Women’s Equality Day serves as a moment to reflect on our values, celebrate the contributions of women across our organization, and reaffirm our commitment to advancing diversity and equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and operational fields.
As part of our ongoing support for gender equity and inclusion in our industry we’re proud to spotlight the PHI Women in Operations initiative—a newly formed group dedicated to empowering, connecting, and advancing women across gas and electric operations at Pepco Holdings.
Get to know an individual driving equity forward.
Jaclyn Cantler
Senior Vice President of Governmental, Regulatory and External Affairs, Pepco Holdings
Time with company: 24 years
What does your role entail?
Creating partnerships and working with our external stakeholders to create policies that drive our priorities forward. Additionally, I have responsibility for our Corporate Community Impact (CCI) team which engages with the community to ensure we have a line of sight to their needs and that our brand is known and recognized externally.
What does Women’s Equality Day mean to you personally and professionally?
To me, it’s a day to celebrate how far we’ve come, but it’s also a day to remember we still have a way to go. I like to make little reminders of things we can do to lift women up: ask a woman on your team to speak at an event, invite a woman at a meeting into the conversation to share her thoughts, promote business owners that are women. There are so many things we can do to continue our journey; we just need to be deliberate about them.
What inspired you to pursue a career in operations, and how has your journey evolved at PHI?
My Dad inspired me to become an engineer and to work at Atlantic City Electric. He owned an electrical contracting business in New Jersey, so I grew up in this industry. I always really enjoyed being close to this work and my time in Operations gave me that opportunity. I have a high level of respect for the men and women who work in the office and field, spending nights and holidays away from loved ones. I enjoy providing any support I can to them. I’ve also learned a lot along the way.
What advice would you give to young women considering a career in operations or energy?
My biggest advice would be, don’t shy away from a career in Operations. I can tell you from experience, it will be one of the toughest jobs you will do, but it will also be so incredibly rewarding. Also, leverage your allies. We are seeing more women move into Operations and we need to support and lift each other up. We are stronger together!