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Armando Alvarez

Armando Alvarez

Areas of Expertise/Core Competencies

Broad-based Management Skills, Team Leadership, Construction Management, Concurrent Project Management, Strategic Analysis, Planning/Budget Management, Standards Design, Current Diversion Control & Prevention, Contract Negotiations, Regulatory Compliance, Proposal Development, Network, UCD, URD, Smart Grid Design System Skills, Analysis of Rate Design

Employment History

Engineering Manager

1/2014 to Present
Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC) Hooker, Oklahoma

  • Managed a team of 10 that has achieved increased productivity by realigning systems and focusing resources in the appropriate areas.
  • Project Manager for the construction and commissioning of 6 concurrent 115/69/12.47kv substations budgeted at $23 million dollars.
  • Managed a $50 million-dollar budget which focused on ensuring system reliability.
  • Designed/managed the installation of the renewable energy inter-connects between the 1mw community solar farm, a 1.25mw wind turbine and the TCEC distribution system.
  • Designed/managed and completed a $1.8 million installation of an automatic smart grid underground service for the new TCEC headquarters budgeted at $30 million dollars.
  • Managed the standards team charged with improving construction standards.


Consultant and Senior Project Manager

6/2006 to 10/2013
Coastal Electric Constructors and TeamWorknet Tampa, Florida

  • Project manager for a $4 million-dollar, 2-year project at the University of Florida (UF). Scope included the upgrading 130 electromechanical relays in 5 UF substations to microprocessor based protection and controls while keeping the substations energized.
  • Negotiated contracts for the inspection of the existing infrastructure and the completion of 6 miles of 132kv transmission lines on 90-foot composite poles, serving a 25mw load at Baha Mar project Nassau, Bahamas.
  • Designed and provided material support for 74mw of diesel fired generators for the copper mining industry in Sri Lanka and Botswana, Africa.
  • Emergency restoration, hurricane Sandy, part of a 40-man team tasked to safely restore power in support of PECO and PSEG in Philadelphia and New Jersey, 18-16-hour consecutive days.

Restoration Manager

9/2004 to 2/2006
Grenada Electric Company (GRENLEC) Caribbean Sea, owners WRB Enterprises headquartered in Tampa, Florida

Managed 165 utility lines personnel from 12 different countries charged with the expedient restoration of electric power serving 110,000 residents spread over 135 mountainous square miles of the country of Grenada, after the total devastating direct hit of hurricane IvanSeptember 7, 2004. This was a design build effort to restore 40mw.

Director/General Manager

1/1998 to 11/2003
Turks and Caicos Utility Company (TCU) British West Indies, owners WRB Enterprises headquartered in Tampa, Florida

  • Tasked with rebuilding of an aged electric 13kv distribution and generation system abandoned by the US Navy. Accomplishments were design/build a new state of the art 20mw power station, the rebuilding of a distribution system to US standards, provided training to local personnel in utility linesmen, meter reading and customer service.
  • Managed the Islands 100,000 gallon/day desalination water system.


General Manager

9/1993 to 11/1997
Roatan Electric Company (RECO) Roatan, Honduras. First privately held cooperative in Central America assisted and supported by NRECA international and Tampa Electric Company

Awarded a 3-year contract to train native Hondurans to manage and operate a fully functional electric utility serving 5000 members with a demand load of 7mw.

Senior Marketing Consultant, Field Engineer, Linesman, Apprentice Linesman, Equipment Operator, Ground man

11/1969 to 9/1993
Tampa Electric Company (TECO) Tampa, Florida

Accomplishments include the electrical service design of 80% of the existing high-rise buildings in Downtown Tampa, Florida consisting of eight, 10 to 40 story buildings, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa International Airport, Tampa General Hospital, several mega industrial parks, USF primary metered relay services, University of Tampa 4kv conversion, Tampa Stadium all utilizing a combination of below grade vaults with submersible network transformers and protectors or UCD auto switching equipment.   
                                  

Academic Qualification

1969-1977 BSEE International Correspondence Schools ICS Scranton, Pennsylvania                                            

University of South Florida (USF) Tampa, Florida

Certifications

  • Manager of American Enterprise
  • National Management Association
  • Certified Power Cable Specialist
  • Certified Professional Managers
  • Utility Linesman and Cable-man
  • Honorable Discharge, United States Marine Corps                                                    

Training

  • National Electric Code (NEC)
  • National Electric Safety Code (NESC)
  • Engineering Economy
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Interaction Management
  • Business of Human Resource Management
  • Cultural Diversity
  • American Wind Energy Association