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U.S. engineer finds a home with BC Hydro

Mary Frances Hill
For bchydro.com

If Craig Befus could compare Canadians to anyone else in the world, he'd probably pick the folks in Missouri.

But take heart, Canucks. That's a good thing, according to Befus, an American transplant who has recently made Vancouver his home.

"I do find Canadians to be somewhat like people from Missouri," says the engineer, who enjoyed a 22-year career in power systems in the United States before coming to BC Hydro. "They are not always easy to convince; [they're] more reserved in certain aspects, but there are things we can learn from each other. It's not much different than asking what Californians can learn from Texans. We have similar cultures but there are plenty of differences."

Befus is part of a new crop of Born-in-the-U.S. talent at BC Hydro, and the result of some new creativity in BC Hydro recruitment methods.

BC Hydro's recruiters are facing a job market unlike any in more than a decade. In our robust economy, skilled workers are being scooped up by hungry companies forced to polish their image to attract good candidates. With a huge talent pool south of the border, the decision to look beyond the 49th parallel – to a country with a huge talent pool and a slower economy – was a no-brainer. And finding engineers like Befus has made the extra effort worthwhile.

"It makes sense for them to look for talent in the U.S. because we share common standards, designs, and operating practices," he says.

Born to be an engineer

In the Befus household, engineers were born, not made.

Craig Befus was raised in Denver, Colorado, an eternally inquisitive boy who left nothing in his path untouched. "I was the kid who took apart everything to see what was inside, and to see if I could put it back together," he says. "I always had a curiosity about how things work."

By the time he reached university, though, he found himself looking at a future in business administration. Fate intervened in the form of a good friend who convinced him to ditch his pursuit of a business degree in favour of engineering.

Befus took him up on it, and never looked back.

"It took me another two years to graduate from university, but it was worth it."

While working, he managed to squeeze in studies toward his Masters degree in electrical engineering – schooling that led him directly to the power systems industry, working for utilities and manufacturers.

Travel takes its toll

Prior to his work at BC Hydro, Befus worked for prestigious S&C Electric, headquartered in Chicago. He was based in the Dallas/ Fort Worth region, but found himself living out of a suitcase for an inordinate amount of time. To many, that sounds like a chance at adventure – a little more spice than the average desk job. But ask any business traveller: after a while, being constantly on the road loses its lustre.

"I covered Western Canada in this role, 26 states in the U.S., and South America for a time and I got very burned out on that aspect."

Travel may have been a chore after a while, but the exposure to B.C. turned out to be a blessing. "I knew Canada and I knew that B.C. was a very special place."

It was a relief for Befus to learn just how much BC Hydro would ease the transition from state to province, as the company sponsored Befus and his partner under the provincial nomination program.

Considering Vancouver's real estate market, the switch from life in relatively inexpensive Texas wasn't without its difficulties.

"House-hunting was challenging, as we came from a much lower cost-of-living city," he says. "We had to lower our expectations and get beyond the sticker shock."

His new life north of the border also came with the opportunity to burst some presumptions."We were not sure what to expect with the health care system, and we were pleasantly surprised to find out how well it works," he says.

The engineer says he learned some of the greatest lessons of his career from his very first supervisor. That boss saw Befus's talent, and invested his faith in him. The opportunity to become immersed in challenging, interesting new tasks allowed for great professional growth.

Finally, good luck came in pairs. "My second boss took me under his wing to teach me about sales management and building relationships in the industry," he says. "I've been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with great people over my entire career."

That professional experience seems to have brought him full circle. As a leader at BC Hydro today, he can look back at the examples of his mentors, and lead his own staff in the same way he had been nurtured in his early years. Says Befus: "BC Hydro has given me new opportunities to lead and mentor a relatively young engineering staff."