Get to Know: Some of the amazing women working at Hydro 

KARLA RYAN, Safety Advisor
Safety, Health and Environment, Churchill Falls

Karla grew up both in Red Bay, on the south coast of Labrador, and in Happy Valley Goose Bay, and now lives in Churchill Falls with her son Parker and their two rescue huskies, Rask and Aspen. They all love living in Labrador and taking advantage of everything it has to offer, whether that’s getting out on skidoo or ATV, fishing, hunting or spending time at their cabin.

Karla started her career with Hydro in 2013 on the Muskrat Falls Project and she has been the Safety Advisor at Churchill Falls since 2021. Karla is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring Hydro’s Safety Management System for both Churchill Falls and Menihek. She works to support the safe execution of work – ranging from remote work activities at the Menihek Generating Station to plant operations, transmission line and terminal station maintenance, air services and town operations (including a grocery store, and company operated k-12 school) for Churchill Falls.

What do you think is important to highlight on International Women’s Day?

It’s a day to reflect on all the progress that has been made over the years with respect to gender parity, but also a time to celebrate the strength of mind and character of ordinary women, who have played extraordinary roles in their communities and workplaces.

What advice would you give to the next generation of women who want to pursue a career in your field?

No matter what career you find yourself considering, make sure it’s one you feel passionately about! Always maintain a positive attitude, and remember that sometimes your biggest skeptics can become your greatest supporters!

What is it about working at Hydro that you are most proud of?

I am so proud to work for Hydro, especially in Churchill Falls where we are not only a workplace, but a community. We are colleagues and neighbours, and we are all here, in beautiful Labrador, not only to generate power and provide world-class service to our customers, but also to exemplify “the power of community.”

LORI COFFIN, Support Services Administrator
Operations, Exploits

Lori and her husband live in Bishop’s Falls. You can often find Lori at their cabin, out for drives or travelling to new places. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, as well as making special memories with her two grandsons.

In 2009, Lori joined our Exploits Generation team in Grand Falls-Windsor as a Support Services Administrator and has been with us ever since, providing administrative support to our Exploits, Hydro Generation and Transmission and Rural Operations (TRO) teams. Lori works and coordinates with many different groups, calling temporary employees for work/training, assisting with benefits and timesheets, maintenance work orders and helicopter contracts, managing invoices for payment and tracking monthly accruals.

What do you think is important to highlight on International Women’s Day?

It’s important to celebrate women’s achievements – especially how far they have come over the years. Opening doors in all fields of work and inspiring young women who are deciding on their career choices are so important to helping them reach their goals. It’s everyone’s responsibility to encourage women, give them experience and build up their confidence, especially in the workplace.

What advice would you give to the next generation of women who want to pursue a career in your field?

Over the years the responsibilities of Administrative Assistants have grown, giving employees the opportunity to expand their skills on-the-job.  This can be a very rewarding career and my advice is to always take advantage of any training offered within your company and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

What is it about working at Hydro that you are most proud of?

Hydro is a wonderful company to work for with great values. I have a good working relationship with both the Union and Management staff and have always been given the opportunity to train and take on new responsibilities since I first started, expanding my role in a variety of areas.  It’s gratifying knowing that my work is acknowledged and appreciated within the company.

MARYANN SNOW, Maintenance Planner
Power Supply, Soldiers Pond

MaryAnn was born and raised in Charlottetown on the Labrador South Coast, a proud Nunatukavut member, who now lives in Harbour Grace with her husband. In 1986, MaryAnn became the first Certified female electrician to graduate from the College of Trades and Technology in St John’s!

MaryAnn works as a Maintenance Planner at our Soldiers Pond Terminal Station where she is responsible for ensuring our maintenance supervisors have everything they need to complete their work. This includes coordination with safety procedures, crew availability and scheduling all done in a in a way that minimizes equipment downtime and the impact on production. MaryAnn is a part of the Soldiers Pond Emergency Response Team and the Soldiers Pond Team Building Committee – which fundraises throughout the year to support SPANL and other local organizations.

Do you remember facing any barriers to pursuing your career?

When I was going through school, electrical work was very much a non-traditional career for women. Luckily I had a very supportive group around me, both at home and at school, but there were still some challenges. For example, one campus didn’t have a woman’s washroom, so I was posting one of my classmates outside when I needed to use the facility. When my instructor found out, he gave me a key to the staff washroom!

Throughout my career I’ve worked in many remote areas and through very harsh winters on the Great Northern Peninsula, Southern Labrador Coast and Voisey’s Bay. I was treated like any other crew member, and so I dug in, rough and tough. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of changes and I love to see more women taking on many different trades.

What advice would you give to the next generation of women who want to pursue a career in your field?

Simply, I would say to follow your dreams and reach out to others if you need help. Study hard, work hard and trust yourself – never doubt your talent, or your work ethic.

What is it about working at Hydro that you are most proud of?

I am so proud Hydro cares so much about their employees. I believe this culture creates gender-balanced teams that work together towards a common goal and helps bring different perspectives to our decision-making and problem-solving. When I came to work for Hydro it wasn’t hard to recognize this, as I could see the diversity in the workforce and the respect shown for each other! And I still feel this every day I come to work at Soldiers Pond.

