The Utility Change Conference Chicago – 2024 , held on July 22nd and 23rd at the iconic Exelon Headquarters in Chicago, was an exciting gathering of over 80 utility professionals. Hosted by UtilityEvents.com and facilitated by Ashley Baptiste of Conferences Connect and Gus Calabrese of UtilityEvents.com, the conference buzzed with energy as attendees delved into practical strategies and real-world case studies for navigating the industry’s ever-evolving landscape.
Check out the photos at the bottom of page!
A Wealth of Knowledge Shared
The atmosphere was undeniably informative and fun, with attendees actively engaged in exchanging ideas and insights. Neena Hemmady, Vice President of Project & Contract Management at host utility ComEd, kicked off the event by highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Over the course of two days, a distinguished lineup of speakers shared their expertise:
- Energy Workforce Development: Cornell Johnson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Center for Energy Workforce Development discussed how to “Create Sustainable and Equitable Workforce Development to Ensure Successful Transition and Grid Modernization.”
- Nuclear Operations : Mr. Michael Lopez, President of Michael J. Lopez Consulting and Brad Kapellas, Site Vice President of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Entergy presented a turnaround case study on going from worst to first.
- Human Resources & Change Management: Ms. Jaclyn Trovato, Vice President of Human Resources Operations at ComEd, and Rena Sokol, Senior Manager of Talent Management & Organizational Development at ComEd had a fireside chat discussing culture strategies at Exelon.
- Lighthouse Program at Exelon: Kathleen Abbott, Vice President & Chief Transformation Officer at Exelon, and George Lewis, Manager of Regional Electric Operations at ComEd, provided a dynamic discussion on “Empowering Transformation: A Strategic Approach to Utility Change Management.”
Additional presentations and sessions included:
- Intrapreneurship: Ms. Toni Garza, President of T. Garza Consulting & Coaching
- Preparatory Steps for Cultural Transformation: Mrs. Leslie Ellis, CEO of Meaningful Change Consulting
- Incorporating Change Management into Agile Projects: John Lang, Senior Manager at West Monroe Partners and Lauren Montgomery, Head of Change Management at Janus Leadership
Day one concluded with a lively networking happy hour hosted at West Monroe.
Day two offered further insights, including:
- Managing Change Amidst Constant Challenges: Lesly Sauceda, Director of Product & Portfolio Performance at Consumers Energy, and Nikki Blohm, Sr. Executive Assistant at Consumers Energy, presented a case study titled “How to Manage Change When the Hits Keep Coming: a Consumers Energy Case Study.”
- Digital Transformation Journey: Tiera Gray, Vice President Special Projects at Exelon Corporation, shared “Exelon’s CIS Transformation Journey: Enabling Customer Operation of the Future.”
- Storm Restoration: Gladys Salazar, Founder and CEO of Vision Utilities, Inc., Bill McConaha, CEO of Sicuro USA, and Nelson Diaz, Attorney at Dilworth Paxson, gathered for a lively discussion on “Changing the Paradigm of Storm Restoration to Create Success for All Stakeholders.”
Industry Leaders Showcase Innovation
The Exelon family of companies played a pivotal role in showcasing their internal projects and successes, offering attendees a firsthand glimpse into innovative solutions to industry challenges.
Collaboration and Connection
Beyond the informative sessions, the conference fostered a vibrant atmosphere of collaboration. The intimate event format facilitated peer-to-peer learning and valuable networking opportunities, including the engaging happy hour hosted at West Monroe.
Looking Forward
The conference provided a wealth of inspiration and practical insights for utility professionals seeking to navigate change with confidence. Whether it was learning about leading-edge change management frameworks or innovative approaches to storm restoration, attendees left equipped with actionable strategies to drive results and propel their organizations forward.
The energy of the conference carries on! Mark your calendars and join us for the next Utility Change Conference, coming up this September at Southwest Gas in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for more details!
Don’t miss out! Check out the conference photo album to relive the highlights and connect with fellow attendees.
A Big Thank You To:
We extend our sincere gratitude to all the speakers, sponsors (Vision Utilities, West Monroe, UtilityEvents.com, 2 Years in 2 Days, Janus Leadership, Michael J. Lopez Consulting, Meaningful Change Consulting, T. Garza Consulting & Coaching, Consumers Energy, Conferences Connect, Exelon, Center for Energy Workforce Development, Energy Central, and Entergy), and attendees who made the 2024 Utility Change Conference a resounding success.
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