Charlie Gauger has marked 38 years of service at Florida Power & Light (FPL), continuing a family tradition that began with his grandfather, who worked for the company for over three decades. Gauger, who was born and raised in West Palm Beach, started his career at FPL in 1987 after graduating from high school.
“I was born and raised in West Palm Beach,” Gauger said. “I was hired by FPL right out of high school. My grandfather worked for the company for just over 30 years. He was a draftsman. He read meters back when they would ride bicycles. I remember when my grandpa would pick me up from school and take me to visit the FPL office.”
For Gauger, joining FPL represented more than just employment; it continued a family legacy. “I just enjoyed spending time with my grandfather,” he recalled. “In my mind, at that young age, he had worked at the company forever. I never imagined I would end up at FPL or work for the company even longer than he did.”
A family friend offered him an opportunity to join FPL when he was still a teenager. “I knew it was a great place to work. I reminded him I was only 17 at the time, but when I turned 18, just a few months later, I went to work for FPL as a bill deliverer.”
Gauger’s early role led to nearly four decades with the utility provider. This year, as FPL marks its centennial anniversary, Gauger is now project director in engineering and construction.
After six months delivering bills, Gauger moved into meter reading—a position that helped him understand how different parts of the organization contribute to reliable power delivery while managing costs.
“That was a huge step forward,” he said. “I stayed in that part of the company for 13 years, eventually becoming the lead at South Palm Meter Reading.”
He then transitioned into leadership roles and credits mentors for guiding his professional growth during periods of rapid change within FPL.
“I had a couple of amazing mentors. They helped push me along,” Gauger said.
One mentor in particular influenced his move into engineering and construction: “Ron and I met regularly for 2–3 years,” Gauger said. “He had a plan in mind. I went to work on the Carousel Energy Center in Colorado to support FPL’s sister company, NextEra Energy Resources. That was my first and one of my favorite projects, because I got to see it grow from the ground up.”
Gauger also managed construction on some of FPL’s initial solar projects—including Babcock Ranch—and later oversaw distributed generation initiatives such as solar trees designed both to provide energy and educate about renewable technology.
These experiences allowed him insight into innovation efforts intended to keep customer bills low through diversification of energy sources while maintaining reliability standards.
“The projects I have been honored to support are how we deliver on our promise to customers,” Gauger explained.
FPL reports that its operational strategies have resulted in typical customer bills being approximately $24 lower per month than those charged by average U.S utilities while maintaining high reliability levels nationally.
“I just finished my 38th year with the company,” he said. “In a career, I don’t think I could have asked to work with better people. I have, over the decades, always had this great company looking out for my best interests as well as the best interests of our customers.”
Currently focused on innovation and mentoring others within FPL as it looks toward future resilience efforts, Gauger says: “My motivation is to see the company continue to grow into different technologies… Our projects can be very complex, but it’s also very stimulating to watch a project go from an idea to operational.”
He values supporting new employees’ development: “Some of my best career highlights were seeing people come in, like I did, and getting to help foster them into leadership, similar to what others did for me,” he said. “I like to think about what I can do for others to keep them moving forward. I want to give back.”
As Florida Power & Light celebrates its centennial year serving Floridians’ electricity needs—a milestone reflecting ongoing dedication—Gauger’s long tenure illustrates how individual commitment contributes significantly over generations.
“That’s my 38-year career so far,” he concluded. “I’ve worked all over the company, and I’ve loved every minute of it. And, at the end of the day, I feel good knowing what I do helps our customers. That’s what it’s all about.”
