Women have been historically underrepresented in the energy industry, and while strides have been made, women only make up approximately 20% of the energy workforce. Here at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), we are lucky to have amazing female leaders who continue to push the needle and advance gender equity.

For example, meet one of the wonderful women in the Power Enterprise: Corina Cato. As a Management Assistant, Corina has wide-ranging responsibilities including serving as department personnel liaison, hiring and recruitment, annual planning, and many other essential roles that serve the Power Enterprise. Corina was originally encouraged by her husband, a line worker for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), to join the energy sector and was inspired by the SFPUC’s impact in the community.

Seeing so many women in leadership roles has empowered Corina to continue learning and growing in the clean energy sector. She believes that any women interested in clean energy should go for it and lean on support systems and resources available to women in the industry.

In her time with the agency, Corina has found environmental work and public service incredibly rewarding. “We are cultivating and maintaining a positive impact in our Bay Area community as well as the environment. I’m truly grateful to be a part of that," Corina said.

Prior to joining the SFPUC two years ago, Corina’s background was in education and nonprofit work. While a new mom and wife, she worked full-time during the pandemic and completed her dissertation as part of her Doctorate in Education. She conducted research on professional learning communities (PLCs) – a collaborative group of educators -- and found that teachers in PLCs performed exceptionally well and that students and school districts benefitted from their collaboration.

The findings of her research apply to her highly collaborative work today. She often teams up with the Power DPL team, Organizational Development, Human Resources, the annual planning team, and many others in the Power Enterprise, stating, the people are the best part of her job.

A fun fact about Corina: she played on the undefeated championship women’s basketball team and was named “Most Inspirational Player” at William Jessup University. The experience taught her to be resilient and disciplined in the face of challenges. She continues to play basketball with her husband and son, who just started his first basketball season.

Corina is undoubtedly an inspirational player in the Power Enterprise. Her determination, dedication to learning, and positivity make her a power-ful leader. Thank you to Corina and all the women who continue to pave the way and encourage the next generation of female leaders in the energy sector!