Ashrafi assumes Electrical Branch Chief position at Huntsville Center
Ashrafi was recently selected as chief of Huntsville Center's Electrical Branch, returning him to a supervisory role after previously serving as an Electrical Section Chief with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Alaska District.
The road to electrical engineering was not exactly direct. Ashrafi entered the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying civil engineering and was nearly finished with the program when his father, a mechanical engineer, suggested a change of plans: electrical engineering.
Rather than choosing one discipline over the other, Ashrafi chose both.
"I piggybacked the electrical engineering degree on top of the civil engineering degree," Ashrafi said. "So, I got both in five years and two summers."
It was a demanding route, but one he says paid off. Before joining USACE, Ashrafi spent years in the power sector, where his background in both disciplines proved valuable. He explained that electrical utility work often involves substantial civil engineering considerations, from foundations to poles and other infrastructure.
Asked whether he had any second thoughts about following his father's advice, Ashrafi did not hesitate. "No," he said. "It's been good for me."
That advice also appears to have helped establish something of a family tradition. Ashrafi and his wife, Nicole, have three sons. Their oldest, Caleb, is following in his father’s footsteps, studying civil engineering at the University of Central Florida, while their middle son, Jacob, has been accepted to both the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama in Huntsville to study mechanical engineering. Their youngest son, Gabriel, is 13.
Ashrafi's own career has taken him through a variety of utility organizations and locations. Before joining USACE, he worked for Hawaiian Electric, Matanuska Electric Association in Alaska, and Naperville Electric in the Chicago suburbs, where he spent about 15 years. He also spent time in consulting, though he said mission-focused work ultimately appealed to him more.
"I like the mission of the Corps of Engineers," Ashrafi said. "I like the mission and helping the warfighters in different parts of the world.”
Ashrafi has been with USACE for a little more than four years. He spent two years as an electrical chief with the Alaska District before moving to Huntsville Center as an electrical engineer. The move brought his family back to the Lower 48 and eventually led to his competing for the branch chief position.
"It's rewarding," Ashrafi said. "I have 20 years of supervisory experience overall, so I felt suitable to be going back to the supervisory role."
For employees wondering what kind of chief they are getting, Ashrafi describes his leadership style as hands-off, emphasizing coaching, trust, and giving employees room to find the best way to accomplish their work.
"I try to coach them more than push them to do certain things my way," he explained. "People have different methods and ways of doing things, so I like to let them grow that. It might be better or more efficient than what I think is best."
That does not mean disappearing behind an office door. Ashrafi said he wants employees to bring him problems, conflicts, or other issues when they need help, while otherwise giving them the latitude to do their jobs.
He also assumes the position at a busy time. Ashrafi said the branch has significant work ahead and will need to replace expertise lost to recent retirements. He is also exploring opportunities to bring in new employees, including recent graduates who can develop into long-term members of the Center workforce.
"We have a lot of work, and it's not slowing down," he said. "We need to backfill some positions and get more expertise in."
For Ashrafi, the new position brings together several threads that have run through his career: engineering, public service, mentoring employees, and, apparently, a family tendency to keep choosing increasingly complex technical degrees.
And if his father's career advice is any indication, a well-timed suggestion from an engineer can go a long way.
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