Leadership Conference for Women in Energy

Overview

Join the nation’s most successful women leaders in energy as they share their industry knowledge, strategies and experiences on how to accelerate positive organizational change and personal growth! You’ll participate in knowledge sharing and collaboration while building relationships and enhancing your professional network. 

You’ll leave this event with practical strategies, insights and guidance on how to propel your energy career forward.  Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from and collaborate with the top women in energy.

Agenda

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2019

1:15 – 2:00 p.m. :: Opening Keynote Address

Diane Leopold, Executive Vice President and President and CEO, Gas Infrastructure Group, Dominion Energy

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. :: There’s No Crying in the Boardroom… and Yelling Won’t Serve You Well Either

Men and women are wired differently- based on science. Not better or worse… just differently. These differences mean that we (as women) will approach solutions differently, deal more with our own imposter syndrome and emotions and bring strong, unique skills to the workforce. This session explores some of those differences, the science behind them, how to leverage innate strengths and capitalize on your own authentic leadership style.

Dawn Roth Lindell, Senior Vice President and Rocky Mountain Regional Manager, WAPA

3:15 – 4:00 p.m. :: Keynote Session

Katherine Rowe, PhD, President, College of William and Mary

4:00 – 5:30 p.m. :: Deriving Maximum Value from Mentor and Sponsor Relationships

Women in predominately male business sectors, such as the energy industry, face some distinct challenges in advancing as leaders within their organizations. One of the best ways to help advance your career is through mentoring and sponsoring. Mentoring and sponsoring relationships help connect you with others who have skills, knowledge, experience, and expertise in your areas of interest, as well as establish support networks. In this panel session, women will discuss ways to both find and become successful mentors and sponsors, including:

• Giving and receiving feedback
• Coaching tactics
• Developing and supporting colleagues

Moderator

Sharelynn Moore, Senior Vice President, Networked Solutions Product Group, Itron

Panel

Kimberly Harriman, Senior Vice President- Public and Regulatory Affairs, New York Power Authority

Chonda Nwamu, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Ameren

Melissa Washington, Vice President Governmental and Legislative Affairs, ComEd

Shakira Wilson, Vice President of Electric Operations, Con Edison

Amanda Tornabene, Vice President of Environmental Services, Dominion Energy

Annette Price, Vice President of Government Affairs, Pacific Power

5:30 – 6:30 p.m. :: Networking Reception

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. :: Fireside Chat: A Candid Conversation About Two Executives’ Personal Experiences

Great leaders don’t just happen randomly or by sheer luck.  In this session, you will hear two senior level executives share their inspiring personal stories of how they beat the odds to reach the highest levels of their organizations. A few of the points to be discussed include:

• Leveraging opportunity and relationships
• Navigating internal and external roadblocks to career and leadership progression
• How self-perception and our view of the world around us impacts our opportunities for success
• How women can develop their leadership capabilities at each stage of their career

Moderator:

Carter Reid, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative and Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, Dominion Energy

Panelists:

Bentina Terry, Senior Vice President- Northwest Region, Southern Company

Christine Mason Soneral, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, ITC Holdings

9:30 – 10:15 a.m. :: Being a Female Leader: Things No One Talks About

As women, we sometimes come across different challenges than our male counterparts. These differences can create unique trials in a male dominated work culture.  In this session, we will identify some of those barriers and discuss how you can remove them and use your unique strengths to enhance organizational performance and reach your full potential. 

Lisa Lewis, Vice President, People and Culture, CPS Energy

10:45 -11:45 a.m. :: How Diversity and Inclusion Leads to Innovation

In this session, we will discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion initiatives, and the programs Con Edison and Dominion have developed. Specific points include:

• Interplay of Diversity, Inclusion, and Employee Engagement
• Linkage between Diversity, Inclusion, and Employee Engagement as business enablers 
• Review Con Edison’s Electric Operations Department’s journey
• Dominion Energy’s Diversity & Inclusion implementation

Moderator:

Ginger Roether, Vice President, HDR

Panelists:

Morenike Miles, Vice President of Governance and Compliance and Assistant Corporate Secretary, Dominion Energy

Jeannine Haggerty, Vice President of IT, Con Edison

11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. :: Lessons Learned: Experiences During 3+ Decades At a Utility

In this session, Marcy Reed, National Grid’s President MA and Executive Vice President of Policy & Social Impact, will share lessons she’s learned throughout over 30 years at National Grid. In addition to her personal experience, she will discuss important topics such as conflict resolution, stress management, and the future of the utility industry.

Marcy Reed, President MA and Executive Vice President, Policy & Social Impact, National Grid

12:15 – 1:30 p.m. :: Group Luncheon

1:30 – 2:15 p.m. :: PANEL: Key Energy Trends & Their Impact

The energy landscape is rapidly changing. Traditional centers of demand are being overtaken by fast-growing emerging markets. The energy mix is shifting, driven by technological improvements and environmental concerns. More than ever, the energy industry needs to adapt to meet those changing needs and demands. In this session, we’ll look at current key areas of change and what the short-term and long-term future of energy will look like.

