Employee of the Month > March 2023

Natural leader, rock star, reliable – these are just a few of the words used to describe the March 2023 Employee of the Month, Grayson Steele, Engineer in Distribution Engineering Services.

Grayson began his career with the PUD on September 24, 2018, as an Assistant Designer in the Lynnwood Office. He quickly showed himself to be an excellent addition to that team and was promoted to Designer by summer of the following year. In November of that same year, Grayson joined the Distribution Engineering Services team as a Design Engineer. With his positive attitude, excellent work ethic and ability to rapidly learn new skills, he immediately became an indispensable member of that team. In October 2020, Grayson was promoted to Senior Design Engineer and in November 2022, he earned his current title of Engineer.

“Grayson is recognized by the leads in our department as a person who can be trusted to handle any project,” said Erin Burke, Manager Distribution Engineering Services. “In addition to having the knowledge and skills needed to do the job well, he’s also an excellent communicator with colleagues, customers and contractors. He takes the time to listen and understand while making sure to set expectations and clearly articulate factors that are important to the PUD.”

Soon after joining the Distribution group, Grayson was asked to step in and cover project management duties for a coworker on an extended leave. He provided critical support during construction of the City of Lynnwood’s 196th Street Relocation project; one of the most unique and challenging distribution relocations to be completed in the last decade.

“Grayson stepped up and handled the job with flying colors,” said Andra Flaherty, Principal Engineer. “His great work was recognized by colleagues in various departments, as well as the onsite contractor and the City of Lynnwood.”

“One of our values at the PUD is that we rise to challenges,” said Guy Payne, Assistant General Manager Distribution and Engineering. “Grayson has truly demonstrated this value through his work on the Lynnwood relocation project. However, it’s important to highlight that not only did he step up and take on a challenging task, but he did so while maintaining a positive attitude. Great work Grayson, and congratulations on earning this well-deserved recognition.”

In addition to his acumen as an engineer, Grayson is known for never having a frown on his face. He’s recognized by his peers for being the type of person who is willing to take the time to share his knowledge, and his smile, with his colleagues.

“Grayson’s enthusiasm is infectious and he keeps things light and positive for people around him,” said Andra. “Even though Grayson has only been at the District for a few short years, he has become not only one of the go-to people for his managers, but also for his peers. He soaks in knowledge and is more than happy to sit down with someone to help explain something.”

Like any natural leader, Grayson wanted to be sure to share the credit for his accomplishments with his fellow members of Team PUD.

“I just want to profusely thank each and every one of my co-workers and each member of the many departments that I coordinate with in my responsibilities,” said Grayson. “We have such amazing employees at the District and all the hard work that they do makes my day-to-day tasks possible. I especially want to thank the incredible leads and my manager in Distribution and Engineering Services. I have learned, and continue to learn, so much from each of you. You all have had such a significant impact on my career and I have nothing but gratitude for the work that you all do and for the incredible examples that you set.”