What area do you work in within the VPFA portfolio?
I work in the Utilities & Energy – Operations/Maintenance department within CPFM (Campus Planning and Facilities Management).

What is your current position, and what are your job responsibilities?
I am the Lead Co-Generation Engineer. I work alongside a group of co-generation engineers, pipe fitters, electricians, and maintenance staff to safely and efficiently operate the Central Power Station, perform preventive maintenance measures, and do repairs on power plant equipment, like boilers, turbines, pumps, steam traps, steam piping, and utility distribution tunnels. I assign work orders to my team, order parts, and plan and execute repair jobs. I train new employees to help them be successful in the Utilities & Energy department.

What has been your career path; how did you end up in your current position?
I started in the U&E department in early 2015 as a Trades Maintenance 1 in the Co-Gen career track program. I worked swing shift and graveyard for my first two-and-a-half years while I was training and learning to operate the power station. After being promoted to a Co-Generation Engineer in late 2017, I had the goal of becoming the Lead Co-Gen. I took every opportunity to learn about being a leader in my field by attending leadership trainings, and studying related material to help me reach to my goal. I was selected to be the lead worker when it became available in 2019, and I have been the Lead Co-Gen ever since.

What obstacles have you overcome in your career?
One major obstacle I had to overcome while being the Lead Co-Generation Engineer with the least amount of experience in the power distribution industry, is trying to lead people with a lot more experience than me. At first, it was difficult gaining the trust and respect of the senior operators and maintenance staff because I did not have nearly as much experience or knowledge in the industry as they do. After showing them that I respect their seniority and expertise in this position, and how I am capable of doing this job, I believe there has been a mutual respect built between me and my team.

What is your work history and education that enabled you to attain your current position?
Before I worked at the UO, I worked as a laborer at Douglas County Forest Products. I basically pulled wood from a chain and stacked it for 10 hours a day. Working there taught me how to be a hard worker because it was very labor intensive, but it was repetitive and mind numbing. When I started my career at the UO, the only thing I thought of was, “This is so much better than the mill!” I get to use my head to help this organization instead of my body, which gave me a better outlook on work in general. I think I needed to work at the mill before I came here to really appreciate the difference in career choices, and that is why I have been so successful in my current position. 

I earned my Associate’s degree in Energy Management at Lane Community College in the spring of 2020, while working at the UO. The Energy Management degree has helped prove to me that performing proper preventive and predictive maintenance on major energy consuming equipment has a huge effect on the efficiency on that equipment. I also learned about different types of renewable energy sources and how they can be an effective source of energy. The degree helped me get a better understanding of why I do what I do.

How has working at UO enabled your professional goals and interests?
Before I started at the UO, I didn’t have a lot of professional goals, or interests. I got out of high school and didn’t have much guidance on what to do with my life. Working at the UO has given me opportunities to build personal goals in an industry that interests me. When I started in 2015, my goal was to become a Co-Generation Engineer. When I reached that goal in 2017, my next was to become the Lead Co-Gen. My current goal is to become the Operations/Maintenance supervisor when it is available. For the past eight years, the UO showed me what it was like to set and achieve professional goals, and I believe working here will continue to help build my professional career.

What do you like about your current position?
I learn something new almost every day. I like to work with my team to figure out issues we come across with complicated pieces of equipment. The people who work at the UO are great to work with and are very helpful whenever you need a hand.

Please share some insight into what your job involves (e.g., something you had to solve, a complicated situation that worked out well, something you are proud of, etc.)
One of the more complicated tasks I had to do was coordinate a team of operators to run the power plant in manual without any automation, while the plant’s PLC was being replaced by the Utility Electricians. A PLC, or Programmable Logic Controller, is an industrial computer that takes an input signal from a pressure or temperature transmitter, a switch, or a command from an operator, and creates an output signal to send to an automated control valve or dampers telling them to open or close to maintain a certain temperature, pressure, or water level on various equipment. Before the PLC was replaced, I had to do extensive research to learn how some of the automated equipment will react when the automated control was removed from it to prevent a very dangerous plant condition like over pressurizing the steam system or running a boiler out of water. I am proud to say that we were able to perform this work without any effects on campus.

What advice do you have for others; what secrets would you share for someone thinking of applying to the UO?

• Safety first! Everybody has a family to go home to, so slow down and think about what you can do to prevent yourself or others from getting hurt.
• You don’t need to be everyone’s friend, but you need to show everyone respect because you are all on the same team.
• Have accountability for yourself and use every mistake as a learning opportunity.
• You don’t have to know the answers to everything, you just have to know where to find them.

Share a little about yourself personally:

• Family

I have been dating my wife, Conner, since 2012. We got married on June 5th, 2021, and had our first son, Ryatt on April 6th 2022 (Ryatt--at 6 days old--is with Kiles in the profile photo). We have been adjusting our lives to being parents ever since, and loving every minute of it.

My wife and I enjoy snowboarding/skiing, paddle boarding, mountain biking, riding ATVs at the dunes, and camping. We plan to get Ryatt started on all of those activities once he can walk.

• Favorite food

My favorite food is street tacos, usually from any small taco truck.

• Best movie you’ve seen

I don’t really watch a lot of movies but my son really likes the Disney movie Encanto so I watch that one at least five times a week, and I still like it.

• If you could only take three items with you to a deserted island, what would they be?

I would take a pot, a machete, and fire starter.

• How do you want to be remembered?

I want to be remembered as a great father and husband.

If you could have the answer to any question, what would it be?
How do you convince a baby that sleep is not the worst thing in the world?

(January 2023)