ENERGIZE Retreat

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

 

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Welcome Dinner & Entertainment | Francis Marion Hotel
Human Connection & Laughter

ENERGIZE begins with a hosted, sit-down dinner featuring Charleston cuisine—designed to prioritize human connection, presence, and shared laughter.

The evening includes welcome remarks from Vanessa Edmonds, Chris Hilborn, Jody Allison, and ENERGIZE headline sponsor Bashir Bseirani, CEO of Avertra, followed by a stand-up comedy set by Dwight Scruggs, VP of Enterprise Business Development at UtilityAPI, written exclusively for U2030 members.

• Vanessa Edmonds, U2030

• Chris Hilborn, U2030

• Jody Allison, Xcel Energy

• Bashir Bseirani, Avertra

• Dwight Scruggs, UtilityAPI

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Wednesday, April 22

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7:00 AM – 8:00 AM | Powerfully Human in Motion: Walking & Running Tours

Presence Begins in the Body

Start the day with movement and mindfulness through a guided walk (~2.5 miles) or run (~4 miles) through historic Charleston. Movement grounds attention, regulates stress, and sharpens awareness—essential skills for leaders operating under constant pressure.

Facilitators:

• Chris Hilborn (Running Group)

• Hayley Dautrich (Walking Group)

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9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Continental Breakfast & Networking

Connection Without Agenda

Participate in an informal breakfast designed for conversation, reconnection, and ease—creating space for human connection before the day’s deeper work begins.

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9:30 AM – 10:00 AM | Welcome, Safety Moment, Customer Moment & Introductions

Creating Conditions for Courage

This opening session establishes psychological safety, shared intention, and customer-centered grounding. Leaders cannot lead humanely without safety, empathy, and a clear sense of who they serve.

Welcome:

• Vanessa Edmonds, U2030

• Chris Hilborn, U2030

• Jody Allison, Xcel Energy

Retreat Facilitators

• Christy Dray, SMUD

• Leah Covington, BGE

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10:00 AM – 10:45 AM | Panel: Misconceptions About Females in the C-Suite

The Human Cost of Invisible Pressure

Hear a candid discussion on assumptions, bias, and emotional labor—and how these unseen forces shape leadership behavior, decision-making, and resilience at the highest levels.

Moderator: Dan Tunnicliff, Opower/Oracle
Panelists:

• Janisse Quiñones, LADWP

• Mandip Samra, Burbank Water & Power

• Vanessa Kisicki, Salt River Project

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10:45 AM – 11:00 AM | Break

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11:00 AM – 11:15 AM | LXD Session

Powerfully Human in Practice

Participate in a short, reflective Learning Experience Design (LXD) session designed to ground leadership in the human behaviors that matter most under pressure. Through guided reflection and peer exchange, participants explore how presence, empathy, accountability, and intention shape trust and outcomes for customers, teams, and communities. This session primes leaders to move from insight to action by reconnecting them to how their humanity is experienced—and how small shifts can create meaningful impact.

Facilitator: Brittany Ross, Manager, Financial Operations, Central States Water Resources

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11:15 AM – 12:00 PM | Panel: Don’t Take Anything Personally

Emotional Resilience in a Highly Visible World

Applying Agreement #2 from The Four Agreements, this session explores how leaders maintain clarity, composure, and compassion amid scrutiny, criticism, and constant demand.

Moderator: Nicole Howard, Promise Pay
Panelists:

• Bobbi Schroeppel, Northwestern Energy

• Latasha James, Georgia Power

• Rachel Hudson, SMUD

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12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch & Charitable Giving Project

Empathy as a Leadership Practice

Participate in a shared meal, paired with hands-on service, reinforcing the value that leadership doesn’t start with strategy; it starts with empathy and a responsibility to the community.

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1:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Human + AI Segment Sessions

Defining, Testing, and Owning the Powerfully Human Advantage

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in utility operations and decision-making, leaders are confronting critical questions about roles, responsibility, and relevance. This three-part sequence is intentionally designed to define the boundaries between AI and human leadership, test those boundaries under pressure, and help leaders confidently own their uniquely human role in an AI-enabled world.

