Employee Spotlight Jennifer
BELLEVUE, Wash. (6/19/2018) Our Spotlight this week shines on Jennifer, Director of Customer and System Projects. To say she’s dedicated to her work and the company, is an understatement. Jennifer has been with PSE for 36 years. During that time she’s learned a lot and has worked in about a dozen different positions within the company. Read more about Jennifer and what her favorite part of the job is and why she stayed for so long.
What do you do at PSE and how long have you been here?
I am currently the director of Customer System Projects. This is about my 12th job since joining PSE, 36 years ago. I never thought I would be here that long but I’ve been fortunate to have had multiple jobs and experiences that have been fun, challenging, and helped me grow.
Some of my other positions include; director of Energy Efficiency, director of Marketing and Business Development, Transmission Construction, Major Projects, Customer Service Engineer, Civil Engineer, and Integrated Customer Solutions, just to name a few.
Why do you enjoy working here?
Throughout my PSE career, it’s been my team and the people I’ve worked with. And it’s always special when you run into folks later, after you’ve moved on to a different job or location.
What’s one of your most memorable moments while working here?
It would have to be my first storm. It was a widespread snow storm, and I was working in the
Redmond service center as an engineer. At that time, we had our own crews, and the crews along with the engineers, support staff and management were a fully contained operation. We even answered escalated calls from customers. A few days after the storm, I recall reflecting on all that had happened and how inspired I was by being part of the team that restored a vital service to so many customers.
What’s most challenging about your job?
When we transitioned the preconstruction work to PSE in 2015b, one of our objectives was to improve the customer experience. Delivering on customer expectations while integrating operational efficiencies is complex and a challenge, particularly when you can’t control what, when, and how many requests come in the door. That coupled with a continual growing demand – customer requests are up 30% since the transition -- makes it especially challenging, but extremely critical, to integrate changes and improvements.
What safety tip applies to your daily work?
Be aware of your surroundings – I find that if I am too focused or not paying attention, I lose what is going on in my periphery… whether it’s looking out for the next step, the vehicle next to you on the road, or the occasional overhanging limb on a hiking trail that could bop you in the head.
Of PSE’s values, which resonates most with you and why?
“We do what’s right” – it’s clear, foundational and provides the guiding light every day.
What’s your favorite place to eat?
Any place I can enjoy a meal outside on a patio or deck, in the warm weather… a view or natural surroundings is nice, too!
What's the best advice you've ever received?
To “slow down to speed up”. If I run into a brick wall with ideas or solutions or am overwhelmed with too much information, I find that taking a mental break – weeding the garden, going for a walk or run, or sleeping on it – helps to free up my mind and new ideas come to mind more quickly.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Like many of us, I enjoy being outdoors when the weather is nice – golfing, hiking, skiing, biking, camping. More recently, I’ve also been enamored with growing peonies and dahlias around the garden.
If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Flying! Especially with today’s traffic.
What’s the best or favorite part about your job?
I really love everything about this job – the opportunity to deliver excellent customer service through efficient processes and working with great people. It can have its challenges but it’s amazingly rewarding. We’ve made tremendous strides since the early days of the SPA (Service Provider Alignment) transition; and while we continue to improve, my team delivers day in and day out. I am inspired by their dedication and their results. Since the transition, our customer satisfaction scores have averaged 8+ points out of 10, up from the low 6’s pre-transition, all while managing an increasing workload year over year.
