This past week, Primera team members from our Utilities division attended the annual Energetic Women Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri. Each June, hundreds of energy professionals from across the United States gather at this inspirational event to develop and enhance their leadership and interpersonal skills. For over two and a half days, attendees participated in industry tours, networking activities and top-quality educational sessions. The Primera team returned feeling motivated and ready to put the knowledge and advice they received into their day-to-day routine. Below are some of the key concepts our team members took away from the week’s events.

What key takeaways and insights did you learn from the Energetic Women Conference?

“It’s okay not to fit in, using what makes us stand out whether it be my way of thinking or viewpoint, is what helps us further ourselves as well as our team.”	Kim Truong Civil Engineer
“By choosing to be an ally, we actively promote diversity and inclusion, which brings new ideas, experiences and skills that greatly benefit the workplace, and the most incredible thing is that anyone can be an ally! We often think that allies are only those in a higher position or those who possess certain privileges based on their gender or skin color. However, a true ally is anyone who mentors, supports and helps others feel heard, valued, and respected.”	Mariana Suarez Electrical Engineer
“It’s comforting and exciting to know that there is such a wide network of professional women out there that I can reach out to if I need assistance, whether it be a professional question or just if I need some advice about being a woman in the energy industry.”	Erin Hayes Civil Engineer
“Surrounding yourself with intelligent, positive, and personal growth centered people is key to your profession and mental well-being. Leaders that create opportunity for their employees to take part in conferences such as this encourage loyalty and support in their organizations.”	Julie Poynter, PMP Project Manager
“While it can be easy to help be an ally for one person, identifying systematic changes that need to happen and then working towards making them better is what makes you go from being a good ally to a great ally.”	Erin McKearnan, PMP Electrical Engineer
“We worry too much about getting approvals from others that we won’t take risks in our lives and we get scared. We need to strengthen our weakest muscle and build our awkward tolerance. Through repetition and rehearsal we can build it one layer at a time. We need to focus on deliberate practice and on our weakest spot. This will allow us, especially as women, to take those risks in our professional lives and go for that promotion for which we feel we are underqualified.”	Elizabeth Odegaard, PMP Project Delivery Lead

MEA Energetic Women is a division of the MEA Energy Association, and is a national professional and leadership development resource within the natural gas and electric utility industry. The MEA Energetic Women mission is to prepare women within the energy industry for leadership roles in operations and engineering. Through mentorship and support, Energetic Women aims to encourage leadership development, build expertise and inspire women within the industry. Learn more about MEA Energetic Women and the annual Energetic Women Conference at https://www.energeticwomen.org/.