The utility energy workforce is typically only about 25 percent women, as compared to the general population where women make up roughly half of the total workforce. Organizational efficiency is characterized by a balanced workforce both in terms of skill sets and perspectives. This mentorship program addresses some of the opportunities and challenges that women face working in the energy industry, advocates for workplace inclusion and teamwork, and discusses critical issues related to attracting and maintaining a diverse workforce. Formal opportunities for mentorship provide women in the industry with support for increased retention and satisfaction. Mentors and mentees are matched up across companies, and then connect over a ten month period with two in-person meetings.
General Details
- Program Chair(s)
- Heidi R. Schaefer, Director, Corporate Taxes, Salt River Project
- Program Location
- Virtual Event
- No travel required. All agenda times are in Pacific time.Instructions to access the virtual event will be provided to the attendee before the program.
- Who Should Attend
Mentors consist of female executives including utility company presidents, vice presidents, general managers and senior directors who have significant experience in the utility industry and an in-depth understanding of various utility functions.
Mentees consist of female directors, managers, supervisors and front-line employees who want to develop their leadership skills, gain a broad perspective of the utility industry, and discuss workplace challenges for experiential learning.
Space is limited. Participants will be invited to register after being accepted to the program via the application process. Service company mentors and mentees also encouraged to apply. WEI has several programs supporting diversity and inclusion in the utility industry. For more information about WEI’s Women in Energy Symposium, visit westernenergy.org/WIES.
- Registration Options
Member: $1,399 USD
Registration includes mentoring materials, registration for the Kick-off Executive Forum and 2022 Annual Meeting (includes all specified meals).
A Women in Leadership participant ticket is available to enrollees of the 2021/2022 Women in Leadership – Mentoring + Development program who also attend the Virtual Women in Energy Symposium. The discount on the normal attendee rate is applied automatically at registration for the Women in Energy Symposium.
Space is limited and applications must be submitted and accepted before participants are given access to registration. View more program information including a timeline for applications and the program here.
Mentor Application available here.
Mentee Application available here.
- General Cancellation Policy
- To best serve WEI members and program participants during the COVID-19 pandemic, WEI will be waiving its standard cancellation policy for this virtual program. Registrants can receive a full refund should they need to cancel their registration up to the day before the program begins.
- Participation Policy
- Western Energy Institute programs and events are open to energy companies (including gas production and electric generation, gas and electric transmission and gas and electric distribution utilities). Select programs and events are open to energy industry product and service suppliers. Programs and events are closed to all media representatives and to the general public. Recording is not permitted for any portion of the event.
- For more information contact Beverly Woolf, Program Manager at (971) 303-2294.
Agenda
All session times are listed in Pacific time.
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Check-In and Test Equipment
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Welcome and Introduction
Speaker(s): Heidi Schaefer, Director Corporate Taxes, Salt River Project
Get to know the other mentors and mentees of the Women in Leadership Brilliance Cohort. Attendees are encouraged to share their background in the energy industry and individual goals for what they hope to get out of the program.
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Mentoring Success Case Study
Speaker(s): Abigail Nishimoto, Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Southern California Gas Company, Christine Lewis, Substation Construction Maintenance Manager, Tacoma Power
A mentor and mentee from last year's Women in Leadership Mentorship program will share their insights on getting the best value from your relationship as a Mentor and Mentee.
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Break
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM
Strategies for Successful Mentoring
Speaker(s): Lena Wittler, CEO/General Manager, Clark Public Utilities
We have an opportunity to learn best practices from Lena’s personal experiences as she navigated the energy industry.
4:15 PM - 5:00 PM
Mentor + Mentee Kickoff Session
Mentors and mentees will have an opportunity meet one another one-on-one during this time. Use this time to share your goals, expectation from this mentorship and start the process of working on your plans.
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
7:45 AM - 8:00 AM
Prep for the day
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Executive Panel
Moderator(s): Heidi Schaefer, Director Corporate Taxes, Salt River Project
Panelist(s): Dan Koch, Vice President of Operations, Puget Sound Energy, Paul Grigaux, Vice President, Distribution, Southern California Edison, Jeanne Vold, Vice President – Technology, NorthWestern Energy, Carmen Jandacek, Director, Ethics, Total Rewards, HR Operations & Technology, Arizona Public Service Company
A panel of male and female executives will join us for a discussion on navigating the traditionally male-dominated utility industry. Hear about their journey, lessons learned, and how they leveraged mentors, coaches, and sponsors along the way. There will be an
opportunity for the panel members to respond to questions from the audience at the end of the facilitated portion.
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
Break
9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Mentorship Expectations Breakouts
During this session mentors and mentees will participate in breakout groups and engage in roundtable conversation. Mentors will discuss best practices around providing feedback, expectations of mentees, program specific goals, and leveraging the mentoring relationship for future growth. Mentees will discuss expectations for mentors, receiving feedback, and how to leverage the mentoring relationship for development.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Mentorship Expectations Debrief
Mentors and mentees will come back to the table and each group will share what they discussed and learned in the breakout session. We will conclude the session with a group dialogue around best practices and expectations of the mentoring relationship.
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Logistics Overview + Next Steps
WEI will share logistics of the next steps for the remainder of the mentoring program, including a best practices discussion about networking.
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Scheduled Time – Developing Your Agreement
Mentors and mentees will have a mentoring session around developing a mentoring agreement and plan for next steps. Program goals, follow up sessions, and topics for future meetings will be discussed.