Employee Spotlight: Aubree Muse, Project Developer
We sat down with Aubree Muse, for a conversation about her experience with Candela as a project developer. Aubree joined Candela in January 2022.
What motivated you to pursue a career in the renewable energy industry?
AM: I was admitted to Harvard as a pre-med student and was pretty certain I would be a doctor someday. That changed halfway through my sophomore year when I fell in love with environmental studies after taking a class on climate change. After learning about the desperate overhaul our energy system needs, I realized what a major problem was at hand for my generation and the future, and I realized I wanted to tailor my education to set myself up for a career where I could work on renewable energy solutions and make a difference.
What led you to seek out a career at Candela?
AM: In many ways, I feel like my career at Candela was meant to be! I was home for Thanksgiving break during my final college semester, and my parents were prodding me about my next step. I knew at this point that I wanted to work in the renewables industry, but I didn’t know where to get my foot in the door. Coincidentally, James Cook, Vice President of Development at Candela, appeared in a local newspaper article due to a public information meeting Candela hosted for a project under development in my hometown of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. After researching Candela, I cold-emailed an address I found on the company website, and a week later, I received a call from James (who is now my boss!). I wanted to be a part of a small, tight-knit company working to bring clean energy to the grid and was thrilled to be offered an internship starting the next month in January 2022 – which has led to a full-time position and another promotion over the past 18 months.
What are some of the day-to-day responsibilities of being a developer?
AM: As developers, we must be multi-disciplined and people-oriented problem solvers. In addition to understanding land use policies, local government and state government entitlement processes, intricacies of the electric grid, various development costs, and environmental impacts, we also focus deeply on the communities we work in. Working collaboratively with landowners and communities to make our projects mutually beneficial is a high priority for Candela. This requires a lot of effort, care, connection-building, and time spent in these communities to build trust and confidence. I spend about 30% - 40% of my time traveling to meet project stakeholders and decision-makers, primarily on the East Coast but occasionally out west in Arizona and California. The time I don’t spend traveling for work, I work remotely.
That’s a lot of travel! Are there any downsides to being on the road frequently?
AM: I love traveling for work. It’s a fun way to meet people and the best way to gain a better understanding of the communities we work in. Something unique about Candela is that our staff is close-knit. I look forward to traveling to different project sites and being with team members that I don’t regularly see every day. Many of my colleagues at Candela have been in solar project development for almost two decades, and I am ever-grateful for the opportunity to learn from them while on the road together. Visiting job sites also presents an opportunity to build relationships with key stakeholders, community members, and industry peers. These relationships are critical to our work, so whether we are scoping out a potential site or taking a ‘boots on the ground’ approach to gathering information about a specific project, I find tremendous value in traveling. Honestly, one of the best things about my job is meeting new people and talking to them about our projects, our work, and why I feel it’s important.
What is the most recent work trip you went on?
AM: Most recently, I flew to Phoenix to see a potential new site in Arizona, and to visit an existing site where we hope to implement sheep grazing. I was joined by Jim Woodruff, Candela’s VP of Public Affairs, Louis DeRosa, Director of Siting and Permitting, Reed Sellers, Senior Manager of Development Engineering, along with a couple outside consultants. We had a very productive week meeting with a few key stakeholders, walking the sites to assess the land, and brainstorming next steps to keep the projects moving forward. I also recently attended our Q2 meeting in San Francisco. Candela hosts an all-hands quarterly meeting at our HQ which is something I always look forward to- it's super fun to get the whole team together!
What did the quarterly meeting trip consist of?
AM: The afternoon before our Q2 meeting, we boarded a ferry to Alcatraz Island, where we completed a guided audio tour…and accidentally left three people stranded on the island (don’t worry, another boat picked them up!). The next day, we had a company-wide meeting during which various team members presented projects or initiatives they were working on. I had the opportunity to lead a presentation about agrivoltaics, something which I am passionate about, having grown up on a cattle farm in Kentucky. I give a lot of credit to our management team for empowering me to pursue agrivoltaic initiatives on various projects; they offered support and guidance through the initial stages of developing my presentation, and it sparked meaningful group discussions about how we can incorporate agrivoltaics throughout our portfolio.
How do you think Candela’s quarterly meetings contribute to the company culture?
AM: Like many companies these days, many of our team members work remotely throughout the country. The quarterly meetings bring us together for work collaboration and to get to know each other better. Before our quarterly meetings, our executive team polls staff about fun activities we would like to suggest for the group. This is a testament to Candela's culture. Company leadership values everyone’s input, and whether it’s a quarterly outing or day-to-day interaction, we are all dedicated to fostering interpersonal relationships and laying the groundwork to succeed and grow. I genuinely feel like Candela is a product of everybody who works here, and our company culture directly benefits.
Unrelated to your work travel, what are some of your career goals, and how does Candela help you achieve them?
AM: I am fortunate to work for a company invested in my career growth. I learn by doing, and Candela allows me to work on various projects and company-wide initiatives that help me deepen my knowledge and expand my skill set. Our managers also care about our interests and help facilitate ways for us to explore and learn more about whatever those interests may be. I have frequent one-on-one meetings with my manager to set goals and discuss ways they can support my career growth. Every day, I feel challenged and am constantly learning--which is really important to me at this stage in my career!
Reflecting on the beginning of your career, what is one piece of advice you would give to college graduates entering the field?
AM: My biggest advice for those breaking into the industry is to build relationships with industry peers. Don’t be afraid to cold call or email folks to introduce yourself. Even request informational interviews if you can. There’s no better way to learn about the industry than by asking a ton of questions - that applies both before and after you get the job! Finally, do something that makes you happy and challenges you. If you’re growing and feel good about your work, you’ve found a good fit.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know Aubree Muse. Please feel free to connect with Aubree on LinkedIn. Be sure to check back to Candela’s blog for more employee spotlights!
