Special Distinction Award for equal representation

By Tony Bennett

InApril, it was announced that Duluth's Allete — the energy company that includes under its umbrella Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light & Power, among other businesses — had been recognized for the third year in a row by St. Paul's St. Catherine University with a "Special Distinction" award for its long-running dedication to female representation in their executive ranks and on their board.

It's a recognition that Allete is proud of, but hasn't sought out. Rather, the company's long-held values are being recognized because so many other public companies in Minnesota don't manage to reflect the diversity of the state in their ranks. In fact, only 13 of Minnesota's 79 largest public companies manage to hit the 30% mark, when it comes to having women as a part of their boards or executive staff. In that sense, it seems Allete is being recognized by the St. Catherine's census for accomplishing something resembling simple equality, something that it could be argued might have been reasonably achieved by the year 2022.

At Allete, five of the nine current board members are female, as are the company's chair, president and CEO. Allete's dedication to its ranks reflecting society as a whole and welcoming diversity is a longstanding one. Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Nicole Johnson has been with the company for over 25 years, when she was on her way out of the University of Minnesota Duluth with an accounting degree and on the hunt for an internship. Obviously, her journey from intern to VP has been a successful one, but Johnson feels that she's lucky to have landed at such a welcoming company at such a young age.

"I am happy to say that we as an organization were very progressive, even when I started," Johnson said. "We've had women on our board for decades and decades, so this is not a new thing."

Johnson admits that she's not sure where or when this commitment to equal representation came from, but it's always been the situation.

"There's a long history, even [with] past CEOs, of providing opportunities for females in leadership roles, and it goes far beyond just the board," she said. For her, the informal mentorships she's enjoyed have been particularly helpful. "It wasn't just one person. All of our leaders are tasked with growing and developing people. I've had senior leaders be there to support me and others and always make time and provide opportunities. It's a collection of people, which is what I think makes Allete unique, and is why we have the phenomenal representation that we have today.

"It was never about gender," Johnson continued. "It was about who is able to best get the work done and providing everybody an equal opportunity, which is what you want."

It seems like a simple, fair idea — but so many Minnesotan companies miss the mark completely, even this far into the history of the state.

Minnesota Power's Director of Regulatory Affairs Jennifer Cady came to Allete from a background in the military.

"I was having a really difficult time making that transition" into the civilian world, she said. "I felt like I had a lot to offer, but I was not making a ton of progress."

She heard from military colleagues that Minnesota Power was a great place to work, and she eventually found herself in a meeting with an executive who encouraged her to apply.

"I was like, wow, this guy didn't know me at all, and he took the time with me to give me feedback.”

Cady's been with the company for more than a decade now.

"I'm just so grateful that they were willing to take a chance on someone that didn't have the traditional background that you normally see in business," she said.

The opportunity for advancement came quite quickly for Cady.

"My first job was in purchasing and contracts, and that was a fantastic opportunity," she said, "but I knew that

Continued on page 24 where I wanted to be was in the regulatory-affairs area. I only worked in purchasing for about a year and a half."

It's one thing to hire women, but another to make sure that they're being promoted as much as the men. Allete walks the walk in this way, too.

"It's one of the most supportive organizations I've ever worked for," Cady said. "They saw something in me, and I feel like that culture has continued.

"A couple things stand out, for me," Cady said of Allete's practices.

"One is that there's just so many incredible role models. Seeing other women in positions of power that are doing incredible things for the company is really inspiring. When you can see yourself in someone else, that empowers you.

"And, then," Cady continued, "I felt like the culture has always trusted me as a leader. They really trust your expertise. That kind of support is really helpful for growth."

She noted that she's never felt Allete's practice of aiming for gender equality in their ranks was for cynical reasons, or to get awards like the ones they've been getting.

"There are incredibly smart and talented people that work here," she said, “and they're also women."

"We have an outstanding culture at Allete," said Amy Rutledge, manager of corporate communications for the company. "I think our leaders lead by example. Bethany Owen, our CEO, has been an exciting role model. I could talk for days about what Allete has meant to me and my family."

While the awards are notable, at the end of the day, the people tell the story of Allete. And the story they tell is of Allete being a place where women get the chance to be valued for their skills, to advance as far as their ambition takes them, and to be the kind of leaders that light the way for others. D