CWEEL Webinar Series – Working in a COVID-19 World | Webinar One

A Four Part Career Advancement Webinar Series, Presented by CWEEL, a Division of AEE

Webinar One: Career Development and Networking During COVID-19

Emily Beck presented her networking tips at the Association of Energy Engineers Conference in the fall of 2019.  She is now returning to highlight her networking tips and how they can be done in a virtual environment.

Click Here to Register for Webinar One

“Virtual Engager Networking” by Emily Beck

EMILY BECK is a director of business development with Schneider Electric’s cleantech division, working with the global Fortune 500 to help them procure utility scale renewables. 

Emily has always loved developing relationships with clients, yet formerly dreaded having to network at business events. Utilizing Engager Networking   tactics, Emily now loves to engage at all types of business events, and hopes to inspire and empower others to do the same.

When Emily is not professionally engaging, she is usually talking about vintage Jeeps, skiing, and doting on her bloodhound Rufus.

“Visibility and Success in a Remote Work Environment” by Laurie Wiegand-Jackson

LAURIE WIEGAND-JACKSON currently serves as President  & CEO of Utility Advantage, a New Jersey- based national provider of energy consulting services company.  She founded Utility Advantage to provide independent consulting and energy services to the government, institutional and private business sectors in 2003.  She is a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman with over thirty years of experience in the energy industry. 

Ms. Wiegand-Jackson is very active in promoting the professional advancement of women in her industry.  She initiated the development of the Council for Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) within the International Association of Energy Engineers.  CWEEL (www.cweel.org) was formed to promote the professional development and advancement of women in the energy industry, to provide a network for women, and to encourage mentorship with professional women and students.  She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of CWEEL.

Ms. Wiegand-Jackson is a certified Energy Procurement Professional and she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University. She was inducted into the prestigious AEE Energy Managers Hall of Fame in September 2016.   

In addition to her passion for her work in the energy transition, she enjoys time with her family, her church community and gardening.

Session Moderated by Janine Finnell

JANINE FINNELL is the Executive Director of Leaders in Energy (LE), a non-profit global action network, which advances clean energy and sustainable solutions.  Its mission includes helping people to find green jobs and careers paths to create a green economy. 

Janine serves as the Chair of the Career Advancement Committee for the Association of Energy Engineers’ (AEE) Council on Women in Energy and the Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) National Board and Chapter Liaison for the AEE National Capital Chapter.  

Janine draws upon an extensive domestic and international career in policy and research, program management, communications, outreach, and management consulting in the energy and sustainability fields.  Her experience includes working at a state energy office, serving as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and employment at IBM, DynCorp International, and Institute of Energy Analysis, and consulting to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as non-governmental organizations, DOE national laboratories, and the electric utility industry.   

Congratulations to Altramese Roberts-Tompkins, our new US Events and Program Committee Chair!

Altramese Roberts-Tompkins
Senior Engineer, Toyota Motor North America

Growing up, Altramese Roberts-Tompkins liked reading, putting puzzles together, and taking things apart. She has always been very analytical and precise about her work, so much so she never had to do a cursive writing assignment. Her focus as an athlete and engineering student were purposeful, but it was by chance she stumbled into the world of energy and loved it.

Altramese has been a senior engineer at Toyota Motor North America for 4 years and is responsible for supporting 14 North American Manufacturing Companies (NAMCs). She focuses on regional carbon and water environmental performance tracking, reporting, target development, benchmarking, and recognition. Before joining Toyota in February 2016, Altramese spent the first 6 years of her career as an Energy Analyst with Utilities and Energy Services at Texas A&M University.

At Texas A&M, Altramese was awarded the Outstanding Staff Award in 2011. This award recognized her for her professionalism, commitment to excellence, and integrity.  Altramese is devoted to building relationships and respect for people. She has also been actively involved in mentoring and teaching elementary and middle school youth about engineering through afterschool programs and as a National Science Foundation (NSF) GK-12 Fellow.

Altramese holds a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Detroit Mercy and Texas A&M University, respectively.

