OTTAWA (April 30) – ATCO’s Keyra Hawley, a self-proclaimed “bird nerd” who uses innovative technology to protect wildlife and humans alike, is a recipient of Electricity Canada’s first-ever Faces of the Industry Award.
The Faces of the Industry award highlights the work of six individuals who have shown outstanding achievement within the electricity sector. These individuals have demonstrated innovation and leadership and come from every part of the industry including executive leadership, communications, engineering, safety and public engagement.
Keyra has used innovative technology including drones, robotics and 3D modelling to prevent wildlife from being electrocuted – which can be harmful to both wildlife and humans alike – and developing novel methods to keep crews and the environment safe, while saving money and improving reliability. One such success had Keyra working with ATCO’s engineers in developing management systems to prevent bird electrocutions. Through her efforts, a nesting and perching deterrent was found that can be installed safely on powerline structures without suffering an outage.
Keyra has worked for over two decades as an environmental and wildlife specialist on large utility construction projects. She has used her knowledge of wildlife and habitat, migratory birds, vegetation management, environmental best practices, legislation and Indigenous knowledge to ensure that wildlife stays safe, and so do the crews that are working.
Beyond her own comprehensive expertise, what really distinguishes Keyra is her dedication to removing roadblocks. She has a unique ability to identify a need, pull together a diverse team of technical experts from within ATCO and across the industry and develop novel, biologically-sound, methods to preserve the environment and ensure safety and operational efficiency.
The Faces of the Industry awards were given out at a reception in Ottawa yesterday evening. The recipients will be featured in a social media campaign during National Electricity Month in June.
QUOTES
“There is no single type of ‘electricity employee’. We value anyone who can make working with electricity safer and better for the environment. Keyra Hawley is an important example of that. Her work involves three things that no one would think of putting together: wildlife, technology and electricity. And yet, every day, Keyra brings these things together to ensure people and wildlife stay safe. It’s through efforts like these that Keyra drives environmental innovation in the electric utility industry. Electricity Canada is proud to have Keyra Hawley as one of the first recipients of our Faces of the Industry award.”
– Francis Bradley, President and CEO, Electricity Canada
