Women in Energy: Ava Tomlin’s journey in a predominantly male field

AN accomplished operations leader, project manager and engineer with a track record of performance in the aviation, construction and utilities sectors, Ava Tomlin is driven by a compelling vision that more than one-third of our nation’s energy needs will be supplied from indigenous natural resources in this island — and in the near future.

Born in Mandeville, Tomlin began her engineering career as a civil engineer at the Jamaica Public Service Co Ltd, where she served for six years, managing the construction of commercial buildings, electrical substations and communications towers. From there, she went to St Lucia, where she coordinated treatment, transmission and distribution of potable water for the island’s water authority, followed by a stint at Alumina Partners of Jamaica, where she facilitated the completion of an alumina processing plant upgrade. Subsequent to that assignment, she served at NMIA Airports Ltd, managing a team 90 staff — of which 87 were men. This was particularly challenging, as some of these men had children her age. It was a journey filled with challenges, but was extremely fulfilling and an important part of her growth.

After several other corporate and public sector engagements, she returned to JPS in 2012 , where she functioned as parish manager for Manchester and St Elizabeth. In this capacity, she managed overall responsibility for all aspects of service delivery, operational, customer care and field service matters pertaining to the geographic area.

In 2014, Tomlin joined BMR Jamaica Wind Limited Energy, where she currently holds the post of regional director.

Commenting on the present state of the energy sector, Tomlin says that Government and private sector stakeholders remain committed to finding the optimal energy solutions to meet Jamaica’s needs, and there is much collaboration to determine the energy mix for the nation.

“That said, how well we do in achieving our 2030 target depends on factors such as continued commitment to policies in support of this objective,” she said.

Tomlin also says that about 153 per cent of Jamaica’s demand comes from renewables and there is a thrust to move to 30 per cent by 2030.

Of course, numbers and plans are one thing, but the ‘on the ground’ perception is another. Members of the public, Tomlin notes, “always tend to believe we aren’t moving fast enough and that energy prices are too high”. She counters this by pointing to the 80MW of renewables being installed in the grid and says that energy prices have lowered due to reduced oil prices.

Conservation, she adds, is critical.

“Money spent on energy to achieve this same result could be spent elsewhere — toward investment and development, for example. Over the long-term, less money can be spent on infrastructure development as you don’t have to install capacity to a higher peak demand.”

Of course, the event titled ‘Women In Energy’ raises the question of how women function in a traditionally male-centred field such as energy delivery.

The event, presented by the Women of JPS, is slated for March 9 and 10 at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

“We bring the same qualities as in any other industry, regardless of gender — competence, passion, tenacity, risk taking and the ability to go outside the box. From my personal experience I have found ‘women in male-dominated fields’ do tend to bring a more holistic solution, often giving a greater consideration to the human aspect of the solution,” she said.

Tomlin cites her parents as among her chief inspirations.

“The focus in our home was on academics and ethical behaviour — if we needed academic help, our parents would either provide it or ensure we got it.” She also found neighbour Lola Ramocan quite helpful in this regard, as well as her teachers and school-based mentors.

“I had a host of great teachers at Manchester High. Mrs Duncan stands out for the personal attention she gave me to alleviate my insecurities regarding English courses.”

Those insecurities, one can presume, are a thing of the past as Tomlin readies to address the Women in Energy 2017 audience. The conference seeks to achieve that critical pillar of her vision: to increase the ‘buy-in’ from the public and various sectors for the importance of the energy sector, in much the same way that the manufacturing or tourism sectors seek greater recognition and acknowledgement.