Estelle Mangeney, Senior Manager, West Monroe Partners

Kelly Dietz, Regional Sales Director, Landis + Gyr

Glenda Friesen, Associate Vice President and Director of Strategy Development, Black & Veatch

Stacey Atella, Project Manager, POWER Engineers

2:45 – 3:30 p.m. :: Keynote Session

Carla Williams, Director of Athletics, University of Virginia

3:30 – 4:15 p.m. :: Finding Your Voice: Leading Male Teams & Networking Effectively

This session will discuss authentic leadership in the context of leading male teams and networking effectively. Specific points will include:

• How do you assess your inherent characteristics as a leader honestly?
• Role models – are there people in your life that influenced how you work and lead, what traits do you admire and want to emulate?
• Developing relationships your way
• Acceptance – recognize the challenges you face as a woman in a male dominated profession, but don’t dwell on it

Stacey Crowley, Vice President of External and Customer Affairs, CAISO

4:15 – 5:15 p.m. :: PANEL: Cultivating an Executive Presence

Executive presence is comprised of both the internal and external qualities that allow someone to take charge of a room. People with strong executive presence inspire others to follow them. In this panel, we will discuss ways to these qualities, including:

• Understanding the impression you make
• Addressing imposter syndrome
• Overcoming perfectionism
• Defining your personal brand
• Projecting competence and calm

Moderator

Kate Miller, Director of Marketing & Market Analytics, Henkels & McCoy

Panelists

Ashley Harris, Vice President- Marketing & Communications, Ozarks Electric Cooperative

Katherine Gil, Department Leader- System Engineering, Arizona Public Service

Lauren Gilliland, Director of Gas Governance, Xcel Energy

5:15 p.m. :: Conference Adjourns

Pre-Conference Workshop

Take Charge of Your Career – and Life – Through a Lifetime of Learning

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2019 

8:00 – 11:30 a.m. :: Workshop Timing  

Overview

Ever wonder where your career is headed? Perhaps you’re not in the role you thought you’d be by now or you’ve been looking for new challenges. Alternatively, you may be progressing well, but are not sure how to get to the next great opportunity. What steps can you take to keep moving forward? 

The Lifetime of Learning process was created for the Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI’s) Technical Women’s Network and rolled out in Spring 2017. This voluntary process encourages continuous growth and learning and is available to anyone interested in identifying how to better leverage their unique skills and talents. In this session, you will experience elements of the Lifetime of Learning framework, including a chance to explore the skills and characteristics impacting your success, and action planning for capitalizing on strengths and development opportunities. 

Anyone interested in growth and self-improvement is an excellent candidate for this process. Determine the path you want to be on, what you want to learn and the best way to learn it. Don’t wait for others to manage your career, YOU take charge! 

Learning Outcomes and Agenda

Are You There Yet? 

Complete a self-evaluation to help you recognize realities and explore ways to lead your own longer-term career development versus waiting for growth experiences to come to you. 

Feedback: It’s Important 

Get more comfortable with actively seeking meaningful feedback. Learn and practice ways to ask for it, effectively hear it, analyze key takeaways and decide how to apply it. 

Develop Your Plan 

Brainstorm ideas for development activities to build key competencies and use planning tools to design your pathway to growth. 

Keep on Track 

Construct milestones that allow for flexibility but maintain forward momentum. Take home additional tips and templates to support key actions.  

Workshop Instructor

Rebecca (Becky) Wingenroth, Owner, RM Wingenroth & Associates  

With her planned retirement from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in May 2019, Becky will continue to offer support to professionals seeking guidance on career planning tools and techniques, professional and emotional maturity, professional image/presentation, strategic planning and employer/employee partnerships. At EPRI, Becky currently is a Technical Leader, Principal, supporting strategic initiatives for Distributed Energy Resources, serving as  EPRI’s liaison for the New York State’s Reforming the Energy Vision proceedings. 

Post Conference Workshop:

Inclusive Communication and Unconscious Bias

Join us for an interactive discussion on how to interrupt biases and microaggressions through inclusive communications.  Learn how through seemingly small ways we often unintentionally exclude others and how microaggressions impact individuals in the workplace. By sharing information, listening without judgment, and inquiring across difference, attendees will gain practice and understanding of the value and nuance of inclusive communication. This workshop will provide practical take-aways applicable in everyday situations.

Program Agenda

Unconscious Bias

• Opening – First Impressions
• Exercise
  • Introductions
  • Personal connections
• Unconscious Bias
  • The way our brains operate
  • How it shows up in the workplace
  • Exercise

• Workplace reality – Biases and impact on women
• Covering – polling questions
• Stand If Exercise

Inclusive Communications – How Understanding is Better than Being Understood

• Exercise: Barriers to Listening
• 4 Inclusive Communications Skills
• Trust and Suspending Judgement
• Exercise – Which one is hardest for you and why
• Microaggressions – how to handle them and practicing addressing them, courageous conversations
  • Interactive exercise

Instructors

Martha Feeback, Senior Director, Corporate Engagement, Catalyst

Connecting over 800 member companies to a strong network of business leaders around the world, Catalyst helps business leaders leverage their talent in their workforce to produce stronger results. Today, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit research organization working globally to expand opportunities for women and business.   The Catalyst Annual Award recognizes organizations outstanding achievements in the areas of diversity and inclusion.