Female foreman leads by example

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019 Pam Maris 4977 Views 0 Comments balance for better, construction, CPS Energy, foreman, her story, IBEW, non-traditional role, women's history month 3 min read

Encouraged to always be her best, Leticia “Letty” Ortiz has excelled in her career. She’s now in her 27th year with CPS Energy, where she’s worked alongside her male counterparts in blistering heat, freezing temperatures and pouring rain to ensure the utility’s customers have safe, reliable power for their homes and businesses.

Letty began her career with the company in August 1992, progressing from a general trainee to equipment operator to foreman in just 10 years. Today, she leads crews as a civil support foreman in our company’s Energy Delivery Services department, which plans, installs, maintains and repairs our electric infrastructure.

Letty is among a handful of female employees at CPS Energy who work in the field and is one of only two holding the title of foreman. She’s assigned to our Southwest Service District located on San Antonio’s Southwest side.

As we continue our series commemorating Women’s History Month, today we choose to shine the light on Letty. Read on to find out what else Letty shared about herself during a recent interview.

CPS Energy: Did you have any female role models growing up?

Letty: My mother was my main role model. She was the one who always encouraged me to be the BEST in whatever field of work I wanted to do.

CPS Energy: How did you become interested in a career at CPS Energy?

Letty: I started my first construction job shortly after graduating high school and have always enjoyed this type of work. In my previous construction jobs, I would meet with CPS Energy line locators at jobsites and would hear good things about the company. The folks I met from CPS Energy encouraged me to apply.

CPS Energy: What are some of your greatest accomplishments at CPS Energy?

Letty: When I was hired on as a utility worker in 1992, my goal was to learn how to operate heavy equipment. This was my passion, working in construction around rock saws, backhoes and excavators. I’ve been able to accomplish my goal, and I’m going on 27 years at the company, 17 of those as a foreman.

CPS Energy: What types of work do you and your crew perform?

Letty: We do preparation work such as obtaining locates and permits; meet with customers related to construction jobs like service reroutes; install streetlights in subdivisions; handle scheduled transformer change-outs and line extensions.

CPS Energy: Did you ever feel intimidated in your role as a foreman?

Letty: The short answer is no. Even as a foreman, I continue to work alongside my crews. Leading, to me, is about communicating and working with your team. If they see you working like they are, they’ll respect you and bend over backwards for you.

CPS Energy: What organizations do you belong to?

Letty: I’m on the Safety Circuit Committee and I am a United Way campaign officer for CPS Energy. I also belong to the IBEW Local 500 and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

Thank you, Letty, for the outstanding work you do on the job and in serving our customers and community!