ROBYN LILLY, Plant Operations Supervisor – Eastern
Production Operations, Bay d’Espoir

Robyn is originally from Gaultois, a small community on our island’s south coast. Robyn now lives in Bay d’Espoir with her fiancée and their two beautiful boys – together they love spending time outdoors and at their cozy cabin. Robyn volunteers with Precious Treasures, a small community group for young preschool children to socialize and have fun.

Robyn is an Electrical Engineering Technology (Power & Controls) Program graduate and has been working with Hydro since 2017. She is currently the Plant Operations Supervisor in Bay d’Espoir where she works with our operators to help oversee day to day operations, ensuring all work is completed safely and efficiently.

What do you think is important to highlight on International Women’s Day?

International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate and recognize the achievements of all women everywhere, big or small and regardless of the role or path we choose. It provides a moment to acknowledge the past, be proud of the present, and look forward to a positive future where we can continue to succeed and support each other. When it comes to gender equity, I think we can all do our part by educating ourselves and advocating for opportunities to help improve our workforce. Sometimes even the smallest changes can have positive impacts.

What is it about working at Hydro that you are most proud of?

Quite simply, it’s that the work that we do here at the Bay d’Espoir Generating Station, which allows us to safely provide electricity to our power grid for this amazing province. Also, it makes me proud to see that Hydro supports women in all roles across the company, from our CEO, Jennifer Williams, to my role as an Operator, and now Operations Supervisor!

SUSAN MULLINS, Manager, Energy Trading
Energy Marketing, Hydro Place

Whether at work or at home, Susan thrives in a fast paced environment – outside of work you can find her hiking, mountaineering or scuba diving – and here at Hydro, she leads the team responsible for marketing our electricity assets to external energy markets in Canada and the United States.

Susan started with Hydro in 2008 and moved into one of the first Energy Marketing Analyst roles when the department was in its early days. Through the years she’s also worked as an Energy Trader and, most recently, she’s taken on the Manager role for energy trading where she feels a sense of fulfillment, contributing to our provincial economy in a way that directly benefits the people of our province.

Do you remember facing any barriers to pursuing your career?

I was very lucky to grow up in a family that did not adhere to gender specific roles, as was still the norm in the 1970/80s in rural Newfoundland. Early in my career I worked mainly with male colleagues, especially in supervisory and management roles, however, I was once again very lucky to have several exemplary supervisors who supported equity.

There has definitely been a change in attitudes over my 25 year career, evidenced by the diversity we see in many organizations today and the diversity of individuals in management roles.

How do you think each of us can champion for gender equity in the workforce?

It’s so important to keep striving for the day that statistics on individual groups in society are no longer relevant as everyone is treated equitably and their talents and achievements recognized.

A great start is to approach recruitment with a mindset for skills and abilities and dismiss any concept of gender related roles. Once someone is in the job, it’s important to use peer mentoring to make connections between seasoned and new employees, males and females, managers and employees, and so broadening all employees’ experiences and knowledge. It’s also so important to use your voice – speak about equity in a purposeful, productive manner – sometimes just having the conversation can make all the difference.

VANESSA CANNING, Business and Information Analyst
Operational Technology, Hydro Place

Vanessa is married with two step-daughters and a dog. She’s a proud Newfoundlander and an even prouder fisherman’s daughter from the small community of Herring Neck on Newfoundland’s northeast coast. Her favourite pastime brings her back to her roots, sitting on her dad’s speed boat with saltwater spray hitting her face, fishing while watching whales and icebergs float by.

Here at Hydro, Vanessa is a Business and Information Analyst with our Operational Technology  Team where she plans and coordinates all capital and operational work, including the development of our capital budget application submissions. She is also managing the team’s technology requirements for the next 5-10 years.

Did you face any barriers to pursuing your career?

I grew up in a home where I was encouraged, and constantly reminded, that I could be whatever I wanted to be. It wasn’t until co-op placements for my college classes that I faced my first barrier. It was discouraging to see men with average marks get positions over women with better grades. When I was looked over for positions I blamed it on my resume, or not doing well in an interview. At the time, I don’t think I realized the barrier I was facing was being a woman, and had nothing to do with my abilities.

Do you feel things are changing for women in the field of technology?

While I feel there is still a lot of work to do, I think things are changing for the better. There was a point in my career where people asked “why are you here?” when I walked in the room but there’s been a shift and now I feel welcomed, respected and sought out for my input and expertise. I think we’ll continue to see a lot more positive change as younger generations enter the workforce.

What do you think is important to highlight on International Women’s Day?

Working in a male dominated field (both in a technology department and in an engineering focused organization) it’s so important to highlight how we are making these roles our own and making our mark in our fields. It’s great to see more women being hired in these positions but we need to recognize this isn’t just a box to tick, it’s because women are thriving in these positions and it’s so important to celebrate that!

For young women interested in technology, don’t let anything hold you back – go for it, jump right in! The technology industry is fun and challenging, in all the best ways. It’s constantly evolving and just keeps getting better and better.

And for those of us already in these positions, let’s lead by example! Show the younger generations what we can do and be the leaders/mentors they need, and aspire to be one day.