LOS ANGELES, Calif. — In the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, far from the comforts of home, Tatiana Blanc stood alongside her team in remote villages, working to bridge cultural divides and bring resources to communities in need. As part of a pioneering cultural support program, she helped deliver projects for local communities—projects that could change lives. It was a mission rooted in empathy, resilience and purpose.

That sense of purpose has guided Tatiana through every chapter of her life—from her early days in Los Angeles, to her military career as an aviation officer and helicopter pilot and now to her role as a wife, mother and NextEra Energy Resources development project director, where she is developing projects close to where she grew up.

“I think what brought me to the Army and what kept me there was contributing to something greater,” Tatiana says. “That’s what drives me today.”

Tatiana’s career journey began at West Point, where she earned an undergraduate degree before embarking on an Army career that would take her across the globe. She thrived in the dynamic environment of the military, where new assignments and responsibilities came often. But after years of long deployments away from home, she decided to pivot—seeking stability for her growing family without losing the sense of mission that defined her.

Inspired by her wife who followed a similar path, her transition from the military started at Columbia Business School.

“I bring a lot of skills from the military to the workforce, but what I didn’t have was business acumen,” she recalls. “I intentionally went to business school to learn the language of business. I knew I wanted to be a developer.”

Initially drawn to real estate, Tatiana soon realized her passion lay elsewhere.

“Energy is a perfect place to find a sense of purpose,” she says. “You are keeping the lights on.”

Tatiana joined NextEra Energy Resources in 2021 and quickly found parallels between her military experience and the energy sector.

“As a pilot, you don’t just get in the cockpit and fly. You have to know about all technical aspects of the aircraft,” she explains. “That same attention to detail applies to energy.”

Her ability to engage stakeholders and navigate complex environments, learned through years of military service, has been instrumental in her current role.

“In Afghanistan, we learned to find what specific communities valued most. It’s about understanding the environment and finding commonality,” Tatiana says. “That’s exactly what development work requires.”

For the last year, Tatiana has been working to tell the company’s battery energy storage story.

“We started with an essentially blank slate,” Tatiana says. “We explored, defined the problem and built a campaign to help the fire service and local decision makers better understand the technology. Seeing the results of that effort has been incredibly rewarding.”

For Tatiana, the most challenging work is often the most meaningful. As she approaches the end of her second decade of service, now a member of the Army Reserves, she encourages other veterans to consider careers in energy.

“The corporate environment is more similar to the military than you’d think,” she says. “I know people will want to continue to find that sense of purpose in what they do. Energy is a perfect place to find it.”

Tatiana also hopes to instill the values she learned in the military in her two children.

“I want it to be their choice, but I will take them to Army games here and there,” she says with a smile. “I want to instill that same sense of duty and service.”