Even as a child, Candace Desmond-Lampkin was drawn to building and engineering. “I preferred puzzles and blocks. I remember being enthralled watching a babysitter do her calculus homework; it was like a secret language.” Candace’s father worked for IBM, and his career took the family to Tokyo for five years, during which time they traveled and saw much of the eastern world.
After graduating from Boston University in 2004, Candace took a job with a commercial solar company based in New York City. But before long, the travel bug instilled in her at an early age inspired her to combine her love of photovoltaics and travel by pursuing solar design positions in San Diego, Australia, and England.
Candace married an Englishman, and the couple moved to the woods of New Hampshire where they spent their days hiking with their dogs and DIYing. After a few years of calm and quiet, they decided to start a family. Wanting a larger community for their future offspring, they embarked on an extended road trip to find a new home, eventually settling in Bellingham, WA, renowned for its outdoorsy culture.
After running her own commercial solar design firm for a few years while raising her daughter, Candace was more than ready to return to a company setting, and an opening at EDF Renewables (now EDF power solutions) turned out to be a great fit. “I worked at small firms for the first 15 years of my career,” she observes. “It required wearing a lot of different hats and developing a broad skill set which I liked, but it also meant I was the only engineer.”
“It was refreshing to join EDF and be able to work as part of a team of engineers, both to share my experience with, as well as learn from,” she continues. “I’ve appreciated being a part of an organization that cares about developing its staff and have taken advantage of the multitude of learning opportunities offered by EDF’s Talent and Organizational Development team, including ‘Strengths Finder,’ ‘Emotional Intelligence,’ ‘Crucial Conversations,’ and ‘Sustainable Leadership.’ I have also participated in the ‘Mindful Mentorship’ program as both a mentee and a mentor, either of which I would highly recommend for anyone at any stage of their career.”
Candace started at EDF as a Design Engineer and, after a couple of years, was promoted to the position of Design Engineering Manager, advancing to her current role in 2024. “Now that I’m managing a team, I feel I’ve come into my own,” she reflects. “I enjoy being an advocate for our team and finding ways we can combine strengths to achieve our goals.”
Although she was a strong student, Candace says she hasn’t always been the most confident engineer. “I did well in university, but I had to work hard to make that happen. I went to all the extra help sessions and tutorials that were offered.”
These experiences influenced how Candace approaches her work. “People have different learning styles, and if you’re having difficulty understanding something, it may simply be that you need to have it explained in a different way, or that just isn’t your strength, and that’s okay.” she clarifies.
“Learning about yourself and others and figuring out how to leverage strengths and interests is an important skill. The strongest team members are always asking questions, acquiring knowledge, open to collaboration, and trying new things. There’s always room for growth.”
This worldview shapes Candace’s management style. “I don’t have to have the best answer every time as long as I know where to find it.” she explains. “Rather than one person dictating a course of action, we ask, ‘What do we think about this? How do we think we should tackle this challenge?’”
In keeping with this sentiment, Candace seeks to provide her team with as much support as she can, while also maintaining open lines of communication. “In each one-on-one meeting, I ask my direct reports ‘What challenges are you facing? What can I do to help?’ If anyone sounds like they’re getting overloaded, we find someone on the team who can jump in and take some tasks off their plate, including myself.”
Part of Candace’s job involves acting as a liaison between the engineering team and other teams. “Engineers are typically a bit cautious – we don’t like to commit to answers until we feel we have enough trustworthy data to rely on, which for some engineers could literally be never!” she says with a laugh.
“In contrast, developers often need to move quickly and find ways to make things work. I feel lucky to be able to bridge the gap between the engineers and our other teams. It can take a bit of finesse to get everyone on the same page in terms of expectations and a path forward, but generally my job is to help amazing individuals collaborate.”
“I feel lucky to be able to bridge the gap between the engineers and our other teams. It can take a bit of finesse to get everyone on the same page in terms of expectations and a path forward, but generally my job is to help amazing individuals collaborate.”
One of Candace’s goals is to deepen her understanding of project development. “I know my piece of the puzzle, but I hope as I gain a more holistic view of our processes, I’ll find ways to introduce efficiency gains.”
Looking back on a 20-plus year career in solar, Candace reiterates her appreciation of the collaborative attitude and supportive work environment at EDF power solutions. “EDFps invests in its people, and I value the opportunities I’ve had for professional growth, both through internal and external sources. I love seeing our team grow, and I do everything I can to develop an emotionally secure environment that enables our team members to be as effective and happy as possible.”
