Background
I graduated from Maine Maritime Academy in 2013 with a degree in Power Engineering Technology. I started my career as a Project Engineer, gaining experience in Gas Turbine Maintenance and Project Estimating. I joined MD&A in 2015, where I developed expertise in Steam Turbine-Generator Maintenance & Project Management.
What do you do here at MD&A? What aspect do you enjoy most about your role at MD&A?
At MD&A, I work as a Project Lead/Manager & Field Engineer. In my role, I enjoy managing larger projects with many moving parts and building strong relationships and rapport with our customers.
How do you prepare for an outage before arriving on-site? What steps do you take?
When preparing for an outage I take the following steps: reviewing project contracts and job specifications/requirements, attending pre-outage meeting at the customer site, working with the Operations Manager on schedule requirements, reviewing unit specific technical bulletins and previous outage reports for known issues and upcoming repairs that may be outside of the base scope, and coordinating with other divisions and sub-contractors regarding their mobilization date and scope specifics.
What is the most interesting challenge you have come across at a job site?
The most interesting challenge is the restoration of a 120 MW Steam Turbine-Generator following a catastrophic failure. My role on this project was the day shift Field Engineer, working with one of MD&A’s strongest Project Managers.
How do you prepare for working in different locations and environments with each new job?
I typically will do some research ahead of time to become familiar with each geographical area to determine the best location to spend my time when not working. Adjusting to different work environments and customer personnel has become an easy transition over the years.
How do you handle unexpected challenges or changes in scope during an outage?
I have built strong relationships with other company experts who are available to support troubleshooting exercises or repair options, if required. In addition, working with MD&A has taught me how to handle myself professionally when things don’t go as planned by making good, sound decisions and providing customers with recommendations that ensure turbine reliability and efficiency.
Why did you choose to work for MD&A, and why have you continued to choose to work at MD&A? How would you describe our company culture?
I chose MD&A for career development, training, experience, and most of all, the people. MD&A provides a professional yet enjoyable culture. After 11 years with MD&A, I can say our team has some of the most experienced and knowledgeable people in the industry.
What’s the most interesting place you’ve visited while working on an outage?
Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