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1:00 PM – 2:15 PM | AI Sessions

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM | Meet JanisseBot: Trust, Truth, and Leadership Under Pressure

This session advances the U2030 + Avertra AI Leadership Experiment with JanisseBot - trained on direct inputs and interviews capturing Janisse Quiñones’ leadership approach, decision patterns, and values.

 

Tested in real time by two leaders who have known her for over two decades, the bot will be challenged for accuracy, authenticity, and judgment. This is not a demo - it’s a live leadership validation exercise. Participants will see where AI strengthens leadership - and where human judgment must remain in control, at least for now.

• Introductions: Vanessa Edmonds

• Moderator: Bashir Bseirani

Panelists:

• Janisse Quiñones, Luma Energy

• JanisseBot, AI Bot Created by Avertra

• Norma Grubb, LADWP

• Zoraya Oliver-Griffin, LADWP

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1:45 PM – 2:00 PM | Powerfully Human: Owning the Decision

Integrating and Reclaiming Confidence

Participate in an interactive Learning Experience Design (LXD) session focused on where technology ends and human leadership begins. Through guided reflection and peer exchange, this session reconnects leaders to the judgment, empathy, and accountability that define their role. Participants leave grounded in their responsibility to lead with confidence rather than defer in high-stakes moments.

Facilitator: Nihat Guven, PurpleBox & U2030

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2:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Crisis in 90 Seconds: Micro-Fire Drills

Deciding Under Pressure

Participate in rapid-fire crisis scenarios requiring real-time leadership decisions in 90 seconds, with and without AI-supported inputs. This fast-paced experience highlights how experience, intuition, emotional regulation, and accountability shape outcomes when time, data, and certainty are limited. Participants gain firsthand insight into the human burden of decision-making when the stakes are high.

Facilitator: Matt Chester

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2:15 PM – 3:15 PM | Panel: Generational Perspectives – Customer Panel

Building Trust Across Generations

Customers from five generations share how trust, communication, and expectations differ—and what remains fundamentally human across generations.

Moderator: Christine Miles
Panelists:

• Hayley Dautrich, Marketing Specialist, Gen Z (1997–2012)

• Steve Dietz, Gen X (1965–1980)

• Emily Fairchild, SEO & Content Marketing Manager, Millennial (1981–1996)

• Kevin Wainman, Retired, Baby Boomer (1946–1964)

 

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM | Ask Us Anything: Roundtable Rotations

Human Answers to Real Questions

Small-group, candid conversations hosted by utility leaders. No scripts. No slides. Just real questions, lived experience, and real insights.

Table Hosts:

• Mandip Samra, Burbank Water & Power

• Janisse Quinones, LADWP

• Norma Grubb, LADWP

• Latasha Williams, Georgia Power Company

• Jody Allison, Xcel Energy

• Vanessa Kisicki, Salt River Project

• Joseph Ramallo, LADWP

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4:00 PM - 4:45 PM | Ignite Talks

Enlighten Us but Make it Quick

Hear a series of five-minute Ignite Talks from participants in the RADIATE Women’s Leadership Program - leaders sharing a personal insight or lesson about being “Powerfully Human” in ways that shape meaningful leadership.

Moderator:

• Brian Gentry,  ContactPoint 360

Speakers:

• Mona Zeedan, Avertra

• Stephanie Irwin, Allconnect

• Jennifer Loeffler, Energy Renewal Parters

• Samantha Hart, CEO, Milepost

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4:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Getting Things Done & Closing

Committing to Powerfully Human Leadership

Reflection, commitment postcards, and participation in the Powerfully Human Commitment Wall—turning insight into intention and action.

Facilitators:

• Vanessa Edmonds, U2030

• Chris Hilborn, U2030

• Jody Allison, Xcel Energy

• Bashir Bseirani, Avertra

 

6:30 PM – 9:00 PM | Closing Dinner | Sponsored by Paymentus

Celebrating Humanity & Gratitude Toasts, South Carolina Aquarium

Celebrate what you’ve learned during a closing dinner at the South Carolina Aquarium, featuring open-mic gratitude, recognition, and community—honoring the relationships and courage built throughout the retreat.

Speakers:

Nicole Haskins, Paymentus