“Working here at I&M and AEP has a guaranteed real-world impact to the community where I live and beyond,” said Jordan Justice, I&M Engineer.

We are highlighting a few of our talented I&M engineers beyond National Engineers Week. The job is vital as we enhance the electrical grid to ensure safe and reliable service for our customers and communities.

"My favorite part of my job is working on our underground electrical network," said Kim Pieske, Engineer Associate. "I enjoy being in the field with our talented network line workers observing equipment and seeing our engineering projects in action. I also like meeting with customers and helping them find the best solution to receive power."

Pieske has been with I&M's Special Projects and Network Engineering team for more than a year. She works with customers and creates tailored plans connecting them to power underground via electrical network. Pieske was drawn to engineering in high school.

"Math has always been a favorite subject as I enjoy solving problems that resemble puzzles," Pieske said. "In high school, I took engineering classes and learned to create 3-D models that solidified my engineering passion."

Christopher Wilson, Engineer with I&M's Distribution Dispatch Center (DDC) for more than 3 years, also was a curious kid trying to determine how things work and fixing broken electronics. Now, he studies electrical circuits to identify safe allocations of electricity during emergency power outages, maintenance and equipment checks and various other work.

"It's exciting we get to work providing safe and reliable power that enhances and the lives of thousands of people daily," Wilson said. "I&M and our parent company, American Electric Power (AEP), fosters a continued learning atmosphere. I've had various jobs in different fields - my colleagues at I&M are among the most diligent and competent folks I've ever worked alongside."

One of those co-workers is fellow Engineer Jordan Justice. He's been with I&M for almost 9 years and designs electrical projects connecting above ground power lines - both distribution and transmission lines - to businesses in our communities. Justice enjoys getting the lights back on for customers after inclement weather disrupts their service.

"Damage assessment duties during storm restoration is truly rewarding," Justice said. "I switch from my normal engineering role to looking for hazards such as a downed power line or a tree limb touching our equipment - and relay that to our lineworkers. It's cool to see people from all over the company work together to do something impossible."

Engineers use their curiosity and critical thinking skills in roles across the company to ensure reliable service and to grow our electrical network supporting the future. If you're interested in starting a career with I&M and AEP, click here to learn more.