Name: Parker Wicks, federal employee
Title: Public Utilities Specialist
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Region: Colorado River Storage Project Management Center
When did you start working with WAPA? I started working at WAPA in June of 2014.
What is the most interesting thing you have worked on at WAPA? The most interesting thing that I have worked on to date would have to be the Mountain West Transmission Group initiative. It has been and continues to be an incredible learning opportunity. The possibility of a fully integrated market in the Western Interconnection is very interesting to me.
What do you wish people understood about your job and the work you do? I wish people understood a little bit more about WAPA in general. Most people I talk to have never heard of WAPA, so they have very little understanding of what we do. That being said, since WAPA helps power 40 million American homes, I wish that people understood that WAPA is a great resource to a lot of people in the West. I also wish they understood what incredibly smart and hardworking people are working every day to ensure this resource is available.
Tell us something about yourself we wouldn't find on your resume. I love motorcycles, skiing, scuba diving, hiking, outdoor activities and little dogs.
How is what you do tied to WAPA's mission? Every day I am fortunate enough to be involved in projects that span the gamut of WAPA's mission. One of the most important things we do in Contracts is develop and implement the marketing plans for the different resources. For CRSP MC, that includes marketing the power and energy from the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects, the Deer Creek powerplant and the Olmsted powerplant, which is currently under construction. In addition, we also get to be involved in projects that involve transmission facility construction and repair, arranging resources for our federal partners, tracking and distributing the environmental attributes of the SLCA/IP resources and many other projects that tie directly to WAPA's mission. Every day in Contracts we get to do something new, and, because of this, I get to learn about another aspect of WAPA's mission. I am thankful to be involved in such a great organization.