The CWEEL Board of Directors is Seeking to Add Two New Board Members in 2020

The board chairperson and directors serve a three-year term to be eligible for re-appointment for one additional term (total six years maximum). Board meetings are held monthly and committee meetings will be held as determined by each Committee Chair but no less than quarterly.  Service on CWEEL’s board of directors is voluntary and without remuneration or reimbursement for administrative support, travel, and accommodation costs in relation to board members’ duties.

Board Member Qualifications

This is an extraordinary opportunity for individuals who are passionate about the success of CWEEL and who have a track record of volunteerism and leadership. 

Ideal candidates will have the following qualifications:

• Professional experience in science/manufacturing, business, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector related to energy and environmental sectors and/or women’s advancement
• A commitment to and understanding of CWEEL’s mission preferably based on experience 
• A natural affinity for cultivating relationships, attracting new members and facilitating consensus-building among diverse individuals 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills coupled with natural affinity for public speaking 
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a passion for supporting women in the energy and environmental fields
• Member of the Association of Energy Engineers and CWEEL

Board Member Responsibilities

1. Regularly attends board meetings and important related meetings.

2. Makes serious commitment to participate actively in committee work.

3. Volunteers for and willingly accepts assignments and completes them thoroughly and on time.

4. Stays informed about committee matters, prepares themselves well for meetings, and reviews and comments on minutes and reports.

5. Gets to know other committee members and builds a collegial working relationship that contributes to consensus. 

6. Is an active participant in the committee’s annual evaluation and planning efforts.

7. Participates in fund raising for the organization 

There are currently ten (10) Board committees and two (2) openings for the following committees/board positions:

• Membership – US

The U.S. Membership Committee Chair is responsible for driving significant membership growth across the fifty states of the United States. Responsibilities include: (1) defining and improving the membership value proposition and fee structure, (2) creatively marketing CWEEL membership within AEE and through external channels, (3) communicating with new members (welcome emails, etc) and managing member renewals, (4) distribution of CWEEL membership pins, (5) strategic planning and fulfillment for membership campaigns, and (6) development and management of the US membership committee.  Current membership is approximately 275 members. The CWEEL board has identified membership growth as our first priority and all committees will be aligned in helping the Membership chair to achieve the membership goals.  The candidate for this position must be prepared to support growth of 100% annually – with a three year goal to increase CWEEL membership to 4,000 members by the end of 2023.  The U.S. Membership Committee Chair will also work collaboratively with our International Membership Committee Chair to provide consistency and share best practices for our US and international members.

• Programs & Events (Includes local/regional networking and sponsors)

The Programs & Events Committee Chair oversees all programming at CWEEL events.   Responsibilities include (1) confirming programming (including speakers and sponsors) at CWEEL’s regional and national breakfast events which are scheduled in conjunction with the Association of Energy Engineers’ conferences, (2) developing a program kit and support for local CWEEL chapters that are interested in hosting a CWEEL event, (3) providing timely information on events to all CWEEL committees for event promotion (4) coordinating travel budgets in conjunction with AEE for attendees at CWEEL programs, and (5) developing and managing the Programs & Events Committee.

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If you are interested in applying for a position on the CWEEL board, please provide the following information:

• A statement of experience and skills to meet the qualifications and responsibilities for the board position (see above descriptions of qualifications and responsibilities)
• A statement of your goals and purpose for applying to the CWEEL board
• A copy of your CV/bio
• The committee(s) which you are applying to chair (select one or more committees) – (1) Mentor Program, (2) Membership, (3) Fundraising & Corporate Sponsors
• A statement that you will commit to attend at least one CWEEL Board Meeting each year in person (there are three in-person board meetings held in conjunction with AEE’s three conferences).  If you have any concerns with meeting this requirement, please explain in your application.
• Two written references (preferably one from an active AEE member)

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Board Chair, Laurie Wiegand-Jackson at 848-565-1212 or via email at lwiegand@utilityadvantage.com.

