Lenny Singh, chairman and president of Ameren Illinois, was appointed chairman of the board of the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council (IUBDC) at its Dec. 6 annual meeting. Rebecca Losli, newly appointed president of Illinois American Water, was named to the IUBDC Board of Directors.
Formed in 2015, IUBDC is a coalition of the state’s leading utilities focused on increasing business for diverse suppliers through collaboration, technical development and sharing of best practices. Charter members include Ameren Illinois, Commonwealth Edison, Illinois American Water, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas and Peoples Gas.
“IUBDC is a transformative partnership that is delivering results,” Singh said. “As we navigate the transition to clean energy and modernize our water, electric and natural gas infrastructure, trusted vendor-suppliers will be called on to help us execute our work. Through IUBDC’s programs and services, we’re building the pool of qualified suppliers and ensuring that a growing number of these contracts are awarded to minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses.”
In 2021, IUBDC member-utilities spent a combined $2 billion on services with diverse-owned companies. These suppliers were instrumental in helping utilities overcome material and labor shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At its annual meeting, the Council recognized individuals who received IUBDC-funded scholarships to attend the Kellogg Advanced Management Education Program at Northwestern University:
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- Karen Sutton-Ford, president of Sutton Ford Auto, which provides fleet vehicle services to utilities and other corporations.
- Stephen Vaughn, president of CERA Solutions, an urban planning, engineering, site design and construction firm.
- Rey Rivera, president of CSI 3000, a Chicago-based provider of concrete, asphalt, hauling and excavation services.
- Stephen Brock, president of Supplied Industrial Solutions, a veteran-owned, Hub Zone General Contractor and supplier of valves, fittings, hoses, piping, instrumentation and mechanical systems.
In other business, Sharon Moy was awarded IUBDC’s Jerry Garland Award for Excellence in Supplier Diversity. Moy is an analyst for Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, and a member of IUBDC’s steering committee.
