March 8 is celebrated globally as International Women’s Day — a day to honor the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day and the month of March which honors women’s history, we celebrated our female employees with gatherings held at each of our business areas and launched our refreshed Women in Energy program.

The Women in Energy program is companywide, led by executive co-sponsors Aleida Socarras, Vice President of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation; and Cheryl Martin, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs.

“We are very fortunate at Chesapeake to have a culture that supports and encourages women’s contributions and our progress. Women continue to make great strides in our industry, country and in the world but there is still a lot more work to be done,” said Aleida.

The Women in Energy program is a dynamic and interactive forum that enables our female employees to connect by networking internally and externally while sharing their unique experiences in the energy industry as well as their viewpoints and professional and personal knowledge.

“Chesapeake’s Women in Energy program provides an outlet to share diversity of thought which strengthens an organization and provides tools to encourage and support women in their careers with our Company,” said Cheryl Martin.

Check out the refreshed and updated Women in Energy site at chpk.com/women-in-energy-internal to learn more about our Company’s Women in Energy program and the experiences of some of our female coworkers. The webpage also features the digital booklet — Wit and Wisdom of Chesapeake’s Women in Energy.

“I’m a strong believer in gender diversity and really diversity of all types. I think that having a diverse workforce really supports a business and drives success in business. Ultimately, businesses run on ideas and having diverse ideas leads to better and stronger ideas.”

Jeff Householder President & CEO

As part of the Women in Energy program, female colleagues were invited to view the webinar featuring Aleida Socarras’ presentation, “Mastering the Art of Leadership.” This presentation was included in the Women in Utilities webinar series hosted by CS Week, a nonprofit organization committed to advancing utility customer service through networking opportunities and sharing best practices.

During her presentation, Aleida shared her personal experiences and advice as well as insight from female CEOs who lead PG&E, IBM, Starbucks and Lockheed Martin.

“It is very important for all of us to never lose sight that the doors opened for you may be doors opened by those whom came before you. And similarly your successes, your hard work and the diligence that you put in to whatever it is you do will open doors for others,” said Aleida.

To contribute to the “Wit and Wisdom of Chesapeake’s Women in Energy” please contact Melissa Stamper, Employee Engagement Manager, at [email protected].