Applications are due no later than March 6, 2020.  The CWEEL Board expects to make its selection in March with the new board positions effective April 1, 2020.  

The mission of the Council on Women in Energy & Environmental Leadership is to provide a network for women in the energy and environmental industries that can assist in supporting career development for professional women, mentoring for young and aspiring women to pursue technical education and careers in the energy and environmental fields, and scholarships on a global level. The Council on Women in Energy & Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) is a division of the non-profit International Association of Energy Engineers. 

The Council on Women in Energy & Environmental Leadership is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.  The board serves to establish and fulfill the mission and objectives of CWEEL. The board sets policies and provides oversight and management of the organization.

CWEEL Mentoring Program Case Study

Background

The Council for Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership (CWEEL), through its affiliation with the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), offers a mentoring program in energy efficiency and sustainability to support men and women in their career development in energy efficiency, renewable energy, utilities and energy technology fields.

Charlotte Wagner became the Mentor Program Chair in the summer of 2019.  In just two months 4 new mentor/mentee pairs have been matched, with a high demand for more mentors.

Case Study: Megan and Charlotte

Mentee: Megan Jimenez, Energy Efficiency Engineer, SoCalGas, Customer Engineering Services

Mentor: Charlotte Wagner, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C, Managing Director, Edison Energy

Date paired: January, 2018

Present status: Continuing relationship for 2 years

Megan and Charlotte are both in the energy industry and geographically located in Southern California.  We started off by having a few phone calls, and then meet in person for lunch.  We try to meet monthly and always have fruitful conversations.  We discuss career paths, office politics, how to get ahead at work, dealing with difficult people, and more.

From Megan:

“The Mentor Program through CWEEL is very simple and easy. I was able to be matched and have my first contact with my mentor within a few days. We meet every month or so and share experiences and current issues that we troubleshoot that enlighten my views. My mentor is a perfect match for me. She works in the same industry so we relate very well. My mentor also has very similar values to me so our goals align and her insight is exactly what I need to hear. I am extremely fortunate to have a mentor that exemplifies the definition of a mentor and personifies CWEEL. My mentor truly cares for my success and gives great and useful guidance. I am truly grateful to have the chance to be paired with her and be able to get great use out of this mentor program. The CWEEL Mentor Program has turned out to be the best mentor program I’ve had yet, and I owe it to the amazing women and industry that are a part of CWEEL.”

From Charlotte:

“I have been in the energy industry for over 25 years, so it is very gratifying to use my experience to help others.  Talking to Megan has been very rewarding; she reminds me of myself when I was younger.  Giving her advice on career path and workplace challenges has actually helped me solve my own workplace issues.  There’s nothing like talking it through with someone else.  I have immensely enjoyed our interactions.  I am grateful that there is this specific mentor program in CWEEL, to meet like minded people in the same industry.”

For more information or to participate

Both mentors and mentees apply to participate on the Council’s website.  Or contact Charlotte Wagner, Mentor Program Chair, 949-887-6906, Charlotte.Wagner@edisonenergy.com

https://cweel.wordpress.com/mentor/

AEE CWEEL Visits Chile Chapter Event

By Laurie Weigand-Jackson, Co-Chair, CWEEL

It was an honor to represent AEE and CWEEL in Chile. I participated in meetings from Monday October 14 – Friday October 18. We had an excellent meeting with AEE Chile & CWEEL Chile on Monday October 14^th. 

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There were about 40 attendees from the College of Engineering faculty and students, and public and private sectors.

In attendance for AEE & CWEEL were Romina Cid Moris, the President of the CWEEL Chile Chapter (she organized the event in conjunction with the AEE chapter), Michel de Laire, the current AEE Chile Chapter President and Erwin Plett, President of the Commission of Energy and a former AEE Chile President.  

Speakers also included Mr. Arturo Gana, President of the College of Engineering, and Ms. Marcia Carrasco, President of the Commission of Women Engineers, Ms. Loreto Mateo, Director of AChEAP and Ms. Nicole Verdugo President of the Women and Business Chamber of Chile.

