Women in Energy Symposium – Virtual (Nov 03-05)

Anna Scarlett is the Director of Business Transformation at Avista in Spokane, Wash. In this role she is leading Avista through a transformation effort aimed at creating break-through, lasting value for customers, shareholders, and employees.

After spending 10 years in journalism, public relations, strategic communications and brand management, she joined Avista in 2008 as a communications manager and has since held various leadership roles in energy delivery and customer solutions. She has a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from Whitworth University and an MBA from the University of Idaho. Anna was born in Spokane and lives in Valleyford with her husband, Ty, their Vizsla, Bella, and their Chiweenie, Cap’n Jack.

As a management consultant, Julie engages with organizations running transformational programs with a focus on Human Centric design that can improve employee experience. As a key component of her role, Julie coaches people at all organizational levels to examine personal values, purpose, principles and assumptions with the goals of raising individual levels of awareness and accountability to liberate people to make good authentic choices aligned with their best interests.

Recently, Julie completed an ICF-accredited coaching program, is an advocate for women in many different types of leadership roles and mentors junior women at the early stages of their careers. Julie recently moved to Florida along with her husband, is a dedicated yogi and when time allows, loves to cook.

Megan is a Business Development Manager with Burns & McDonnell. She works with utilities across the country focusing on providing solutions and resources. She has been in the industry for 7 years. Megan enjoys traveling, golfing, and cooking new foods.

Chris Norquist is the Vice President of People & Technology Operations for the Transmission & Distribution Global Practice in Kansas City. In his role, he is focused on employee engagement, technical excellence, and forward-looking technology deployments for a team of more than 700 employee-owners. Chris has worked in the T&D industry for 19 years. His hobbies include going on adventures with his wife and 3 kids, golfing, and time at the lake.

Ms. Donaldson is a Managing Director at Black & Veatch in Management Consulting. She focuses on energy industry transformation primarily related to grid modernization, transportation electrification, and distributed energy resource integration. Her 25 years of experience spans electricity industry domains including transportation electrification, distributed energy resource integration, grid modernization, wholesale markets, and distribution and transmission planning.

She is responsible for developing and delivering Black & Veatch strategy and planning solution offerings for our transportation electrification and DER integration solutions. For the last decade, Ms. Donaldson has been actively engaged in grid modernization. While working for the California ISO, she held the position of Director Smart Grid Technology and Strategy charged with developing roadmaps and strategy to promote grid modernization to benefit the transmission system. While at SCE she held a position in distribution planning responsible for leading company filing for grid modernization. At the California Public Utilities Commission, she acted as the interconnection ombudsman and special advisor on the distribution resource plan, electric vehicle, and interconnection related distribution and operations proceedings. She led several California roadmaps including Energy Storage, Demand Response, and Vehicle-Grid-Integration leading to actions in policy, planning, and grid operations. Her experience spans electricity industry domains including distributed energy resource integration (DR, EE, EV, Energy Storage, microgrids), grid modernization, wholesale markets, and distribution and transmission planning.

Ms. Donaldson is a recognized thought leader serving as a former member and advisor in forums focused on business model and policy changes and enabling technical capabilities. Specifically, Ms. Donaldson served as a member of the DOE EAC appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy for two terms from 2014 – 2018. During this period, she served on peer review committees and contributed to several DOE efforts including the DSPx and other outputs of the Grid Modernization Lab Consortium (GMLC). She also served as an advisor for NIST on its Smart Grid Advisory Committee until its dissolution in 2019. In this role, she advised NIST and contributed to interoperability principles and standards. She served on the GridWise Architecture Council (GWAC) to help drive frameworks for interoperability and transactive energy.

Mike Marsh became President and Chief Executive Officer in April 2015. He joined SaskPower in 1991, following 12 years in the construction industry in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

At SaskPower, Mr. Marsh has held several management positions in engineering, maintenance, business planning and corporate planning. He joined the SaskPower Executive table as Vice-President of Transmission and Distribution in 2007. In 2012, he became Vice-President of Operations and Chief Operations Officer, responsible for all operational areas including Power Production, Transmission Services and Distribution Services.
Mr. Marsh attended the University of Saskatchewan, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He later studied at Queen’s School of Business and obtained a Master of Business Administration. He is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan.

Mr. Marsh received the 2016 Electricity Industry Leader of the Year Award from Electricity Human Resources Canada. In January 2018, he was named the University of Saskatchewan College of Engineering’s 42nd C.J. Mackenzie Distinguished Lecturer and was an inductee to the Alumni Wall of Distinction, College of Engineering.

Jackie Sargent rejoined the Austin Energy team as General Manager in August 2016. She brings over 33 years of utility experience, as well as the focus and passion to continue the utility’s emphasis on environmental leadership, innovation and customer value.

