Celebrating Pride Month: Meet Shea Kirwin
It’s Pride Month and Avangrid is celebrating our LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies! Each week we’ll be highlighting a member of the Pride community at Avangrid.
This week, meet Shea Kirwin.
Tell us about your career. What do you do? Tell us about a project you’re working on currently or a project you have worked on in the past that you’re proud of?
I am an energy engineer in the conservation and load management department. I work on energy efficiency projects for Commercial and Industrial customers. I’m currently working on a large comprehensive project for a local manufacturer that is estimated to save over 855,000 kWh and 10,000 CCF annually. The carbon reduction and reduced load on the grid will not only help the business itself but everyone around them and I am so glad to be a part of the process.
What does inclusion at work or in general mean to you?
An inclusive work environment for me means everyone can be authentically themselves right away without fear of judgement or persecution. As LGBTQ+ members we must come out essentially every time we meet someone new. Working somewhere where inclusion is a cornerstone is so important so that you can be yourself without waiting in ambiguity, scared of how people might react.
How has the Pride BRG made a difference to you, personally or professionally?
In my direct team I am the only queer person, the pride BRG has brought me community in the workplace. I look forward to the events and conversations we have in the pride BRG as a place where everyone can be open, honest, and themselves.
What’s something you think people can do to gain awareness about important issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community?
As someone who uses social media to stay plugged into happenings, I think following magazines and news outlets that are aimed towards the LGBTQ+ community is vital for getting information. ‘The Advocate’ and ‘Them’ are great starters, by simply following them on social media or subscribing to their online services you can have headlines of major events that are impacting the community straight to your timeline.
Name a role model you admire in the LGBTQ community? How do they inspire you?
Besides being one of my favorite comedians, Tig Notaro, is a huge inspiration to me. Her ability to make light of heartbreaking events in her life such as coming out, getting breast cancer, loss of loved ones for her audience is genius. She has never been anyone but herself and unapologetically so! She uses her platform in the culture to promote LGBTQ+, environmental, and other injustice issues to every corner of the country by going on tour and doing interviews. Her life has been anything but easy and seeing a lesbian make it so far in the industry, through every barrier imaginable helps pick me up when I’m down.
If you could speak to your younger self, what would you say?
I would like to tell my younger self that everything she feared about the future would subside as we overcame countless obstacles. That we became a licensed EIT (working towards PE), moved out of Texas, and are living out and proud despite any persecution from others.
