SERC Appoints 3 Independent Members to Board of Directors

Project Description

CarterBaldwin Executive Search, together with SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC), is pleased to announce the addition of three new, independent members to the SERC Board of Directors – a historic first for the 50-year-old utility company.  The SERC Board of Directors approved the Independent Director appointments, effective January 1, 2021, during its Board meeting on October 21, 2020.

“This is really an exciting moment for SERC as we continue a governance transformation that will improve the reliability and security of the electric grid,” said Greg Ford, Chairman of the Board. “The addition of three independent Directors is essential to our continued strategic growth and will help to provide a balanced, independent perspective to our stakeholder expertise.”

The three independent Directors are Shirley Bloomfield, Lonni Dieck, and Deborah Wheeler, who collectively add decades of experience in corporate and strategic leadership, finance, electric utility, government relations, cyber security, and critical infrastructure expertise to the group.

Shirley Bloomfield is the Chief Executive Officer of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and has spent her career leading efforts to raise the visibility of the value and innovation of independent, rural telecom companies. As CEO, Shirley’s leadership has been a significant factor in its growing prominence and respect in the industry and in Washington before policy makers.  She has used her influence to bring high-speed internet to small-town America and enhance the quality of life in remote areas of the country. She currently serves as a board member of the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative and is a founding member of GlobalWIN, a dynamic forum for women leaders in government, business, and academia who work in innovation-driven fields. Shirley received her B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University and an M.A. in Public Administration from American University.

Lonni Dieck is the former Senior Vice President and Treasurer at American Electric Power, with more than 37 years of financial experience, primarily in the utility industry. She brings strong financial acumen, strategy development, risk management, and public policy expertise to the SERC Board. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio and as the Audit Committee Chairman of The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio. Lonni graduated with a B.B.A. in Accounting from Bowling Green State University.

Deborah Wheeler is the Global Chief Information Security Officer for Delta Air Lines and has more than 25 years of cyber security expertise, information technology risk management and data privacy experience. She has built risk management and cyber security programs for PNC Bank, Fifth Third Bank, JPMorgan-Chase, Ally Financial, Freddie Mac, and Delta Air Lines. Deborah also serves as a Governing Board Chair for Evanta’s Chief Information Security Officer Forum in Atlanta, Georgia and sits on the Customer Advisory Boards for Proofpoint and ForcePoint software companies.   She holds a CISSP certification and is a graduate of the University of Colorado with a B.S. in Information Systems Management.

SERC selected nationally renowned executive search firm CarterBaldwin to perform the search. “What a privilege it has been to work with the SERC Board as they continue their commitment to the mission of the organization while also embracing a tremendous focus on diversity and independence,” said CarterBaldwin partner, Chris Guiney.

About SERC Reliability Corporation

The SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC) is responsible for ensuring a reliable and secure electric grid covering 630,000 square miles and serving a population of more than 91 million across 16 southeastern and central states, including Missouri, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Florida.

SERC’s mission is to reduce risks to the reliability and security of the electric grid for today and the future by maintaining a diverse team of experts across numerous disciplines that address the complex, evolving, and dynamic challenges facing the grid. Its team also partners with the best and brightest individuals from both the power industry and the federal government to understand and address the challenges facing the grid.