This March, AWWEE invites you to a special Women’s History Month edition of Path to Power.
Join us for a special Women’s History Month edition of Path to Power, featuring an inspiring panel discussion with three distinguished leaders in the water, energy, and environmental sectors: Dawn Roth Lindell, Chief Executive Officer & General Manager of Seattle City Light; Rajinder Sahota, Deputy Executive Officer for Climate Change and Research at the California Air Resources Board; and Elizabeth Hadley, Area Manager for the California Great Basin Region at the Bureau of Reclamation.
Together, these accomplished leaders will share reflections on their professional journeys, leadership strategies, and the challenges they have navigated as women shaping critical infrastructure, climate policy, and water management systems. Their experiences span municipal utilities, state climate leadership, and federal water operations—offering diverse and powerful perspectives on advancing meaningful change in our industries.
This candid conversation will provide valuable insights for professionals at all career stages and will include dedicated time for member Q&A, creating space for connection, learning, and authentic dialogue.
Join us as we celebrate Women’s History Month by amplifying the voices of women leading today—and shaping the future.
PATH TO POWER
Path to Power is a popular event series hosted by AWWEE for many years to showcase the experiences of women who have achieved professional success in our fields. These events provide a unique opportunity to hear directly from women we admire about their professional journeys.
Join us for this special candid conversation and you will understand why Path to Power events are among our most requested!
About Our Panelists
Dawn Roth Lindell serves as the CEO and General Manager of Seattle City Light, the 9th largest public utility in the nation, that provides carbon neutral power to Seattle and seven surrounding communities. Dawn has more than 25 years of experience in leadership and has worked in executive positions for utilities based in both Colorado and California. She was named as one of Colorado’s Top Women in Energy in 2019. Prior to serving in Seattle, Ms. Roth Lindell served as the General Manager of Burbank Water and Power. In this role, she led the outstanding employees of BWP in creating the future for delivering affordable, reliable and sustainable water, energy and high-speed internet services - all designed to enable the missions of every business in Burbank.
Ms. Roth Lindell has also served as the Senior Vice President and Rocky Mountain Regional Manager for the Western Area Power Administration in Lakewood, Colorado. There, she set strategic direction for more than 400 federal and contract employees of the Rocky Mountain Region for power marketing in 4 states, grid maintenance in 6 states and grid operation in 10 states with a $400 million+ annual budget. Prior to that she worked for Colorado Springs Utilities leading customer service to top quartile J.D. Power’s performance before becoming their Chief Information Officer and moving that utility to five 9’s of network reliability, cyber security excellence and outstanding application and project performance.
Dawn received an MBA with an information technology focus from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Rajinder Sahota was appointed as the Deputy Executive Officer for Climate Change and Research at California Air Resources Board (CARB) in spring of 2021. She is responsible for directing CARB’s scientific, technical, and policy teams as they develop and update the AB 32 Climate Change Scoping Plan to track progress and develop the pathways to achieve the state’s climate targets. She also oversees the economy-wide Cap-and-Trade Program, Low Carbon Fuels Standards, energy and climate policy, fuels programs, and critical research to advance action to improve public health and environmental protection. In Rajinder’s 19 year-career with CARB, she has worked on a variety of projects including analyzing data for children’s health studies, evaluating strategies and their impacts to reduce harmful diesel pollution from locomotives, developing the first comprehensive greenhouse gas reporting and verification regulation, developing the 2017 and 2022 Scoping Plan Updates, leading the development of the first Integrated Resource Targets under SB 350 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector, and overseeing actions to reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector and fuels sector. She has also served as a point of contact on CARB’s climate policies with other states, and subnational and international governments.
Rajinder served as an inaugural co-chair of the Diversity and Racial Equity (DaRE) Task Force. The position helped co-lead an internally-focused effort to evaluate and remove barriers that keep the organization from being more diverse and inclusive for all. These continuing efforts will help CARB become more and responsive and effective.
Rajinder received a B.S. and M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of California, Davis.
Elizabeth Hadley is the Area Manager for the California Great Basin Region’s Northern California Area Office. In her capacity, Elizabeth oversees the operation and maintenance of major Central Valley Project facilities, including Shasta Dam, Keswick Dam, Trinity Dam, Lewiston Dam, Whiskeytown Dam, and others, along with the associated powerplants and infrastructure. Elizabeth is responsible for managing water service contracts, ensuring reliable water delivery and hydropower generation, and supporting environmental programs such as the Trinity River Restoration. In her role, Elizabeth directs a multidisciplinary team, supervises safety and security programs, and coordinates emergency planning while maintaining compliance with federal regulations. Additionally, the position involves stakeholder engagement with tribes, local agencies, and water users, balancing flood control, recreation, and resource sustainability across a region that stores nearly nine million acre-feet of water.
Prior to joining Reclamation in 2017, she spent ten years with Redding Electric Utility where she ran the legislative, regulatory, and compliance programs, coordinated the Utility’s involvement in State and Federal regulatory proceedings, interacted with State and Federal legislators, and directed legal and consultant activities. Elizabeth has previously held positions managing the environmental compliance program at the Northern California Power Agency’s hydroelectric project on the Stanislaus River, and as a Park Ranger in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management and a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources, both from Humboldt State University.
Registration
Registration is free for AWWEE members, who are also welcome to add up to two guests (new to AWWEE please).
Registration is $20 for non-members.