Revaz Ghlighvashvili, Nigeria
“It is difficult to be without my family. There are certain project locations where I can’t bring my wife and children, but Tetra Tech has made it possible for me to visit them a few times a year — and for that, I am extremely grateful.”
Human Interest and Families: This series focuses on our employees who live and work overseas, and how Tetra Tech supports them and their families with their transition.
Revaz is the Director of Utility Services for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Power Africa Transactions and Reforms Program (PATRP), which provides technical assistance, capacity building, and transaction support services across sub-Saharan Africa. As a director of utility services, Revaz oversees the overall performance improvement of four electricity distribution utilities in Nigeria.
Reflecting on his career path, Revaz admits that switching from practicing law to an electricity utility job was challenging; “when I was in Georgia, all the law officials had to make a choice and find a job in the electricity sector so that we could join the fight against corruption,” says Revaz. “All of my engineering knowledge and expertise came later on from on-site training and educational courses.”
Growing up in Georgia, Revaz was always interested in working internationally to discover new cultures, and when asked about raising children overseas, Revaz says “take your children and go! It’s one of the best things you can do for them and some of the best opportunities you can provide too.”
One of Revaz’s most memorable experiences overseas was the birth of his son; he was born in Georgia while Revaz was working in Kosovo. “Interestingly enough, my son was born on Albania’s Independence Day, took his first steps on Albania’s Independence Day, and this year he took his first swim in the ocean while we were in Albania. If he flies one day, I’m sure he’ll do it in Albania!” says Revaz.
For Revaz, a resilient and energy-secure world would be one with varied types of generation, transmission, and distribution of energy — where alternatives such as micro-grids can help rural communities generate their power. Through his work at Tetra Tech, Revaz is playing a part in achieving a resilient world with favorable political environments aimed to promote economic growth.
