• Ask Your Network

  April 2021 Member Spotlight: Travis Metcalfe (Tacoma Power)

  Posted by Kevin Praet (Adm) on April 1, 2021 at 11:52 am

  Travis Metcalfe is an active UAI member and provides outstanding influence and contributions to the UAI community through many different channels, including, but not limited to engagement on UAI Connect, volunteering with UAI, involvement and leadership in monthly Community Conversations, and speaking at UAI events, plus so much more. Travis was also selected as the winner of our 2020 Community Engagement Award – Most Engaged Individual  and helped champion our new award series this past year. As thanks, we are featuring him in the UAI Member Spotlight. Travis has been an employee with Tacoma Power for 19 years and has filled many different roles during that time. In his current role he manages Tacoma Power’s Strategy, Innovation, and Engagement workgroup. He oversees the Training, Development & Apprentice Programs, Strategy & Performance Analytics, and Strategic People Programs within Tacoma Power’s Shared Services section.

  
  Kevin: How did you get into the utility analytics industry?

  Member: My interest in utility analytics actually began long before I joined Tacoma Power. In 2002, I graduated with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics, and launched my career, working full time in the software industry following graduation. After a short time in the software industry, I wasn’t sure the position I was in was I wanted to do long-term. I was also commuting several hours each day and began trying to find something closer to home. A family member suggested I consider the utility industry, and at the time, Tacoma Power was looking for a SCADA Engineer. I loved how this first job blended my software and hardware skills as we retrofitted our distribution substations with remote terminal units, and gave our dispatchers the ability to control our substations remotely. From my very first job in the utility industry, I have always been keenly fascinated with the underlying data and information behind the scenes. I have been in the analyst role, as well as the decision-making role, and now find myself working a lot with senior leaders across our organization. We have been sitting on a mountain of data for a long time and for the last several years, I have been working with them to bring that data to the forefront of our decision-making at all levels of the organization.

   

  Kevin: What project have you enjoyed working on most in your career?

  Member: That is such a hard question for me to answer. I am the type of person that puts a lot into whatever I am working on and have had the opportunity to work on some really cool projects. There are three things that I love doing in and through my work:

  1. Delivering an end product that is completely different from what people have expected or experienced previously.
  2. Transforming complicated things into something that is easier to understand and approachable for everyone.
  3. Helping others succeed in achieving their goals.

  I have seen all of these things come together a few times in my career. On one such occasion, I remember a Board Member pulling me aside after a presentation of the results and sharing how they felt our team’s project was truly transformational and changed their perspective. Seeing how the many different skills from our team came together to deliver such an incredible result still inspires me every time I think about it.

  
  Kevin: What has been your biggest professional challenge and how did you work through it?

  Member: I always used to imagine I would face these incredible technical challenges and it would require spending large amounts of time trying to develop solutions. In reality, the technical challenges have rarely been insurmountable. I am fortunate to work with some brilliant people and when we put our heads together, we are almost always able to come up with solutions to whatever the problem might be.  

  I am sure many can relate to the sentiment that some of the biggest challenges and obstacles are related to culture, misalignment of priority, individual pride, and conflicting passions. The more I move away from an individual contributor role into leading groups and teams, the more I become aware of the impact that these challenges have on our work. I know how difficult it can be to stand up to a senior leader that refuses to admit when they have made a mistake or to watch as someone carries out behaviors that hurt others in pursuit of their own desires.

  In reality, we rarely have all the information we need to fully understand the impact of our decisions and it is critical that we connect with and actively listen to the people who are directly involved or impacted. If we want to achieve truly great outcomes, we have to be willing to collaborate and lead with humility that allows us to put aside our own desires and selfish interests. I am incredibly grateful and humbled at the insights that have been shared with me while I am still so young in my career. They have made me a better leader and have given me the courage to lead in such a way that I can have a more positive impact on others.

   

  Kevin: If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before entering the utility analytics industry, what would it be?

  Member: Don’t be too scared or stubborn to ask for help. The most fun I have had at work is when I have been able to do things with others that share my passion and excitement. After all, what’s the worst someone can say when you ask them for help? “No.” “Not right now.” “Maybe some other time.” On the other hand, if they say yes, you have an opportunity to learn something new and produce something better than if you were going to do it by yourself.

   

  Kevin: What would you like to talk to fellow colleagues and members about in UAI Connect? Or, what issues or topics would you like to see more discussions on in UAI Connect?

  Member: One thing our team is really digging into right now is bringing data into our decision-making, and using that data to prioritize work across the utility. We are building a framework for corporate performance management by starting with our strategic objectives and then moving on to some of our more operational areas. I have witnessed several people incorrectly equate analytics with the creation of a dashboard or some kind of visualization. What we are attempting to do is transform the way we approach our work and perhaps even how we think about what is most important. Publishing data and making it available to others is a great first step, but I would love to know, what are some ways you have found to utilize a visualization as a means of transforming the way you do your work?

   

  Kevin: Thank you so much for sharing with us and for being a highly engaged member of UAI!

  Do you have any final thoughts, ideas, or comments you would like to share with your fellow UAI members?

  Member: Thank you to the staff at UAI for providing such a great means of connecting with likeminded, passionate peers! I miss the chance to see many of you at conferences or to sit down with a cup of coffee and connect over the work we are doing. I welcome opportunities to share and learn from anyone that is interested in doing so. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me personally or to post your topics in the forums. I really enjoy seeing all the different projects each utility is working on!

  ——————————
  Kevin Praet
  Membership Coordinator
  Utility Analytics Institute (UAI)
  Boulder CO
  315-440-3033
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  Kevin Praet (Adm) replied 3 years, 7 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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