Heather: WELL, TODAY, THERE
ARE MORE AND MORE WOMEN TACKLING
JOBS IN MALE-DOMINATED --
INDUSTRIES.
[LAUGHTER]
Heather: IT'S STILL WOMEN'S
MONTH.
STORYTELLER ERIN VALLE IS HERE
TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW SUCCESS
STORIES.
Erin: THAT'S RIGHT.
I WANT TO REVISIT THE STORY
BECAUSE IT WAS FRIDAY.
Heather: YEAH.
Erin: IT GOT CUT BY THE
GOVERNOR.
Heather: WE GOT INTERRUPTED.
Erin: WE DIDN'T GET TO GET
INTO THE WHOLE THING.
I APPRECIATE WOMEN OR ANYONE WHO
CAN SHOW UP AND SAY I CAN DO
THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M INTRODUCING
YOU TO WOMEN AT WORK IN THE
ENERGY INDUSTRY FROM THE BOARD
ROOM TO THE POWER LINES, NOTHING
IS OUT OF REACH FOR THESE FOUR
WOMEN AT AMBREN, ILLINOIS.
Guest: ONE OF THE THINGS I
WOULD SAY, KNOW YOUR CRAFT.
KNOW WHAT YOU DO AND DO IT WELL.
PREPARE FOR IT.
Guest: SHOW UP WHEREVER YOU
ARE.
IF I'M HOME, I TRY TO BE HOME.
IF I'M WORK, I'M 100% AT WORK.
WHEN YOU GO TO A CONFERENCE AND
LOOK AROUND THE ROOM, A AND YOU
SEE NOTHING BUT MEN, THE FIRST
THING YOU DO IS YOU KIND OF
GLANCE AROUND AND SAY OKAY.
I KNOW THERE'S ANOTHER WOMAN
HERE.
Guest: I ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO
NOT CONFINE THEMSELVES TO
GENERALS WHEN IT COMES TO
LOOKING AT A CAREER.
Erin: IF YOU ASK ONE OF THE
LEADERS AT AMEREN, ILLINOIS, WHY
WOMEN ARE VITAL TO ANY COMPANY,
SHE'LL SAY IT'S A NO-BRAINER.
Guest: STUDIES SHOW WHEN YOU
HAVE FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN
THE BOARD ROOM AND AT THE
EXECUTIVE LEVEL AND MANAGEMENT,
IT HAS A BOTTOM LINE IMPACT.
USUALLY, THERE'S BETTER RETURNS.
SO SHAREHOLDERS, MORE PROFITS.
THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR
COMPANY.
Erin: THERESA SAYS IT'S ALSO
WHAT COMPANIES LIKE AMEREN
ILLINOIS, SHOULD WANT FOR THE
PEOPLE THEY SERVE.
Guest: WE WANT TO REFLECT
OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE 1,200 COMMUNITIES IN
ILLINOIS.
WE NEED TO LOOK LIKE OUR
COMMUNITIES.
Erin: THEN, THERE'S SHIRLEY,
WHO KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS A LEAD
AS DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY
SERVICE.
IT'S A ROLE SHE SAYS FULFILLS
HER.
AND HOPES TO ENCOURAGE OTHER
WOMEN STRIVING TO FIND THEIR
PURPOSE.
Guest: THERE ARE SO MANY
WANTING TO KNOW WHAT THEIR
CAREER PATH IS GOING TO BE.
I WOULD SAY TO THEM, EVERY
SINGLE PERSON HAS A PURPOSE.
WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?
WHAT DO YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR?
Erin: SHIRLEY'S ADVICE,
DON'T GO AFTER A JOB JUST FOR
THE MONEY.
Guest: IT HAS TO BE
SOMETHING MORE FULFILLING THAN
THAT.
BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WILL GIVE
YOU LONGEVITY AND GIVE LIFE TO
THAT PASSION THAT YOU HAVE.
Erin: AWAY FROM THE
CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
DEPARTMENTS AT THE ENERGY
COMPANY, APPRENTICES TRAIN TO
DELIVER NATURAL GAS SAFELY AND
EFFECTIVELY IN METHANE MEADOWS.
A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT SIMULATES
REAL LIFE COMMUNITIES.
THE TRAINEES ARE OFTEN MEN.
BUT A WOMAN NAMED JANELLE WHITE
OVERSEES THIS PROGRAM.
Guest: I TELL MY FRIENDS
THEY'RE LIKE MY KIDS.
AS THEY PROGRESS THROUGH THE
PROGRAM AND MOVE ON THROUGHOUT
THEIR CAREERS, THEY BECOME
SUCCESSFUL.
ITS ELIKE I'M WATCHING MY KIDS
GROW UP.
RO
Erin: IT'S A POSITION SHE
ALMOST COUNTED OUT.
Guest: I THOUGHT THAT'S NOT
FOR ME.
Erin: BUT NOW FEELS
PRIVILEGED TO TRAIN EMPLOYEES,
ESPECIALLY WHEN HER JOB
ENCOURAGES OTHER WOMEN IN THIS
LINE OF WORK.
Guest: I LOVE TO SEE WOMEN
GETTING EXCITED DOING THIS TYPE
OF WORK.
AND REALLY BEING ENGAGED AND
WANTING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE
NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY.
Erin: LET'S NOT FORGET THE
OTHER KEY ENERGY SOURCE AT
AMEREN, CAREER ENGINEER SHERI
GARY WORKS ON THE ELECTRIC SIDE
OF THINGS.
BOTH IN THE DESIGN WORK AND IN
THE FIELD.
HER LATEST VENTURE HAS TAKEN HER
TO NEW HEIGHTS.
Guest: I TRAINED TO BE A
ENGINEER AND NOW I'M A DRONE
PILOT!
Erin: SHERI IS ALSO A
LICENSED COMMERCIAL DRONE
OPERATOR AND CAPTURES IMAGES
LIKE THESE TO INSPECT POLES,
POWER LINES AND STORM
RESTORATION.
AS THE ONLY WOMAN IN HER
DEPARTMENT, SHE KNOWS WHAT IT'S
LIKE TO BE THE SOLE FEMALE
VOICE.
SHE SAYS EACH YEAR, SHE SEES
MORE AND MORE WOMEN JUMPING INTO
CAREERS ONCE THOUGHT OF AS
PROFESSIONS JUST FOR MEN.
Guest: WOMEN BRING A
DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.
THERE'S ALWAYS THAT MIX THAT
JUST MAKES IT RIGHT.
Erin: YEAH, SO I ALWAYS
REALLY APPRECIATE GETTING TO
HIGHLIGHT GREAT WOMEN IN OUR
COMMUNITY.
ESPECIALLY SAYING YOU KNOW WHAT,
I'M GOING TO TACKLE THIS AND
TAKE IT ON.
Heather: AND THEY DO IT
WELL.
WE APPRECIATE THAT HARD WORK
THAT THEY PUT IN THERE.
THANKS FOR BRINGING US THAT
STORY.
Erin: ABSOLUTELY.