On Tuesday, January 20th, Jennifer Helms kicked off our 2015 Lunch and Learn series with a presentation on GIS titled Map Sharing and Story Maps. Jennifer knows her stuff – she holds Associate of Applied Science degrees in Drafting Technology and GIS Technology, and she also taught GIS courses at Treasure Valley Community College in eastern Oregon.

Congratulations are in order for Hollie Logan and Kaitlin Shrier, both of whom recently earned important certifications from leading professional organizations within our industry.      

No, that's not James Dean you're seeing, but our own Design Technician, Rich Martin, circa 1972!

When I first started working full-time at MacKay & Sposito in 1986, the company was tucked into a narrow office space at 110 E. 17th Street in downtown Vancouver.  There was a small front office where Wanda, the secretary, sat with her trusty typewriter and ‘80’s vintage telephone.  Behind her was a narrow hallway that led to the main office area where most of the employees were located.  It was nothing fancy -- brown wood paneling, brown carpet, brown drafting tables, and black coffee.  Rich could be seen leaning over his drafting table and, without fail, always had a cup of coffee at his side. Oh, and if you took the last of the coffee from the pot, you'd better have brewed some more!

Frank Costanza, one of our surveyors, is featured in the January 5th issue of The Columbian, a Vancouver newspaper.

On a cold, 20 degree day in December I met Luke Young in Goldendale for a tour of the work our Construction Management team is inspecting and managing for BPA. The project, Big Eddy - Knight No.1 is a 500 kV line and is 29 miles in length. It starts at Big Eddy substation in The Dalles, OR and terminates at the Knight substation in Goldendale, WA. The piece of the project I visited is referred to as "Big Eddy Knight Last 14 Miles" because it consists of construction on miles 15-29 (the last 14 miles).

After meeting Vadim Kasko at the project trailer and ensuring I was equipped with the essential safety tools, Luke began our tour.  He introduced me to the representatives from the Contractor and BPA.  I learned a little about Luke and his years of experience inspecting transmission lines across the Country.  I also learned Luke welcomed a new baby this year and was balancing being away from home and getting the work done. Luke is a rare breed - faithfully optimistic  When I quizzed him on how we, corporate MacKay Sposito, can do better, Luke maintained his posture of positivity and thankfulness.  It was quite a treat to spend a couple of hours with Luke while he patiently explained how the 120 foot towers were constructed, how often they climbed to inspect the construction (YIKES) and how much he enjoys his job.