Left to right – Commissioner Liane Randolph, President Michael Picker, Commissioner Catherine Sandoval, Commissioner Carla Peterman, The
Honorable La Doris “Dot” Harris, Director, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, U.S. Department of Energy – CPUC’s Keynote Speaker
sustaining their supplier diversity
programs into the 21st century
and beyond. President Picker
then welcomed opening remarks
from his colleagues on the dais.
Commissioners Florio, Sandoval,
Peterman, and Randolph offered
their perspectives on the hearing,
which set the tone and tenor for the
comments that followed from the
invited panels and other speakers.
President Picker then welcomed
the morning address presented
by Director Harris, Office of
Economic Impact and Diversity,
U.S. Department of Energy.
Director Harris’ speech focused
on the utilities’ commitment and
partnerships with the supplier
diversity business enterprises
– she placed emphasis on the
utilities’ eliminating their fear of
doing business with smaller and
diverse businesses – and she
asked the utilities to redefine their
definition of commitment and
partnership. She also encouraged
the diverse businesses to
ready themselves to take on
the opportunities offered by the
utilities. She then gave praise
to the Commissioners for their
steadfast oversight of GO 156
and commented that GO 15