Celebrating how far women have come in the energy sector and addressing how far we’ve yet to go! Women are traditionally underrepresented in the energy industry. This program addresses some of the evolving opportunities and challenges that women face and advocates for workplace inclusion and teamwork across gender, racial, and generational demographics. Open to both women and men, Women in Energy Symposium participants join together to explore areas such as leadership, education, networking and mentorship. We strive to incorporate both professional development and industry evolution on the agenda. With a growing emphasis on cross-functional teams and diverse skill sets, this program supports utility directives to build a cohesive workforce.
Women and men in all facets of the utility industry, whether leadership, craft, technical, or professional, are encouraged to join us for this dynamic conversation. Women can gain knowledge and perspective on how to develop and get ahead in a traditionally male-influenced industry. Men can gain insight into the issues women face in the industry to improve team development and synergy. And everyone can learn where utilities are seeing successes in attracting and retaining their female workforce, while effectively leveraging the benefits of greater organizational diversity. If you have an interest in this for yourself or your employees, join us!
Conference Registration: $299 USD
Women in Leadership Participant: $249 USD
Registration includes virtual access to all agenda items and digital program materials. The Women in Leadership participant ticket is available to enrollees of the 2021/2022 Women in Leadership Mentoring + Development program. This discount off the regular conference rate is applied at registration. Includes full access to conference sessions, meeting materials, and roster.
3:30 PM - 5:15 PM
Virtual Social Hour
Join your fellow Women in Energy Symposium attendees for virtual social time in themed “rooms”. Room themes and relevant information along with allocations will be sent to each participant prior to the event.
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Virtual Coffee Hour
Grab your favorite morning pick-me-up and drop in to say “Good Morning!”. WEI staff will be on hand to help with technical questions, process late registrations, or just share a cup of joe as we get ready to begin the Women in Energy Symposium at 8:00 am Pacific.
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Welcome + Conference Overview
Speaker(s): Nada Siddik, Manager, TC Energy
The Chair of the 2021 Women in Energy Symposium, Nada Siddik, will welcome attendees, give an overview of what’s in store during the conference, and share important announcements.
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Networking Activity/Icebreaker
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
2021 Winter Storms, a CEO’s Perspective
Speaker(s): Jackie Sargent, General Manager, Austin Energy
Austin Energy’s General Manager and CEO, Jackie Sargent, will discuss some of the unique conditions faced by her utility during the February 2021 winter storms. Sargent’s discussion will include planning and workforce challenges, operational hurdles, successes, and lessons learned in carrying out her team’s goal of serving the Austin community in the most difficult of circumstances.
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Break
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Shame as It Impacts our Work Life, Advancement, and our View of Ourselves
Speaker(s): Shawn Horn, Psychologist, Dr. Shawn Horn
Dr. Shawn Horn, licensed psychologist, author and speaker, will explore the differences between guilt and shame and how the latter can affect your professional life as well as your self esteem.
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Your Voice Matters. Be the Influence that Leads to Change!
Moderator(s): Kat Shoa, Senior Advisor, Southern California Edison
Panelist(s): Anna Scarlett, Director of Business Transformation, Avista Utilities, Julie Davern, Managing Consultant, PA Consulting, Lorene Miller, Vice President, Customer Service Operations Division, Southern California Edison
Do you see opportunities for change within your team and/or organization? As decisions are being made, is your voice heard and your perspective valued? You can be influential from any position within the organization. Join us for an interactive panel discussion that will lay out the key components of influence and share strategies to increase impact and affect change throughout your professional career.
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Break
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
The Male Perspective on Diversity: Lessons and Challenges
Moderator(s): Megan Weismantel, Business Development Manager, Burns & McDonnell
Panelist(s): Chris Norquist, VP, People & Technology Operations, Burns & McDonnell, Phillip Andrew, Sr. Director, Utilities, Jacobs, Mike Miller, Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services, Bonneville Power Administration, Shane Hester, Field Planning & Scheduling Manager, Bonneville Power Administration
In this session, our panelists will share their perspectives of women in predominately male industries. The panel will dive into the benefits of diverse workplaces, how to be an ally to women, and what women can take more advantage of to be better leaders. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from our panelists’ experiences in shaping systemic changes to support women. We hope you are able to walk away with actionable steps to benefit yourself and the rest of your company.
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Social Hour Open House
Members of the Program Development Team will host “rooms” exploring a variety of topics and interests ranging from practical to just plain fun. Stay with one theme or move from room to room to investigate different topics and encounter more people.
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Welcome to Day 2
Speaker(s): Nada Siddik, Manager, TC Energy
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Clean Energy: Reliability, Sustainability and Resiliency - Oh My!
Moderator(s): Heather Donaldson, Managing Director, Black & Veatch
Panelist(s): Janice Lin, Founder and CEO, Strategen, Mike Marsh, President and Chief Executive Officer, SaskPower, Sarah Sweet, Electric Vehicle Program Manager, Tacoma Power
A discussion about the utility disruption being driven by the transition to clean energy. Attendees will take away an understanding of both the disruptors and the emerging technologies, tools and approaches utilities are using to manage and mitigate the disruption.
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Understanding Our Own Implicit Bias
Speaker(s): Mia Navarro, Policy and Program Manager, Office of Equity and Human Rights, Tacoma Power
What is bias? This is a question individuals and companies struggle with every day. This presentation will explore the science and manifestations of bias as well as provide some practical tools to tackle bias.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Break
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Table Topics
Find the topics that interest you most. The format is informal and conversational with each participant sharing their thoughts on the subject.
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Break
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
The Importance of Women in the Trades
Moderator(s): Danielle Schofield, Director Strategic Sales, Landis+Gyr
Panelist(s): DaVonna Johnson, Chief People & Culture Officer, Seattle City Light, Erika Rothenberger, Director of Performance Systems, Henkels & McCoy, Inc., Ivan Insua, Director, Hydro Generation, Salt River Project
Women have held an important place in the trades since well before Rosie the Riveter, but today the need and opportunities are greater than ever. This panel of executives in the utility industry will share their thoughts on why craft workers who identify as female have a vital role in the future of the energy industry.
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Closing Comments
Speaker(s): Nada Siddik, Manager, TC Energy