From 2010 to 2012, Sargent served as Senior Vice President of Power Supply and Market Operations at Austin Energy before joining Platte River Power Authority in Fort Collins, Colorado, as General Manager and CEO. Sargent also served as Vice President of Power Supply and Renewables Integration for Black Hills Corporation in South Dakota.

Throughout her career, Sargent has demonstrated leadership by working with teams to accomplish goals and plan for the future. Some notable accomplishments include managing major construction projects, developing resource plans, supporting acquisitions and mergers, leading utility rate cases, negotiating power purchase and sale agreements, developing and growing energy marketing departments, integrating renewable resources, and creating collaborative energy efficiency programs.

Sargent believes Austin Energy provides great benefit to its customers and community by offering programs and services to best meet their needs and values. This is accomplished by maintaining a strong financial base, providing safe and reliable service, fostering innovation, demonstrating environmental leadership, creating a positive employee experience, and actively engaging customers, stakeholders and the community.

Sargent is a licensed professional engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Technology Management from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. In 2017 she was recognized by RMEL with their Distinguished Leadership Award. Additionally, Sargent is the recipient of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Distinguished Alumni Award. She is the Vice Chair of LPPC, and serves on the board of directors for TPPA, AARO, and TxETRA. She previously served on the APPA, ERCOT and RMEL board of directors.

Danielle Schofield is currently the Director of Strategic Development for Landis+Gyr technology – a leading utility global provider of Grid Modernization, Smart Grid technology and energy management solutions. Danielle is responsible for providing leadership, strategic planning, and customer solutions for the Landis+Gyr portfolio of smart grid solutions including communication field area networks, smart metering infrastructure, advanced grid analytics, distribution automation, advanced load management and Smart City and streetlighting solutions.

Before Landis+Gyr Danielle worked as the Regional Director for Henkels & McCoy Construction- a leading Transmission and Distribution construction and engineering firm leading the development of major capital T&D and Substation projects in addition to Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) utility projects all over the Western US. Danielle also worked for 18 years at Southern California Edison as a Manager in the Business Customer Division responsible for the Customer Programs and Services, and Account Management of the largest Industrial C&I customers. Danielle started her career at Enron Energy Services and Access Energy as a Marketing Manager in the Natural Gas division of Southern California. She is very active in the Western Energy Institute (WEI) currently serving as the WEI Supplier Committee Vice Chairman for 2020 and Board of Directors member.

Danielle graduated from Chapman University with a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Long Beach State University.

Sarah Sweet considers herself a pragmatic environmentalist and has focused her expertise in transportation electrification, greenhouse gas reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energy. She has provided outreach and education around electric vehicles since 2017, developed and launched the second multifamily EV charging pilot in WA State, and also works on the City of Tacoma’s Climate Action Plan. Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College.

DaVonna Johnson is responsible for development of Utility-wide Workforce strategy, policy and programs designed to attract, develop, train and support a highly skilled diverse workforce to meet the Utility’s needs now and in the future. Provides leadership in transforming the Utility into a safe, high performance organization through excellence in talent management, organizational development, apprenticeship, technical training, employee services, employee relations, labor relations, safety and health and wellness. DaVonna has been with Seattle City Light since 2004.

DaVonna has more than 15 years managing and leading teams in both the public and private sector. A background in leading customer experience improvement initiatives and managing strategic partnerships, and expertise in working with programs that serve diverse multicultural communities.

DaVonna is a native of Seattle. She has three teenagers with her husband Del. True to her Seattle roots she enjoys reading, coffee and a good weekend rain storm.

Erika Rothenberger is the Director of Performance Systems for the East Region of Henkels & McCoy, Inc. (H&M). In this capacity she is responsible for overseeing the East Region’s continuous improvement/LEAN roll out initiatives working with the Quality and Operator Qualification groups, as well as leadership training across the Region to ultimately create increased flow across the business organization and provide value added support to Operations. She provides leadership and guidance and ensures adherence to the highest safety and quality standards. Ms. Rothenberger is highly skilled in client relations, contract negotiation, project site management, strategic planning, budgeting, and staff supervision.

Ms. Rothenberger has more than 19 years of experience in project management and implementing strategies to maximize performance in equipment, manpower, and estimating. She joined H&M in 2012 as a Senior Project Manager, was promoted to Operations Manager, progressing to Director of Gas Distribution, and then accepted the leadership position she holds today. Prior to joining H&M, Ms. Rothenberger held leadership positions at The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Opus East, LLC, Pusey Electric, and Uni-Solar/ECD.

Ms. Rothenberger holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Villanova University and a Masters in Business Administration.

Ms. Rothenberger is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), LEED Accredited Professional, a member of Montgomery County Drug & Alcohol Board, POWER committee Executive Roundtable member and chair, Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, Women in Construction, ENSPIRE chair, and was named the Top Under 40 to watch by CREW.