Women Who Inspire 2024: Empowering Women and Future Innovators

The Women Who Inspire session at Itron Inspire 2024 was a standout highlight of this year's conference, celebrating the incredible journeys of women who are leading the charge in the energy, water and utility sectors. Moderated by Stephanie Kolodziej, vice president of transmission, distribution and renewables at Clarion Events (DISTRIBUTECH), this year's panel featured insights and anecdotes from industry leaders Cheryl Mele, vice president of customer and employee services at El Paso Electric; Brandy Bolden, chief customer officer at Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD); and Evelyn Cortez-Davis, chief of staff, water at Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).

In the first blog of our Women Who Inspire series, we explored career journeys, aspirations and defining moments that have shaped the remarkable women in this year's session. Now, in Part 2, we're shifting our focus to the future-examining how these leaders are working to support and advance other women in their careers, and how they're inspiring the next generation of innovators to join the field. From strategies for recruiting to the importance of representation, these leaders shared invaluable insights on building a more equitable and forward-thinking industry for all. Keep reading to get the highlights.

Stephanie: What steps do we need to take to better support and advance women? How do men play a role? 

Cheryl: I've been in the energy space for 35+ years and for the first time ever, I have a female boss. I try to give back to women in my organization by having individual contributors into my office each year to have conversations and offer support. As women, we need to always be prepared, be bold and make sure we're thinking about different opportunities across the organization. We need to help and encourage each other. I try to tell young women-don't wait for the perfect moment or job. Be curious and go for it anyway.  

Evelyn: LADWP has been in existence for over 100 years. We've had two women leading the organization in its entire history, including my boss who started four months ago. I find it distressing that we're still having this conversation in 2024. When I graduated in 1992, the graduation rates for women were 15-20%. Those numbers haven't changed, and we still haven't moved the needle. How do we ascend women into leadership when they're not coming into the organization to begin with? We need to reimagine recruitment and go to where the candidates are instead of trying to figure out why the candidates aren't coming to us. If we don't, the needle will still be here 30 years from now. 

Brandy: Representation matters. It's not enough to get to where you are without giving back, and part of that is being out and about so people can see you. I am active in my community and that is by design. I want every girl who looks like me and those who don't, to know I am out here doing this work. I'm active on boards and at community events because I think this outreach is important. It's not enough to wait for folks to come to us, it's incumbent on us to do more, be visible and be accessible.  

Stephanie: How are you attracting younger generations into this space?  

Brandy: We have several groups at SMUD that do outreach and education. Part of this is through our partnerships with schools and community organizations. One example is the Sacramento Museum of Science and Curiosity that we worked on building over the last 10-15 years, which is a place for kids of all ages to learn and interact with different sciences and technologies. We also recently hosted a Community Resources Expo where folks were invited to come down and learn about what we do. It's about being visible and intentional.  

Cheryl: We do a lot of things with different age groups. We get into the elementary and middle schools and aim to teach lessons that will stick with them for life. We love to teach kids conservation tips and about potential career paths so they can start thinking about the possibilities early. We are also excited to grow the technical skills pipeline. We have a lot of opportunity to get more women working in the technical trades. 

Evelyn: The key for us is to make sure the folks delivering the message are representative of the city we are serving. The representation message could not be more critical because young students are going to see themselves represented in these public service jobs that can be extremely rewarding and exciting. When we deliver the conservation and energy efficiency message, and kids bring it home, it not only furthers our mission but also helps them see themselves reflected in these efforts. This is where we start to move the needle.  

Stephanie: What piece of advice would you give young women who aspire to follow in your footsteps? 

Brandy: Lean in. Be authentic and know that you're enough. You don't need to prove anything to anyone besides yourself.  

Evelyn: Stop questioning yourself. There will be enough of that coming from others. You can move forward without having all the boxes checked. Have confidence and take a chance on yourself. 

Cheryl: Don't be afraid to take a seat at the table. When you walk into a room, take the seat. Ask for what you want.  

A heartfelt thank you to Stephanie Kolodziej, Brandy Bolden, Evelyn Cortez-Davis and Cheryl Mele for their authenticity, wisdom and candid insights during the fantastic Women Who Inspire session at Itron Inspire 2024. We can't wait to see what next year brings.  

If you missed it, be sure to read the first blog in this two-part series.