A Letter from CWEEL’s President

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A Letter from CWEEL’s President

Dear CWEEL & AEE Family:

It's a new year that brings new opportunities to share your gifts and talents! Welcome 2022, and let's get started! This year's focus is "community, value, growth, and diversity."

This year we want to hear from you. We are a large global community bonded together by our shared commitment to stewardship of our natural resources and a desire to reduce waste through energy efficiency and effective and innovative energy management & sustainable strategies. 

We are diverse and yet united. We are an amazing network of mentors, trailblazers, young professionals, entrepreneurs, students, authors, engineers, policy influencers, consultants, technologists, and more linked together by our desire to increase the diversity of the 21st-century energy workforce. Through the efforts of our CWEEL volunteers, these newsletters, our website, and social media connect us. Our community is also spreading locally, with CWEEL groups popping up across the USA and Canada and Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and the Middle East.

The CWEEL leadership team and over fifty committee members worldwide work collaboratively with the AEE staff to ensure that your membership and participation in CWEEL and AEE provide value to every member. This year, we are hosting CWEEL events at all significant AEE conferences (AEE East, AEE West, AEE World, and AEE Europe). We produce quality programs, and webinars focused on professional development, networking, DE&I, technical training, and career advice. Each member is qualified to join the CWEEL mentor program to receive one-on-one support – to address an immediate concern or work on a longer term set of objectives. 

We continue to provide scholarships to qualified applicants (US$10,000+ annually). And we are working on new initiatives, including girls in STEM and CWEEL student groups.

The clean energy transition is driving economic opportunities, and we are raising awareness and supporting programs that provide training to develop a pool of talented and diverse professionals. We want to help bring good, living-wage jobs to all, especially underserved communities and underrepresented peoples. We need to ease access to capital for diverse business owners, provide training and certifications, and support the overall development and advancement of women and minorities in the energy sector. 

Our members will be working together in AEE & CWEEL to continue to address the gender and racial gaps that are so evident at all levels within our industries.

This year will be one of remarkable growth and accomplishment – providing value and support through a network of amazing women and men. Reach out to this community. Be active in your local chapters and help build a local CWEEL group. Sign up for some of our upcoming events and programs and join CWEEL's LinkedIn group. Register to take a certification course, attend an AEE conference in person, become a mentor. There are so many ways to participate – to be a part of the community, experience the value of CWEEL membership, and help us grow. I can't wait to see the impact that CWEEL makes in you and that each of you make in CWEEL!  

Please share your stories of how AEE or CWEEL has had a positive impact on your life and career AND/OR how you have made an impact to CWEEL or AEE!