SPP director taking lead on innovative transmission plan

Sunny Raheem, Director of System Planning

When one receives an email from Sunny Raheem, the SPP director leading innovative, industry-leading transmission planning, it’s only natural to wonder about the spelling of his first name.

So, what’s the story with the ‘u’?

Raheem laughs.

“It’s for sunshine and happy thoughts,” he says. “My parents gave me the nickname when I was born. Basically, it was because I smiled and I was happy all the time. It just caught on. Now, I just have more responsibility, but I think I still smile a lot.”

Raheem, SPP’s director of system planning, reporting to Casey Cathey, vice president of engineering, leads the development of the Integrated Transmission Plan (ITP) each year. The ITP is essential for ensuring the grid has the capability of handling and transferring power to meet the growing demand across SPP’s 17-state footprint.

To that end, SPP is combining transmission planning and generation source connection to the grid in the Consolidated Planning Process (CPP), which Raheem is also driving. The CPP has won praise throughout the industry, including from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“I’m really energized by things that provide a lot of value,” Raheem says. “With CPP, we’re providing a huge value to our ratepayers and our member utilities. It’s really rewarding. Where else could you work where what you do can have an impact on 20 million customers and how they get their electricity?”

Sarmad “Sunny” Raheem, 39, was born in Pakistan but grew up in rural northeastern Arkansas. He’s a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). He’s been at SPP for 16 years, the only job he’s ever had, after college. He’s known his wife, Whitney, a nurse stroke coordinator and educator since they were kids. They live outside Mayflower near Little Rock with their two children, Ava, 9, and Mya, 4.

He jokes that his story isn’t that interesting compared to his father’s. His father was born to a stable and well-connected family in Pakistan. Raheem’s grandfather was a family doctor and that country’s secretary of state for agriculture.

But Raheem’s father was restless and sought new adventures in America.

In New Jersey, his father with family members started a janitorial supply business but soon saw other opportunities in the South. His father and his brother bought a rundown hotel going through foreclosure in Memphis and renovated it. Soon afterward, he hired a local woman to manage the hotel’s restaurant. They would later marry. His dad also completed the naturalization process and became an American citizen.

The Raheem family continued living in Memphis until Sunny completed first grade. They then moved to Hardy, Ark., a small town in Sharp County with a population of 773, where his maternal grandparents had retired and could help support them. Sunny lived just a few doors down from them.

There aren’t too many folks with Pakistani backgrounds in Sharp County, but Raheem said his family fit right in.

“I’m sure it was a little different at first,” he says. “But my family was very into the community. I went to school there and had best friends and played basketball and baseball. We’d ride four-wheelers on dirt roads and get gas and snacks. My family was very active in the Hardy United Methodist Church. It was a block from our house. That made things easier.”

He still loves Sharp County, especially for its outdoor activities.

After graduating from Highland High School, he went to UALR with an eye toward a telecommunications engineering career. He interned at Alltel, which soon merged with Verizon and many people lost their jobs in the Little Rock area. That made Raheem rethink his career plans.

His dad suggested the energy field.

“I’m very fortunate to have my parents,” Raheem says. “My dad’s got the entrepreneurial spirit. My mom has always been a hard worker, doing things the right way. They coached me up through life. It’s amazing how people from two different sides of the world meet and can influence you like that.”

He recalled not getting the grades he wanted his freshman year of college. He started thinking about switching to an easier major. So, his dad sent him data showing the lifetime earning potential for an engineer compared to other fields.

“He didn’t force me to make a decision, but he gave me all the information I needed as an 18-year-old,” Raheem says.

He graduated with a systems engineering degree and later received a master’s degree from UALR as well. He started at SPP in 2010 as an entry level engineer. After several promotions, he’s held his current role for the last two years.

For relaxation, he likes to get away from the computer. He loves hiking, kayaking, and woodworking. He makes furniture, including their dining room table.

He even built a pavilion in their backyard, perhaps demonstrating the connection of the hard-working and driven side of his personality to the fun and happy side.

“I want to make a pizza oven at some point,” he says. “If you are going to hang out in the pavilion, you’ve got to be able to eat pizza.”