International Women in Engineering Day is celebrated on June 23. To honor this day, TECO Energy in Tampa, Florida, announced the recognition of three outstanding women within the company. They are:
Kaylene Pelsh, a principal engineer in the Substations Engineering Department, specializes in engineering.
Julie Chilson, a senior engineer in the Renewables Department, is also a mechanical engineer.
Julie Ward is a Community Investment Manager with a background in chemical engineering.
In 2024, Tampa Electric shone a bright light on Shaniece Johnson, a senior engineer at the Big Bend Power Station; Kylie Cordova, a transmission engineer; Jennifer Taylor, a mechanical engineer who served as key account manager for customer experience; and Zel Jones, a manager of rates with regulatory affairs who studied civil engineering with a concentration in environmental engineering.
One notable historical figure in the field is Margarita "Maggie" Dominguez, the first woman engineer hired by Tampa Electric in 1975.
Throughout her groundbreaking career at the utility company, she held various management positions, including Director of Environmental Services for Energy Supply and Director of Marketing and Sales for Energy Services.
Dominguez was also the director of Tampa Electric's Bulk Power Department, where she was responsible for power sales to other utilities and municipal power systems.
Additionally, she gained extensive experience in customer service by managing both internal and external customer relations for Tampa Electric.
Over her long career with Tampa Electric Company and TECO Energy, she rose to the position of Vice President of Technical and Support Services.
Later, she was promoted to Vice President of Information Technology and Telecommunications Services, overseeing Tampa Electric's facility services, real estate, and corporate purchasing functions.
In 2000, she was honored as the Technologist of the Year at the WOC STEM Conference.
International Women in Engineering Day was founded by the Women's Engineering Society (WES) in the United Kingdom. This year, for the twelfth consecutive time, the theme chosen for INWED is Together We Engineer.