Gregory Bruton's 2019 Conference Exp.

Greg Bruton's 2019 AABE

Conference Experience

To summarize my experience at the 2019 American Association of Blacks in Energy Conference (AABE) conference in Indiana, I first need to preference what it was not. While this year’s theme was “Energizing the Future for Customers and Communities”, I was doubtful that I would be energized. Initially, I assumed that the conference would contain a conglomeration of vendors and consultants vying for business opportunities amid new technology offerings and presentations as they exchanged business cards for swag bags and vendor sponsored affairs. I also expected that I would meet a few new people from the various offices of National Grid, get reacquainted with previous co-workers who had moved to other utility providers and meet other utility co-laborers from various nationwide providers. When I look back at my presumptions of the AABE conference, I am glad to say that they were unfounded, and in fact this conference completely exceeded my expectations.

My first impression of the Association of Blacks in Energy Conference in Indianapolis was the overwhelming sense of camaraderie among the attendees. I witnessed reunions of old friends and the introductions of new ones. As a “first timer,” I was welcomed by some and introduced to others. This experience can be described as meeting a part of my family I didn’t know existed. I was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome, not only when meeting non-National Grid employees, but meeting my co-workers as well. The overall initial experience was riveting, and the conference was just beginning.

When the conference started, we were introduced to the leadership of the conference with a few familiarities. The first was a safety moment - Classic National Grid! Afterwards, Paula Glover, President and CEO of AABE, welcomed all to the conference with stories of its past and present, using a previous heartfelt customer interaction that inspired the current direction of the company. She talked about becoming your own Einstein, focusing on who you are and what you’ve done and not by how others try to define you. Ms. Glover also mentioned that we, a community of energy providers, should know our own power, and that we should act upon it as often as we possibly can. After this inspirational welcome and throughout the rest of the conference, we were presented with business men and women who shared their success stories. They offered their insights about the progression of their careers and shared how they faced and overcame challenges. Ultimately, they also offered their intuition and encouragement and to all who listened. Based upon my experiences at this event, this essay will reference the insights I received during my time at the American Association of Blacks in Energy Conference in Indianapolis.

The first of many speakers was Marc Stephenson Strachan, Chairman of Adcolor Inc. Mr. Strachan took his time to help us understand the concepts of our motivations toward the customer. Among the many inspirational quotes he shared, the concept of the “5 B’s” was the most helpful: “Be brief, my brother, be brief!” I find that this quote is helpful when I usually tend to make what I’m trying to say more relevant by adding more words/statements than needed. He also asked us about the ‘why’ what we do: Strachan said, “What is ‘my why’ for what I do?” In reflection, I typically answer this

question along the lines of career advancement and increasing my income. After listening to Paula Glover’s ‘why’ as she was inspired to help a customer, it forced me to question my motivations for advancement. Marc differentiated between life and career motivations to help us determine our why. He then he asked us that when we find it, “What are you going to do with your ‘why’,” He used this question to enter into the concept of the customer, specifically knowing who our customer is and our customer’s motivations. This process was not as straight forward as I initially assumed it would be; here I paraphrase Marc’s comments, “Finding out who/what this entity called the customer requires a lot of work. Psychographics and demographics play a major role in determining the customer. This helps you to maximize your potential. One size does not fit all. Geotargeting is essential.”

Marc used BMW as an example of a company who has a concept of who their customer is. At their core, BMW tells us they are “propelling” us towards obtaining the ultimate driving machine, instead of just the ordinary purchase of a car. He also stated that knowing your customer is critical to your success. The vodka company Ciroc originally targeted marketing towards older men at home in their smoking jackets until they understood vodka was best enjoyed at high end parties. They recovered from their initial design, hired celebrity sponsors, and are now a multi-billion-dollar company. I found this one of the most informative sessions at the conference.

Kevin Walker, Senior Vice President of Operational Services at Southern California Edison, spoke about his company’s actions towards “Energizing the future for customers and communities” through personalizing the customer (his ‘why’), and designed processes around accomplishing these goals. He compared the process to growing a fruit tree in order to offer the fruit to homeless people. While he was able to offer a desired product, the product itself would be worthless without an adequate delivery system. Kevin emphasized that a good program is only as good as the quantity of people using it. He also shared that the ability to measure the success of a program helps with creating a path to improve it. We need to take the tools that we already have and use them to accommodate others, even when it’s not efficient. Kevin’s approach to his region’s issues coupled with his personal experiences clearly exemplified what he was doing with his ‘why.’

The next session that I found instructive was a panelist discussion led by Karen Williams of Duke Energy, Indiana. She was joined by Emily Shapira, Executive Director of Philadelphia Energy Authority, Todd Hillman, SVP and CCO of MISO, and Gregory Dunlap, retired VP of customer operations of PSEG. Their topic was “Reflecting the community I’m in.” Here’s a few takeaways from their session:

The Philadelphia energy campaign, started in 2010, looks for market gaps focused on energy efficiency in building construction. PECO is the utility and a sponsor for the project. They are developing the solar market there. To date there are 4200 installs with a job training program from high school 10 grade and up. Housing preservation program is also in the works, working with city council member Darryl Clark under the city partnership connection. (Get involved with high school career paths-Anita). They are also introducing energy conservation courses starting as early as the 8th grade.

