In today's fast-paced world where many of us are working where we live (at least some of the time), finding harmony between our professional and personal lives has become increasingly challenging. Yet, it’s more essential than ever that we strike the right balance for our overall well-being, the health of our relationships, and our motivation to succeed at work. During this panel discussion, we will be joined by four women at different stages in their lives who will share their strategies, experiences, and perspectives on the quest to achieve work-life balance.
Phyllis Currie, AWWEE Board Member and retired General Manager at Pasadena Water & Power
Jenn Fillinger, Accounting Supervisor at Cucamonga Valley Water District
Meghan Roberts, Executive Director at the Association of Women in Water, Energy & Environment
Christine Sotelo, Chief of California's Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) at the California State Water Resources Control Board
By coming together to share our insights and experiences, we believe we can collectively discover new approaches and solutions to achieve a more fulfilling balance between our professional and personal lives. Moreover, it's reassuring to recognize that even individuals who appear to have it all together face challenges in finding this balance. Whether you're seeking practical tips to manage the demands on your time more effectively, interested in sharing your own strategies, or simply curious to learn from others, this event promises to be enriching and informative.
Our Presenters:
Phyllis Currie is the former General Manager of the Pasadena, CA Water and Power (PWP) Department. Since 2016, she has been on the board of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, a regional transmission organization (RTO) that runs an energy market and manages transmission assets in 15 Midwest states and a Canadian province. She chaired the board from 2019 through 2021. Other board positions include a privately held engineering company and a public company engaged in producing renewable fuels. She has been a member of AWWEE since its inception, and currently serves on the board of directors. Ms. Currie is also an executive consultant, providing strategic planning and training services to utilities in California. She is a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops on utility finances, customer service, DEI and work-life balance for women. She is active in several non-profit and community organizations.
In her 14 years as head of PWP, the utility added new electric generation units; built a water treatment plant funded by NASA to clean up ground water contamination; and embarked on multi-year infrastructure improvement programs to upgrade the city’s water and electrical distribution systems. She led the development of stakeholder-driven water and energy resource plans, which include aggressive goals for renewable energy, and water conservation,
During her 30-year career with the city of Los Angeles, she held several significant positions, including chief financial officer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, assistant city administrative officer and director of the city’s rent control program.
Ms. Currie served as board president of the California Municipal Utilities Association, as well as the Southern California Public Power Authority, and board chair of the American Public Power Association. She has served on the Department of Energy Electricity Advisory Committee, the board of the Electric Power Research Institute, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, and the national board of Grid Alternatives, including 3 years as president, bringing the benefits of solar technology to underserved communities.
Other community activities include the Pasadena Rotary Club, the Ebell Club of Los Angeles, Women in Leadership Vital Voices, a Pasadena organization that focuses on educating women on public policy matters and the Water and Power Associates, which provides education on local and state water and energy issues.
Her education includes a BA in political science and an MBA from UCLA, and the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
She resides in Los Angeles, CA, sometimes with her adult daughter who has a hybrid job in Southern California but calls Houston home. Notwithstanding her board activities, she finds time to travel, most recently in February a Northern Lights tour in Fairbanks, AK, attend performances of the LA Philharmonic and local theaters, work out with her trainer every Friday morning at 6:30 am., and walk at least two miles most days of the week. Ms. Currie is a firm believer in work-life balance.
Jennifer Fillinger is the Accounting Supervisor for Cucamonga Valley Water District (CVWD), which covers Rancho Cucamonga within San Bernardino County. Jennifer’s responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of the Accounting Department, including the ACFR, Budget, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, and Billing. Jennifer has been with CVWD for over nine years and is a licensed CPA. Previously, Jennifer was an auditor with Vicenti, Lloyd, and Stutzman LLP (now Clifton Larsen Allen LLP) for five years.
When she’s not working, Jennifer has two young children ages 8 and 5 who are her world. Jennifer also volunteers at church, loves to play in her garden, bakes sweet treats, and reads every fantasy novel she can get.
Meghan Roberts has served as AWWEE’s Executive Director since 2016. She brings experience in the industries AWWEE serves from her past roles at the California ISO and The Nature Conservancy. Perhaps most important to her success as Executive Director of AWWEE is the passion that she has for supporting women to thrive doing work they love. She believes that her greatest contribution is through serving others in a way that enables them to contribute their unique skills, knowledge, and abilities to the solutions to many of the most important social and environmental issues of our time.
Outside of work, Meghan is an avid DIY-er, working hand-in-hand with her partner to tackle home improvement and remodel projects of all sizes. Although she is not a parent herself, she was a devoted “dog mom” to her beloved dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Bodega, for nearly 13 years before he passed away in May 2023 after a long illness. Now, she volunteers with a Ridgeback rescue organization and is currently fostering an 11-month-old pup. Most often, you’ll find her and her partner outdoors. They recently took up pickleball and joined an amateur league with friends. They enjoy camping, and last year they purchased and outfitted a vintage RV with all the necessities for work so they can truly enjoy working from anywhere.
Christine Sotelo is the Chief of California's Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) at the California State Water Resources Control Board. CA ELAP regulates over 500 environmental testing laboratories located in CA and across the United States and Canada with the mission to elevate California accredited laboratories to produce the highest quality data for CA state program decisions. Christine began her career in environmental and public health protection in 1999 when she took on leadership roles at the California Water Board. She has a wide range of experience in the areas of water quality monitoring and assessment; municipal storm water program permitting and auditing; water quality investigations and multi-agency enforcement actions; CEQA compliance, emergency management, public participation and environmental justice. Prior to taking charge of California ELAP she managed California's Small Municipal Storm Water Program and advanced the state’s regulation of storm water quality by developing rules and policies for protecting California waters. She served as Board of Director for her local watershed council and served as inaugural Ex Officio Board of Director for the California Society of Environmental Analysts.
Christine strives for collaborative solutions to complex problems and champions interdisciplinary project management and multi-benefit approaches. She believes the greatest asset in any state government organization are people and she works hard to lead with compassion and to help her teams bring their authentic self to work.
Registration
Registration is free for active AWWEE members. Active members can add up to 2 guests.
Non-member registration fee is $20.