Daniella Piper
Chief Transformation Officer & Regional Manager of Western New York
New York Power Authority
“As long as you’re focused on your strengths, you will bring your best to whatever situation you find yourself in.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationDaniella Piper
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I was born in Trinidad and Tobago.
I grew up watching my dad, an electrician, work on projects around the house, which inspired my interest in electrical engineering.
I earned my associate degree in electrical and electronics engineering and then spent a few years working on the construction of process plants in Trinidad and Tobago.
I came to the U.S. and attended the City College of New York, where I studied electrical engineering.
I learned about the New York Power Authority because they were doing energy efficiency updates at my college—I applied for an internship and was able to start my career with the organization.
I started at the New York Power Authority as an electrical engineer and have worked my way up through various engineering roles to my current role as regional manager and chief transformation officer.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Associate's Degree
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
San Fernando Technical Institute
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
San Fernando Technical Institute
Graduate
Power Systems
New York University - Polytechnic School of Engineering
Power Systems
New York University - Polytechnic School of Engineering
Certification/License
Energy Executive Program
University of Idaho
Energy Executive Program
University of Idaho
Certification/License
Executive Education, Advanced Management Program
Harvard Business School
Executive Education, Advanced Management Program
Harvard Business School
Career
Chief Transformation Officer & Regional Manager of Western New York
I lead the team at the Niagara Power Project to transform the energy landscape in New York.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Environment & Nature
Accomplishing Goals
Day to Day
We have multiple facilities spread across a large area that I may be working at. For example, if there's maintenance at one of the units, I'll go speak with the supervisor and team to see how the job is going. I'm also involved in making decisions around investments and assets. I may be on a call with headquarters talking about large project investments, the scope of the project, what the priority is, etc. We're also always working toward improving safety so I may be in conversations about that.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Do some research to see what large organizations are doing in sustainability and get some ideas of where you can work. Every company is confronted by this now, so there will be lots of opportunities—you just have to decide which area you want to go into.
Interviewed By
Empowered State
The state of New York leads a clean energy revolution
