Seattle City (spot)Light: Mark Stearns, Generation Project Management Manager

THE BASICS

Division: Project Delivery

How long have you been at City Light? I joined Seattle City Light in January 2025, so I have been here just over a year.

Tell us about your role. I lead capital projects for City Light’s Generation Capital Improvement Program team, supporting the planning and delivery of work that improves infrastructure, replaces aging capital equipment, and helps ensure our generation assets remain safe, reliable, and ready to serve. I also have the privilege of leading a team of highly engaged, professional project managers who care deeply about their work and the people they support. At the end of the day, a big part of our job is helping keep our generation operators’ jobs boring, in the best possible way, by reducing risk, improving reliability, and making sure the infrastructure behind the scenes does what it is supposed to do.

BACKGROUND 

Hometown: Pullman, Washington, though I graduated from Interlake High School in Bellevue, Washington

Alma mater: U.S. Naval Academy and Old Dominion University

Discipline/Trade of study: Mechanical engineering and engineering management

Tell us about your family/pets: My wife, Jenni, is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work and is focused on restorative and therapeutic juvenile justice and foster care. She built a partnership with Kitsap County with the goal of reducing recidivism, which I am incredibly proud of. We have four kids. Tate is 19, and just finished his freshman year at Johns Hopkins University, and plays on the baseball team. He just hit his first home run, and I was there to see it! Theo is 17, a junior at North Kitsap High School with a 4.0 GPA and recently took second place at the state wrestling championship in the 215-pound weight class. Lu is a fifth grader who is getting into swimming and sewing. Quincy is a fourth grader who enjoys Brazilian jiujitsu and Little League Baseball, and I will be coaching his team this year, so please keep me in your thoughts. We also have too many dogs, three to be exact, and an elusive cat.

JUST FOR FUN

What energizes you and brings you excitement? I am energized by meaningful work, strong teams, and solving hard problems. Outside of work, I love coaching youth baseball and being involved in activities that help kids build confidence, resilience, and joy.

What would people never guess that you do in your role? People might not guess how much of the job is about building alignment, solving problems early, and helping teams work through complexity before it becomes a crisis. The technical side matters, but so much of the role is about communication, trust, and good judgment.

What obstacles have you overcome in your career? I have worked in high-stakes environments where expectations were high, resources were limited, and the work mattered. Those experiences taught me how to stay calm under pressure, focus on what matters most, and support teams through difficult challenges.

What advice do you have for those who are new to City Light? Take time to learn about the people, the history, and the mission behind the work. Ask questions, listen well, and build relationships early. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge here, and the more you understand how everything connects, the more effective you will be.

What is something most people don’t know about you? My family spent a year living in Nicaragua working at an orphanage on a mango farm, helping young men transition to life outside the orphanage. It was a deeply meaningful experience that shaped how I think about service, leadership, and community.