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.
Luke and I met up with veteran QAR, John Mattke, and Vadim for lunch. John is a seasoned QAR; he is connected and helped us recruit many of our current QAR team. He knows how to do the job. He is well respected by the MSi team and in high demand by the BPA team. I was most impressed with John’s thoughts and ideas on how we might enhance our on-boarding process, what tools were still needed in the field and how we can become even more efficient. John worked for several years at Jacobs Engineering (the company who previously held this contract with BPA) and his insight is invaluable. I also learned more about the power of Vadim’s photography and the impact of a
While I was only able to spend a few hours with this power team, I feel fortunate to have spent time getting to know them a little better. I will admit 20 degrees is cold but not nearly as cold as 0 degrees which is what they all worked in the week before I arrived on the scene. Brr… high resolution picture in a candid conversation with the Contractor.
Luke calls Battle Ground home, John is home in Ridgefield, and Vadim travels home north to the Puget Sound area. The work we are doing in the field is meaningful and important. I look forward to visiting other field projects in the coming year.
Written by Lisa Schauer in collaboration with Jacob Howlett