Pam Rauch

What was your first job ever?

While in high school I was a tennis pro at a summer camp.  At the time, I played competitive tennis at Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale.   But it all started while growing up in Lighthouse Point, Florida, when my parents paid a young tennis player, just three years older than me $6 an hour to hit balls with me.  He needed the money for a car, so I got lots of practice.  In fact, I went on to play tennis while earning my undergraduate degree at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  What I learned from my tennis days was the more you practice, the better you get.

Where did you go to law school and what did you do right out of college?

I earned my law degree from Florida State University College of Law.  I was in private law practice in West Palm Beach for five years, where I focused on local government and real estate law.  Even though I learned a great deal, I felt my career needed a different direction.  Much to the dismay of my parents at the time, I quit the firm and headed to Colorado for a summer, then onto Seattle to climb Mount Rainier, and finally biking through parts of Alaska.  I was searching for a change.  I discovered I liked being a lawyer, but I needed a different venue, so I went to work for the City of West Palm Beach, where I stayed for five years.  While there, I worked on the redevelopment of West Palm Beach, specializing in land use law and obtained my certification as a land use planner.

When did you start at FPL?

I started with FPL as a senior attorney in 1999, moving to FPL Energy in 2001, then to FPL as a managing attorney in 2003, and ending up as an associate general counsel in 2007.

What are your most significant accomplishments at FPL?

That’s hard to say because I have had the opportunity to work on so many good projects, but if I have to narrow it down to a few:  In 2001, while working on the wind project real estate team for the then FPL Energy, I helped build an organization within the legal team that brought in-house 90 percent of the previously out-sourced legal work.  Then in 2003, I was one of the first of five managing attorneys in FPL, growing the FPL legal department from 18 to 77 attorneys.  And, finally, in 2004 I had the privilege of working on multi-billion dollar generation development programs for nuclear, gas and solar energy.

What career advice would you give women?

The advice I would give any woman on career path is to create your own style of who you are as a professional and don't try to be somebody else. You will be most effective if you allow the best parts of your personality and what you have to offer, show.

What advice would you give FPL employees?

If you don’t like a situation, it is up to you to change it and you can always change it.  If something’s not working for you, it is up to you to fix it. 

What is the best thing about working at FPL?

I am always amazed at how many talented and caring people I work with every day.  I watch employees donate their time and resources to give back to the community, from United Way to participating in events during their off hours.  It inspires me, and I’m proud to be associated with them.