Also that week, Romina and I participated in the Public-Private Dialogue on Energy Modernization as part of the APEC Chile week of events.  Speakers were in attendance from throughout the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies including Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Taiwan, and the USA.  I also met with Francisco Javier Lopez, Chile Sub-Secretary of Energy and Paula Estevez, International Relations, Chile Ministry of Energy to discuss CWEEL and its role in promoting women in energy.

I met with Roxana Martinelli Ramirez, Coordinator of the Program “Win-Win” a United Nations initiative on women empowerment and equality.  Equal treatment of women and men is not just the right thing to do – it is also good for business. The program was launched in 2018 by UN Women, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the European Union (EU).  The program is scheduled to be implemented across six countries over 3 years: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Uruguay.  

Meetings were also held with the Ministry of Energy of Chile staff including Ms. Marcela Zulantay, Gender Coordinator in the Ministry of Energy and eight women team members. We discussed their individual roles and career objectives and I provided advice on how to build their careers in the male-dominated energy industry. What impressed me the most is the key initiative in Chile to increase women in energy – it is called “energia mas mujer”.  They are targeting 30% of women in technical, managerial and executive positions.  The government is already on target, and the private sector is building participation of women in  all facets of the industry.  CWEEL fits in very well with this initiative and is getting visibility with the Chile Ministry of Energy.  See article that Romina submitted on partnership signed in November.

2019 Dr. Shirley Hansen CWEEL Leader Award

The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and the Council of Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2019 Dr. Shirley Hansen CWEEL Leader Award is Davetta Thacher, for her outstanding contributions to CWEEL and the energy community.

Pictured left to right: Nandini Mouli, Scholarship & Awards Committee Chair; Davetta Thacher, Award Recipient; and Laurie Wiegand-Jackson, CWEEL Co-Chair

Davetta Thacher
Senior Project Manager NYSERDA’s On-site Power Team

As senior project manager of NYSERDA’s on-site power team, she has helped develop, design, and manage a wide variety of energy-related initiatives, including the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Program, which provided technical and financial support for the installation of CHP systems.  Prior to joining NYSERDA, Davetta held various engineering positions within the R&D and manufacturing divisions at General Electric, Teradyne and United Technologies.  She has also been an educator, working as an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Eastern Connecticut State University and a Connecticut-certified high school math teacher. Davetta holds BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA, all from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  She has served as a Board Member of the AEE NY Chapter since the Fall of 2015 and as Secretary since January 2018.

AEE Chilean Chapter Hosts CWEEL Speaker

Co-Founder of CWEEL, Current Director and Former President of PREPA USA, Mrs. Laurie Wiegand-Jackson represented the member of AEE and CWEEL, as one of the important international speakers in the APEC energy week.

Laurie spoke on Friday, October 18th in Antofagasta, at “APEC Chile 2019 Citizen Meetings”, a space for open, free and decentralized dialogue, from which APEC priority issues were addressed from a citizens perspective.

For more information, contact info@aeechile.cl.

Join CWEEL at AEE World for Networking Events

CWEEL Breakfast
Thursday, September 26, 2019 | 7:30-9:00am

Sponsored by:

Join us for a FREE breakfast and keynote presentation in support of women-owned businesses, and the unique barriers and opportunities these firms encounter in the marketplace. Sponsored by:

Following Your North Star

Denise Turner Roth
Chief Development Officer
WSP

Register

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CWEEL Reception
Thursday, September 26, 2019 | 4:00-6:00pm

Join AEE’s Council on Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership for an afternoon of networking.  Enjoy drinks and Hors d’oeuvres while supporting the CWEEL Scholarship Program. Free for CWEEL members, $20 for Supporting Partner attendees, $30 for all others.

Register

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CWEEL Presents “More Effective Networking”
Thursday, September 26, 2019 | 1:30-2:30pm

The Council on Women in Energy & Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) will conduct a session to help women to learn how to more comfortably and effectively network in a room full of men. CWEEL is a division of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) that supports the role of women in the energy and environmental industries. It assists in career development activities for existing professionals and also enables young women aspiring to leadership roles to find mentors that will support their own development.

