National Engineer's Week 2020

This February 17-22 is National Engineer’s Week, and PWP is taking the time to highlight some of the dedicated engineers that make our utility successful. In total, across both Water and Power, PWP employs approximately 50 engineers. These staff members do everything from planning new water infrastructure upgrades to troubleshooting electrical concerns; some manage multiple work groups, while others are part of a team of engineers; some work in an office and some work out in the field, but, no matter what, their hard work and skills are appreciated by PWP and the Pasadena community.

Each day this week we’ll be highlighting one of our engineers on social media, so follow us on Twitter or Facebook to learn more about who they are and what they like best about working for PWP. We’ll also update this webpage with their full story, so be sure to check back in and read up on some of the men and women who serve Pasadena.

February 17 Engineer of the Day	Meet Roumiana! Roumiana is an Engineer working in PWP’s Water Division, with nearly 20 years of experience. She feels that the staff at PWP take a lot of pride and personal ownership in their tasks and responsibilities for the city; it’s one of the reasons she loves working in Pasadena so much. Roumiana says that her coworkers make the job more enjoyable, and she always feels encouraged to grow professionally. Growing up, Roumiana’s parents were Civil Engineers specifically in the water industry. She recalls them building water conveyance facilities for villages in Africa for many years and their sense of deep satisfaction at helping to bring water to the villager’s homes. This inspired her to pursue engineering and ignited a passion for providing reliable water to people. Her teachers over the years took this passion and helped her turn it into a profession, and she feels lucky to have had so many great teachers (including her parents) help her along the way.
February 18 Engineer of the Day	Meet Varoojan! Varoojan is an Engineering Manager for the Power Division. He’s worked for PWP for almost 4 years, but has worked in the utility industry for over 16 years. With all that work experience, Varoojan loves working in Pasadena best due to its beauty and friendly community. Varoojan grew up around electricity, and learned a lot from his father who was always building electrical panels. This sparked an interest in him for electricity and engineering. He loves that his job allows him to make a positive impact on Pasadena’s electric system, and feels that he works with a lot of talented professionals at PWP that make his job more enjoyable. The most challenging aspect of his work however, would be balancing all the different priorities and projects at PWP.
February 19 Engineer of the Day	Meet Brad! Brad is an Engineering Manager that has been with PWP for over 30 years. As a resident of Pasadena, Brad loves the uniqueness of the city. Pasadena’s rich history, traditions and culture make him proud to work and live in such a wonderful place. Brad has always enjoyed match and science, even as a kid. Because of his interest in how things work, it felt natural for him to study engineering. One of his favorite things about his job is getting to solve problems, and helping to provide safe, clean drinking water to Pasadena. Brad oversees two divisions, which includes master planning the water system for future growth needs of the Pasadena community; as well as overseeing a team of engineers that determines the replacement and upgrades needed to water system. With 17 wells, and 14 reservoirs, our water system is complicated, but Brad knows every square mile like the back of his hand.
February 20 Engineer of the Day	Meet Michelle! She is an Engineering Technician that is new to PWP. Michelle is originally from Pasadena, attended high school here, and has fond memories of hiking Eaton Canyon, going to the Rose Bowl and eating at Lucky Boy. As a kinesthetic learner, Michelle has always been fascinated by how things work. One of the reasons she chose to go into engineering is because it is a hands-on field, allowing her to create and design new things. Michelle’s favorite thing about working for PWP is that she can be actively involved in utility jobs throughout Pasadena; she likes using her skills to help Pasadena residents receive services. Michelle is the first female engineer in her family, and attributes her pursuit of engineering to her family, as they always encouraged her to fix things around the house, and supported her passions.
February 21 Engineer of the Day	Meet Rudy! Rudy is a Senior Engineering Technician who has worked for PWP for over 30 years. He was initially attracted to working here because it allowed him the ability to draw, draft and design – while being part of a professional organization. Always passionate about architecture, Rudy spent time honing his drawing skills and developing a love for design. Now, one of his favorite things about the job is being able to draw and represent the real world accurately on paper. Each job that he tackles is different, and he enjoys the challenge and being able to figure things out through design. That enjoyment carries over outside of work, and you can find him building computers and electronic equipment, playing strategy games and reading history books in his spare time. Still intrigued by architecture, some of Rudy’s personal favorite architects are Paul Rudolph, Le Corbuser and Ludwic Miles Van Der Rhoe.
February 22 Engineer of the Day	Meet Marella! Marella is an Acting Principal Civil Engineer who has worked for PWP’s Power Division for 16 years. She enjoys her job and is proud to help maintain a healthy power delivery system. Marella finds Civil Engineering to require problem-solving skills and innovative thinking, and she’s always up for a challenge. To her, the most rewarding part of her job is ensuring the safety of the people of Pasadena, and the safety of the community’s infrastructure – she loves using her knowledge to achieve the best results possible for the city. Her favorite aspect of her job is designing and constructing power facilities, because she can apply both technical engineering and administrative skills. Marella appreciates the outdoors and loves spending time in nature, and it is one of the reasons she enjoys working in the city of Pasadena so much.

Check back soon to read about other PWP engineers!