As a woman working in the energy industry for nearly three decades, Cheryl Maletich has never forgotten that she’s not alone.
Cheryl Maletich, vice president of Distribution System Operations for ComEd.
“More than 900 women are attending the Energetic Women Conference this year,” she says. “We can lean on each other and share our similar experiences. It’s important for us to take advantage of these opportunities.”
Energetic Women, a national professional and leadership development organization for women in the energy industry, is honoring Cheryl on June 16 with the 2017 Maverick Award. The award recognizes leaders who have set the standard in promoting, connecting and strengthening female leaders in energy operations and engineering.
Cheryl is the vice president of Distribution System Operations for ComEd.
“I do what I do to support women in our industry, because it’s the right thing to do. I never expected to get honored for it,” she says. “For me it’s all about giving back! I’ve been blessed with many opportunities in my career, and have had people help me along the way. I’m just doing the same.”
In her role at ComEd, Cheryl is responsible for overseeing the operations and creating the strategy for the company’s electric distribution system, which serves 3.9 million customers. She manages a staff of more than 200.
“When I started with the company 26 years ago, I never imagined I would become an officer,” Cheryl says. “This is a great company and I just want to continue to learn and grow and provide guidance and support for women in the industry.”
“Cheryl is joyful about her work and has a positive attitude, which translates to a lot of credibility in our industry,” says Mary O’Toole, a 2016 Energetic Maverick Award recipient and senior vice president of Primera, an engineering design and consulting firm. “She has made it her business to uplift other women as often as she can and she’s trusted because of her knowledge.”
Cheryl earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master’s degree in business administration from DePaul University in Chicago.
Learn more about Cheryl by watching the video.
