Mark Jacobsen
Municipal Light and Power
By Suzanna Caldwell
Even after 33 years of working as a systems programmer for Municipal Light and Power, Mark Jacobsen still loves it.
An avid runner, he’ll sometimes come up with computer programming solutions while trying to clear his head on a run. When he was younger he would meet up with friends to go bowling and stop in between rounds to pull out computer paper to work out a complex problem.
For Jacobsen, it’s been a lifelong passion that has translated into his work for the electric utility. Jacobsen, a self-described “computer freak,” helps support the utility’s billing system.
He makes sure that the computer systems run smoothly so customers are billed accurately and on time.
It’s a crucial function of ML&P. Being able to get bills paid on time means the utility can receive the funds it needs to operate and make improvements to its overall system.
For Jacobsen, that’s meant adding updates to the billing system over the years. In his three decades it’s changed from employees going out to read meters by hand to implementing a “smart metering” system that reads the meters remotely.
He’s found the challenge rewarding. His work has created efficiencies in the system, like being able to receive text alerts when smart metering systems go down. That allows people to respond quickly to fix the system.
“It’s fun,” he said. “After all these years I still like programming. I like problem solving.”
When he’s not working, Jacobsen is often training for his next marathon with his wife, Kathy, cooking Italian and French food, or singing the national anthem at various sporting events in Anchorage.