Session Description:
Whether you are new to networking (or if you’ve just never been comfortable with it), a male-dominated networking event can produce extreme anxiety and feelings of incompetence especially if you must sell to the group.

This talk shares how to overcome this anxiety and successfully network in any situation by putting yourself “in state” by assuming the role of The Engager instead of The Salesperson.

By employing back-yard BBQ engagement tactics, women learn how to be confident, memorable, and instantly welcome by enabling others to feel comfortable. These Engager skills translate from work to everyday life and the talk shares how to develop your networking skills even when you’re at the grocery store.

Session Instructor:
Emily Beck is a Business Development Manager with Schneider Electric’s cleantech division, working with global manufacturers to help them procure utility-scale renewables. Emily has always loved the thrill of prospecting and developing relationships with new clients, however, she formerly dreaded having to network at business events. She now loves to network in a room full of men and hopes to inspire and enable women to do the same. When Emily is not at work she is usually talking about vintage Jeeps and doting on her bloodhound Rufus.  Emily is a member of CWEEL. 

(NOTE: While this session is oriented toward helping women, men are welcome to attend). 

Register

2019 AEE West CWEEL Breakfast Speaker Highlight: Move Your Market. Change the World.

Written by MaryAnne Lauderdale, PE, CEM

Transforming Sustainability from a “Check-the-box” Approach to a Strategic Growth Driver that can Move Your Market and Change the World.

THE TIME IS NOW!

Carolyn Parrs, CEO of Mind Over Markets and founder of Women of Green, engaged the morning audience with her keynote presentation for the CWEEL Women in Leadership breakfast, at AEE West in Santa Clara, CA on June 6. Ms. Parrs provides strategic marketing advice, helping her clients tap into the exploding interest in sustainable products and services from consumers, and their demands for corporate environmental accountability.

Some “fun facts” from Carolyn’s presentation – recent marketing surveys have found:

• 88% of Americans think that the average person should be taking “concrete steps” to reduce his or her environmental impact
• Women…
  • Purchase 85% of all consumer goods in the US
  • Have $7.4 trillion in purchasing power
• 92 million Millenials (born between 1981-1997) have $1.4 trillion in disposable income
• When Millenials trust a brand’s environmental and social/business practices…
  • 90% buy from that brand
  • 95% recommend the brand to others, largely via social media

But how can companies reach these consumers effectively with their products? How can they get their messages out in the world of nonstop news feeds? And, how can companies learn what their consumers and customers really want?

Carolyn’s formula includes four essentials:

1. Lay the Sustainability Groundwork for Strategic Growth
2. Define your Sustainability Strategy & Work It
3. Seek Collaborations to Advance It
4. Own your Sustainability Story yet Lead with What’s Meaningful to Your Customer

These steps may appear simple and logical, but her approach with clients is all about disciplined action. In one case study, she shared the story of PNM (Public Service Company of New Mexico) and the local community at loggerheads over adding more renewable energy in the state, while maintaining affordable energy costs.

Groundwork

Action began by interviewing community members, utility customers, environmental advocates and thought leaders to learn what was important, where stakeholder interests diverged, and where their interests coincided.

Sustainability Strategy

Carolyn’s sustainability strategy follows the LEAP approach:

• Listen
• Engage
• Align & Act

which can result in:

• Profit

For the community and stakeholders in New Mexico, these actions contributed not only to the utility’s interests, but helped them see that their concerns were listened to and heard. Balancing community interests with financial possibilities and constraints created solutions-driven interactions, and contributed to the next essential: Collaboration.

Collaboration

This interactive process evolved into a true collaborative effort to identify realistic objectives for the state and local jurisdictions. Ultimately, the interests of the community – to increase sustainable energy production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state – became aligned with the utility’s and consumers’ needs to meet projected energy demands cost-effectively.

