’s farm country. “I always had ambitions to see the world, so I joined the Navy,” Steve shared. “I spent time as a crewman in P3 aircraft hunting submarines. For career advancement, I quit flying, earned my commission as an Aviation Ordnance Officer and spent the rest of my career either on aircraft carriers or embarked on them as part of an air wing.” He now lives in Lynnwood with his wife Linh.

In this week’s (spot)Light, Steve talks about his time in the Navy, woodworking and his childhood stint in the amateur circus.

“I retired from the Navy after 24 years. I’ve traveled the world many times and have visited twenty-four percent of the world’s countries. I’ve seen more of the world than I have this country! After retirement, I was hired at City Light as an Electric Service Representative. I spent two years doing that before getting promoted to a pole engineer. But I wasn’t really a true pole engineer; the utility was at the very early stages of forming Joint Use. I was brought on to help build the program. In 2008, Joint Use became an official unit and in 2011, I inherited Streetlight Engineering.”

“Before retiring from the Navy, I had no idea where I wanted to be. That is until I stepped foot in the state of Washington. It was in 1991 on Whidbey Island. The second I was here, I knew that this is where I wanted to be. At the time, I was young enough to start a second career. I have a background in construction and used to teach Electric Theory and Fundamentals while in the Navy – that’s what got me in the door at City Light. I really thought I would go to Boeing with my aviation background, but I’m very happy my career unfolded the way it did.”

“I’m an avid woodworker. I like to build and work with my hands – bookcases, magazine racks, end tables, custom-made tables. In fact, there are some Christmas gifts that have been on my to-do list for several years now! I’ve even made a desktop chess set including all the pieces and a set of checkers to go with it. I absolutely love woodworking.”

“One thing people might not know about me is that I spent seven years in an amateur circus. I started when I was ten years old as a clown…some people say I’ve never stopped! I rigged and set-up the acts. I also performed. I did a bullwhip act and was a trapeze catcher. I was also the top guy on Roman ladders. There’s a documentary about it, ‘Circus Town USA.’ I guess you know you’re old when you go to a museum and see pictures of yourself!”

Marlin Jackson has been at City Light for twelve years. As the Communications Electrician Crew Chief, he’s located at the North Service Center where he and his team serve the utility’s telecommunications operations. “Our primary responsibility is to make sure that we can facilitate the transfer of information to and from our sites, both local and remote,” Marlin explained. “Some of the ways we interface the technology include an optical multiplexing system, copper cables and touch screen communications.”

A New Jersey native, Marlin settled in Washington state after serving in the Navy. “I served for twenty years and for fourteen of those years, I was stationed in different locations on the East coast. I wanted to try something new,” Marlin shared. “So, I took orders to the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72, followed by the Fleet Technical Support Center Pacific. I retired in 2003.” He now lives in Everett where he enjoys access to the Northwest’s beauty, including mountains, lakes and rain forests on the Peninsula.

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

“Over the course of my career and during my time in the Navy, I attended many vocational schools. I studied things like closd circuit television, telephone systems, broadcast televisions and more. As you can see, the common thread is electronics. Although technology has made much of that training obsolete (for example, no more analog), it cemented the fundamentals to this day. Before retiring, I passed my certification for my Federal Communications License and completed my degree in applied science from Excelsior University.”

“One of my favorite hobbies is motorcycle riding. I was a late bloomer to it but it’s something I can only describe as ‘transformational.’ When you ride, all your senses are alive. I feel that it allows you to truly experience the roads instead of simply driving from ‘Point A to Point B’.”

“The challenge of learning the job is what attracted me to City Light. Even with my background and training, I was amazed at the equipment that’s used here. I was familiar with some of it, but there were some items I had never seen. Once I was hired, I immersed myself in the role. In many aspects, it was a little overwhelming at times, but not impossible.  I believed then as I do now, that if you truly apply yourself to learning and improving, there isn’t anything you can’t accomplish.”

“I like City Light because of the people who work here. I also like the challenge of being part of an evolving business. Responsibility increases, training never stops, and accountability is always present. And with the work that we do, there is an ongoing satisfaction of a job well done. This is an industry where we must always practice safety to ensure that everyone gets home to their love ones. To me, each of these elements represent a continued drive for excellence.”