Karley is Distribution Technologist in her hometown of St. Anthony. Karley loves the variety her role brings to each day – whether it’s working on system upgrades, drafting designs or ensuring equipment can meet customer demands. But, whatever her day brings, Karley is always committed to delivering safe, reliable electricity and the best service to our customers.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in St. Anthony and, after some time away for school, my career as a Distribution Technologist with Hydro has brought me back to my hometown. Outside of work I enjoy many activities including hiking, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, swimming, and most of all spending time outdoors with my dog, Ryder. I also love to travel and visit new places.

What made you want to come work at Hydro?

While completing the Electrical Engineering Technology Program in Nova Scotia, I did my work term with Nova Scotia Power, which I really enjoyed, inspiring me to pursue a career with an electric utility. I was already very familiar with Hydro, as my dad worked his entire 32 year career here as a Technologist!

In 2021 I began working with Hydro in St. Anthony, in the Protection and Control Technologist Apprenticeship Program. I then moved to Bay D’Espoir for a couple of months before accepting the position of Distribution Technologist back in St. Anthony in 2022. I’ve been here ever since – I love being able to work, doing something I love, in my hometown.

What does an average day look like for you?

As a Distribution Technologist my day to day can look very different. Some days can find me working on system upgrades, completing technical assessments for a pole or a recloser replacement, while other days I’m working out in the field meeting with customers who are looking to get new services or upgrade their services. I also have days where I’m in the office, completing paperwork and drafting designs on AutoCAD. The most rewarding thing about my job is seeing designs I have created come to life. From them being on a drafting program on my computer to being built and being used to provide our customers with power – it’s such a fulfilling process.

Basically my day depends on the work planned for the week – I love the variety and that no two weeks look the same. I also like that my job leads me to work closely with other departments within Hydro including our Line Department, Customer Service Team, Planning Teams, and more.

What role do you and your team play in ensuring Hydro can provide safe, reliable power to our customers?

My team and I ensure our distribution system is designed to, and continues to meet, Hydro’s distribution standards. This means ensuring proper equipment is used when new services are installed, or when customers upgrade their services. This helps make sure the equipment we install can support the customer demand on our system. We also investigate when there are issues on our system and troubleshoot to help prevent it from reoccurring, all while working safely.

What is the biggest reason you’re motivated to do your best work here every day.

The biggest motivator for me is our customers. The goal is to provide safe and reliable electricity to our customers and I enjoy meeting with them, especially in my hometown. I’m also motivated by having such great coworkers around me every day, always inspiring me to do my best.