All great ideas they can’t be implemented.

I need to define my product, its name and its purpose.

Deregulation caused utilities to seriously look at the impact on the customer. NJ Energy Choice was determined to educate everyone but realized we couldn’t train everyone the same. There are opportunities for non-utility businesses to determine new delivery methods for energy. Data management (information, knowledge, communications) is part of our future. Climate change in Philadelphia has experienced increased flooding and increased heat index, creating warming centers.

Promotion needs to be hand in hand with hiring. Starting earlier in potential employee’s lives is needed.

I personally found a lot of value in this session because it made me think about the services that I provide at National Grid. It made me think about ways that I can look some of the system’s existing deficiencies and offer workable solutions.

The next session that I attended in which I gained some insights was the panel discussion called “Conversations with the C-Suite”, led by Jesse Killings, Atlanta Gas Light’s VP of Operations. The panel included Benita Terry, SVP of Georgia Power NW Region, Dale LeFebvre, Chairman of 3.5.7.11 Transformational Investing and Phyliss Currie, Chair of the MISO Board. Here’s a brief synopsis of the questions they answered:

What are the qualities you desire in an individual for each role? Potential, willingness, interpersonal skills, love of people, curiosity, a doer, deals with adversity and discomfort, an encourager, the ability to see the company as a team, a humane person with integrity.

What should we not focus on? Resisting change, stop saying what we don’t do for our customers, thinking that things will always work the same (until they don’t!).

Bravery in the midst of challenge. What does it look like? Being prepared to experience delayed recognition of your accomplishments. Being in a place where you can convince others to get behind the ideas you are selling. Not allowing your ego to drive or stall your progress. Innovation on all fronts (I need to develop my corporate and individual message for my customers in my market, Grid mod, etc.).

I found this session enlightening because it helped me see that I should not limit the scope of my aspirations due to moments of adversity or change. My input is valuable, but it may need to be fine-tuned for maximum reception as well as clear enough for feedback.

Another great speaker I was really encouraged to hear from was Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.; His talk was titled “Here lies a Freedom Fighter.” From his time spent with Martin Luther King up until today the present day, the chemist from the University of North Carolina has chaired the NAACP and was the director of the Million Man March and the Million Family March, both which were just a few of his many accomplishments. Here are a few highlights of his talk;

He spoke to us about passing the knowledge and experience we possess to the next generation.
He tasked us with questions like “Why is there a high value for knowledge and truth, yet we condemn those without it, and even more so those who come up with their own information when they can’t access it?”
Dr. Chavis also challenged us to become an entrepreneur as well as an employee.
He also stressed that we cannot afford to be pessimistic with what we’ve been given.
- “Resilience is in our DNA. We’re built for it.”
As opportunities expand we need to pave the way for new generations.
While metrics are important, it also matters who gathers the data and what it’s used for.
We need to ask questions about how our company’s policies effect the entirety of our customers and their culture. If we don’t ask the questions they won’t get answered.

Dr. Chavis Jr.’s presentation was, in a word, awesome. He followed his presentation by speaking with the visiting high school students and offered them encouraging words and advice as well. Fortunately for me, I was able to speak with him afterwards and thanked him for his service.

I found that the final presentation of the conference was also just as powerful. Allison Spry Waymyers, Owner and Founder of Spry Players Group, LLC, and previous chapter president for S. Carolina’s AABE chapter, presented a powerful message of determination and perseverance through her experiences as Clemson’s first female hired into a leadership role for the football team. Here are some of the focal points that I gathered from her presentation:

Everything is negotiable except respect and appreciation.

Pay attention to “teachable moments”, and learn all you can from them.

The way that people treat you is intentional. Take it for face value and operate accordingly.

Just because a thing/position doesn’t currently exist, it doesn’t mean it cannot. If you haven’t seen it, you create it.

While she presented a lot of insightful information, what impressed me the most was the way that her family was involved in her “business.” Her 5-year old son was already an entrepreneur, and her husband, an overhead lineman, is her biggest supporter. Allison knew her ‘why’ and literally ran with it, incorporating it into all that she does, professionally and socially.

Looking back on this conference, while the conference was presented to a specific demographic in the energy industry, the lessons learned, and the knowledge shared were applicable to all. I was encouraged by the diversity and perspectives of the group of attendees, not just by the surmountable geographical challenges we continue to face, but also by the solutions and determination to succeed when given the opportunities to do so. What was also encouraging about this conference was that I now have a support system for professional development that I never knew existed. I left with the intention to connect with American Association of Blacks in Energy local Boston-area Chapter to begin my own story. I hope that in sharing my experience I have inspired you to start searching for your ‘why’ as well.

Greg Bruton

Greater Boston Chapter Clerk