Carolyn has employed this strategy to assist many corporations with their sustainability plans. However, the job does not end there.

Own your Sustainability Story

Organizations have the tools to communicate their objectives and results, but unless the organization has an integrated communication strategy, companies are at risk for allowing their successes to be dissected and represented as failures. Organizations need to recognize their strengths and challenges, and craft the stories of their actions to present a consistent message communicating their obectives and results clearly.

Whether an entity is a startup or has been around for more than 100 years, the process for developing sustainable energy supply with community involvement is simple and clear: we can solve these environmental problems as a whole society. To close, Carolyn shared a video by Greta Thurnberg, a young woman whose forward-thinking videos have activated many people world-wide to recognize that they are empowered to create and participate in the solutions to our current climate management challenges. Greta said, “What we need more than hope – is ACTION!”

We are the guardians of our world – there are no others. THE TIME IS NOW!

For more information, contact:

Carolyne Parrs, CEO Mind Over Markets
cparrs@mindovermarkets.com
Seattle – Santa Fe
505-231-2342
www.mindovermarkets.com
www.womenofgreen.com

Carolyn Parrs | CEO, Mind Over Markets | Founder, Women of Green

Carolyn Parrs is the CEO of Mind Over Markets, a trusted, strategic advisor since 2003 helping brands transform sustainability from a “check-the-box” approach to a strategic growth driver that can move their market and change the world.

Carolyn started her journey working at some of the top New York City advertising agencies including Benton & Bowles and Wunderman Worldwide, serving clients such as General Foods, Proctor & Gamble, AT&T, IBM, Richardson-Vicks, Manufacturers Hanover Trust, Time/Life Books and more. 

Carolyn and her products have appeared on television shows including Good Morning America, ABC News, CBS News and on radio and cable shows such as HBO, CNN and Lifetime Channel. Print coverage includes The New York Times, L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan.

As committed sustainability advocate, she created Women Of Green, a robust online community that “turns up the volume” of the feminine voice in green. She is a featured author in Thomson Reuters book series for C-level executives: Inside the Minds: Greening your Business. She lives and works in Seattle and Santa Fe with her pups, Heart and Soul.

CWEEL Women in Energy Leadership Expands

The Council of Women in Energy & Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) is pleased to announce the appointment of three outstanding women to the Board of Directors. 

Suhair Al Mhairat, JPE, CEM, REP, CSDP is a senior engineer at Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization with over 15 years of experience in the fields of renewable energy and certification systems.  Suhair holds a master degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Jordan and will hold a leadership position on the Board’s Membership Committee.   

Cara Olmsted is Director of Strategic Development & Renewable Sales for ConEdison Solutions.  She has been with ConEdison, Inc. for 34 years.  She holds a BS in Business from the University of Missouri and an MBA from Fordham University and is the mother of 3 daughters.  Cara will assume a leadership role on the Fundraising & Corporate Sponsorship Committee. 

Charlotte Wagner, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C is a Managing Director of Major Accounts and Standardization at Edison Energy, LLC and has 25 years of energy industry experience.  Charlotte has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland.  She will be leading the Mentoring Program on the Board of Directors. 

NEW CWEEL BOARD MEMBER FULL BIOGRAPHIES

Suhair Al Mhairat
MSc, JPE .CEM®,REP™,CSDP® Senior Engineer
Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization
Contact Information
(962) -79 – 9031261 suhair.mhairat@gmail.com

Suhair will be contributing to the success of CWEEL worldwide as the leader of our Membership Committee. Suhair Al Mhairat is a senior engineer, working at the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization for 15 years working in the fields of renewable energy and certification systems (ISO 17065, ISO 17025 and ISO 9001) against the international standards. She holds a master degree in Chemical Engineer from University of Jordan. In 2018, she achieved the requirements of a professional degree Professional engineer, JPE, from Jordan engineers association in renewable energy. 

She was recognized in 2016 as “International Energy Professional Development” awardee by the Association of Energy Engineers in Washington D.C. 

