Join NEWIEE for Our 11th Awards Gala on April 28th

I can’t wait for Thursday April 28th – the day of NEWIEE’s 11th Awards Gala and our first in person Gala in three years! One of the reasons I love the Awards Gala is because it’s an event that encompasses all four of the pillars of NEWIEE’s work: inspiration, leadership, professional development, and community. First, there’s inspiration – I am really looking forward to hearing from Elin Katz from FERC, the keynote speaker; the four awardees Rachel Kyte, Meg Lusardi, Marissa Paslick Gillett, and Keirstan Field; and (breaking news!) Shalanda Baker from the Department of Energy. Then there’s women’s leadership – the visual impact of seeing such a large number of women leaders from the energy and environment sectors gathered in one room is stunning, not to mention the auditory impact of the bubbly conversations generated by the crowd!

If you have been part of the NEWIEE community for some time, you’ll notice the imprint of professional development at the Gala too, including women who have progressed into new or bigger, more impactful leadership roles in recent years. In the crowded room there is also an invisible web of relationships between women who have mentored and supported each other at various times, in formal and in informal ways.

Finally, community is everywhere at the Gala! I delight in the broad span of career stages of women in the room, with acknowledgement of the importance of newer entrants to the energy and environment fields embodied in the annual award of a “Rising Star” award to a woman who has been in the field for ten years or less. But perhaps my favorite aspect is that in addition to women showing up to honor and celebrate each other, men also attend in support of their female colleagues. The effort to recruit, retain, and promote women in the energy and environment fields must come from everyone, and the Gala brings together a broad group of people to celebrate the advancement of NEWIEE’s mission: ‘Empowering Women. Advancing the Industry.’ and honor five exceptional and inspiring women leaders.

I do hope I’ll see you and your colleagues – female, male, and nonbinary – at the Awards Gala on April 28th. I know it is going to be an evening to remember!

Jacquie Ashmore
Gala Co-Chair
Mentorship Chair
NEWIEE

Also of Interest

• Join NEWIEE
• NEWIEE Event Calendar
• NEWIEE Jobs Board