Meet Alissa Baker, BPA's connection to the Corps

Name: Alissa Baker
Job title: BPA Project Representative for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, Federal Hydro Projects Operations
Work location: Normally 6th floor of HQ, currently “living room”
Born/Raised/Hometown: Southern Oregon
Family/Pets: Husband, Everett, and two cats, Casper and Cricket

How would you explain your job to your neighbor, so they not only understand what you do but what BPA does and its role in our region?

Well, I don’t work at the dams, but I work with our partners who do. BPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation all work together to manage the Federal Columbia River Power System, aka the dams. Each agency has a unique role and mission to ensure the rivers are cared for and your lights turn on each time you hit the switch. My job is awesome because I get to serve as a liaison between the agencies to facilitate problem-solving and help provide funding for any upgrades or repairs that the dams need.

How does your work support BPA’s mission and strategy?

The motto we use every day is “the right project, at the right time, for the right cost.” As the interface between the federal partners, my team is charged with reviewing each investment BPA makes in the federal hydropower system to ensure we are being good stewards of not only our environment and the incredible dams built by our predecessors, but the ratepayers’ hard-earned money.

A new or technical aspect of my job I enjoy is:

Business case economics. As an engineer, the engineering part of the job I tend to take for granted. But the economics – that is some kind of fascinating magic. When you look at a list of technical needs out there – one dam needs a new crane, one has a leaky roof, another is due for a turbine overhaul – it can feel like you are comparing apples and oranges. But when we calculate the value and risks for each project, we can see not only what gives us the best return on our investment now, but also how each investment impacts the region. We can also see what we need to do to take care of the system for the next five, 10 or 20+ years.

The coolest or most surprising thing about my job is:

I like solving puzzles, and it turns out that working between different federal agencies with different missions, priorities and acronyms can often present quite a few puzzles of both the technical and interpersonal kind. Between you and me, I sometimes suspect my colleagues invent new acronyms just to mess with me. JK! (That’s short for “just kidding,” in case you aren’t up on your acronyms. But jokes aside, each day brings something new, and it is fun to try to figure out not only how we can fix it but how we can get all the different parties onboard and unified behind the solution.

I like working at BPA because:

The culture – hands down. As a woman in engineering, especially when you are first starting out after college, you run into a lot of people who don’t always take you seriously. But I’ve never felt that at BPA. I’ve never felt precluded from a particular position or type of work if I was willing to learn and work hard. That’s a company worth being a part of and working hard for.

My most memorable work-related story or safety lesson is:

When you are traveling for work, always call ahead and confirm the rental car. You may think you reserved a 4-wheel drive SUV online, but that doesn’t mean that is what will be waiting for you when you fly into a municipal airport. I remember visiting some of our more rural utility customers in the middle of winter. It was snowing when we arrived, and the only transportation available for five of us was what you might generously call a “clown car.” I am not sure what was most amazing about that day – the fact that we were all able to wedge ourselves in and still shut the doors, or the fact that the little golf cart of a car stayed on the icy roads just fine. But all’s well that ends well, and it is a lesson I’m sure none of us will forget.

Safety is a core value at BPA. How do you incorporate safe behavior into your practices and environment?

Devastating accidents can happen in a heartbeat. Legend has it that the iron from the wreckage of a collapsed bridge was collected and melted down into rings that were given to new engineers in Canada as a reminder of the responsibility and risks associated with their profession. Like many engineers, I wear a steel ring on the smallest finger of my drafting hand as a constant reminder that our work impacts the lives around us, and we must carry the responsibility of that every day. 

My favorite thing about working and living in the Northwest is:

The variety. Growing up in Southern Oregon you could go from snowy mountains, to coast, to forest, to high desert in a day trip. As an adult I can now appreciate the cultural, political and social differences, as well. In a lot of ways, the Pacific Northwest has a little bit of everything. It’s hard to be bored when you live here. 

Two things I can’t live without are:

Internet bookmarks and nachos. Internet bookmarks because so much of our work and lives are managed online, and there is no way I would be able to remember where to find our transmission system one-line drawing, my time card, our church’s online service, or the link to pay the natural gas bill without those handy little links. And nachos are self-explanatory. They are the highest pinnacle of culinary science – prove me wrong. 

I am inspired by:

High-integrity people. My grandfather never had to tell me to do the right thing, he just always did the right thing and the lesson was clear: You do the right thing; you keep your word. If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right and it is worth doing right away. No shortcut is worth your integrity. It’s a lesson I still work at, but I am always inspired when I see it in action in others.