She became a trainer for ISO 50001 ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (within the MENA Star Project which is implemented by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)and funded by SIDA). She is also an authorized trainer for certified sustainable development professional (CSDP®) training from AEE. She became an EFQM certified assessor with King Abdullah II Center for Excellence 2014/2015. Suhair prepared a comprehensive strategy to train female engineers for international certification programs and submitted it to USAID to provide the proper funding. 45 engineers were trained through 6 courses in 2015. Another funding request was submitted for 2016 and was approved. 

Suhair has been leading the first International Chapter of the Council on Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) in Jordan since May 2014. She had been a board member of the Jordan Energy Chapter of AEE since 2011-2017. Also, she became the first female Certified Energy Manager, CEM® in Jordan by passing a professional exam from the Association of Energy Engineers in the USA. 

Cara Olmsted
Director Strategic Development & Renewable Sales
Con Edison Solutions
Contact Information
(914) 286-7012
(914) 629-2839 (cell) olmstedc@conedsolutions.com

Cara will bring her experience in fundraising and leadership to CWEEL to lead the Fundraising & Corporate Sponsors Committee.

Cara is the Director of Strategic Development & Renewable Sales for Con Edison Solutions. She  has been with Con Edison, Inc. for 34 years.

Over the years she has actively marketed and sold energy efficiency, commodity supply, demand response, and solar EPC services.  She has participated and led corporate strategic initiatives including new business start-ups and new/existing product growth and expansion.  In her roles, she has had significant interaction with C-level executives and technical teams.  For the past eight years she also launched and participated in the Committee for the company’s annual Environmental Health & Safety awards. As the Chairperson of the committee, she managed a team of 8 professionals, to develop an evaluation process, scoring approach, and reach consensus in selecting the winners.  In addition, each year she has given the opening remarks at the awards ceremony with a focus on the three key points – ideation, process, and leadership in achieving success in the pursuit and execution of the work that we do.  In Cara’s words “Leadership is framed not from the perspective of an external source or guide but from the leader that resides within each one of us to, define our path, act with integrity, and achieve happiness and meaning in our lives and through our work.”

Cara spent four years on the Stewardship Committee of her Church successfully meeting fundraising goals required to support the financial needs of the church and its ministries. Cara has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri and a Masters Business Administration from Fordham University, New York, with a major in Finance and Marketing.

Cara is a mother of three daughters.  Her goals for her daughters are the same that she has for the women of CWEEL – to support them in finding their path, their voice, and their passion as they pursue their careers and relationships. 

Charlotte Wagner
P.E., CEM, LEED AP BD+C
Managing Director
Edison Energy, LLC
Contact Information
949-392-8038 | 949-887-6906 (cell) charlotte.wagner@edisonenergy.com

Charlotte has been active in AEE and she is an active CWEEL Mentor. She is also an active member and leader in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Charlotte brings this valuable experience to lead the CWEEL Board’s Mentor Program Committee.

Charlotte brings over 25 years of energy industry experience with a focus on energy auditing, building automation, HVAC optimization and energy project management. She has effectively managed large teams (30-50) of energy engineering professionals for several major energy firms including Yardi and Enernoc.   Most recently, she is the Managing Director of Major Accounts and Standardization at Edison Energy, LLC.

Over her career, Charlotte has been very involved in volunteering at the Society of Women Engineers where she received their Distinguished Service Award in 2008.  She has been active in SWE local chapters – the Washington-Baltimore Chapter (1991-1999) and the Orange County CA Section(1999-2017). She has also been involved at the National level in several leadership roles with SWE (2000-2019) including: Senior Member Engagement Task Force Member, 2017-2019; Leadership Pipeline Task Force Chair, 2008-2009; Committee member, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011; Distinguished Service Award judge, 2004- 2007, 2009-2018; National Membership Chair, 2002-2003; National Section Vitality Task Force Leader/Chair, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 (Section Vitality was later renamed Leadership Coaching)

Charlotte received her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland and is an AEE Certified CEM and is LEED AP certified.