This past weekend, eight exceptional employees from Pepco Holdings were honored at the 2025 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Their achievements in innovation, leadership, and technology earned them top distinctions, including the Modern-Day Technology Leader Award and the Calvin G. Butler Jr. Legacy Award.

BEYA is a premier national event celebrating Black professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our award winners have demonstrated outstanding contributions to advancing technology, improving customer solutions, and inspiring future generations of STEM leaders.

We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and the lasting impact they continue to make in the energy industry. Congratulations to all our honorees on this well-deserved recognition!

Modern-Day Technology Leader Award Winners:

• Nadira Alston, external affairs manager, Delmarva Power, was awarded the Modern Day Technology Award for her work with local community partners like Junior Achievement and the American Heart Association, elected officials, mentees, and work with the City of Wilmington.
• Komla Amedodji, project manager, Pepco Holdings, has been instrumental in our deployment of electric vehicle public charging stations throughout 12 Maryland counties, supporting our Delmarva Power and Pepco customers and communities.
• Leonna “Leo” Deans, supervisor of designers, Pepco, identified enhancements to training processes and successfully introduced 15 new training courses across Pepco Holdings, leading to increased professional development and morale for her colleagues, and enhanced relationships with contract partners.
• Jequita Fowler, principal business program manager, Pepco Holdings, led one of the first and largest electric bus microgrids in the United States, located in Montgomery County, MD. She’s also played a key role in Pepco’s Fairmont Heights Microgrid project, designed to enhance grid resiliency for low-income customers in Maryland.
• Rosemond Bodjona, manager of project construction, Pepco, led the construction management portion of Pepco’s Capital Grid Project, which is designed to enhance reliability throughout the District of Columbia and support economic development opportunities and the city’s growth needs.
• Ijeoma Ozoude, senior manager of transmission engineering and design, Pepco Holdings, who oversees many large reliability projects including transmission line rebuilds across Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. These projects, like C.’s Downtown Resupply, address aging infrastructure needs, support the growing demand of energy, and improve reliability for our customers.
• Rocky Weru, section engineer, Pepco Holdings, has supported the energization and building of the Capital Grid Project’s Mount Vernon substation. His innovative approach to designing the substation, which is located in an area with limited space, led to a 60-percent reduction in the substation’s footprint and adds to the aesthetic appeal of the downtown area.

Calvin G. Butler Jr. Legacy Award Winner:

• Shari Rattray, manager of project execution, Pepco Holdings, received the Calvin G. Butler Jr. Legacy Award for her technical expertise and leadership in launching a series of electric vehicle public charging stations across Maryland for Delmarva Power and Pepco customers and communities. This project has significantly contributed to the advancement of sustainable transportation infrastructure across the state.