We would not let this year’s International Women in Engineering Day (June 23) go by without shining a bright light on our female engineers across Tampa Electric.
They work in our power plants, substations and offices in electrical, civil and industrial engineering roles – to name a few – contributing greatly to our safety, reliability and customer service.
Today, we join the Women’s Engineering Society to celebrate the amazing contributions and accomplishments that women in engineering roles are doing around the world and in our own company.
Meet a couple of our female engineers leading the charge at Tampa Electric
Lori Wilson joined Tampa Electric in 2014. She says her love for math and science drove her to pursue a career in engineering. She has her degree in civil engineering with a concentration in geotechnical engineering, so finds it funny, but cool, that she landed in an electrical engineering role.
“I particularly enjoy the ’problem-solving’ aspect of the profession. Even though I ended up in an electrical engineering role, an engineer is an engineer, and one never stops learning and developing skills. I learn from my colleagues from other disciplines every day and I hope they can learn something from me as well.
My advice to a young generation of female engineers is to not be intimidated to pursue a career in what appears to be a male-dominated field. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, or to admit you don’t know an answer. Develop a love and curiosity for engineering that will drive you to create something new and to think outside of the box.”
Lori Wilson, Project Manager – Distribution Improvement Project
Teal Trombetta joined Tampa Electric as a co-op student in 2011 and has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in engineering management. Today, she is part of our safety leadership team and provides guidance and support to ensure the right safety programs and trainings are in place so everyone goes home safely each day.
“I had always enjoyed math and sciences growing up and engineering combines both of these. I like learning and understanding how things work. The summer before my senior year of high school, I had the opportunity to work with a graduate student at the USF College of Engineering on a summer project. After that experience, I knew I wanted to pursue engineering. Engineering teaches you to be a problem-solver, have an attention to detail and to ask the right questions.
My advice to young women embarking on a STEM-related career is to have patience and perseverance. You will have strengths and weaknesses like anyone else, but don’t let the weaknesses discourage you and just learn and grow from them.”
Teal Trombetta, Manager – Safety and Industrial Health for Energy Supply
If you are interested in an engineering position with us, check out our Careers page periodically to see if there are open positions.
