Board of Councilors’ Corner
Reed Shatters Glass Ceiling
By Nicole St.Pierre
Debra Reed has breathed hope and encouragement into the male-dominated field of engineering. She has received the League of Women Voters’ Glass Ceiling Award and the San Diego YWCA’s Women in Industry Award, and was named a “rising star” by Utility Business magazine. Currently, she is president of Sempra Energy Utilities (SEU)—the umbrella company of Sempra Energy’s regulated business units, including Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
A member of the USC College Board of Councilors, Reed has a degree in civil engineering from the USC School of Engineering. But this Trojan, who also serves on the boards of directors for Halliburton Company and the Orange County Performing Arts Center, understands the importance of a well-rounded education.
“People wonder why I’m not on the board at the Engineering School,” she says. “But the College’s Renaissance Scholarship program and multidisciplinary approach to higher education is truly unique and a real strength. People who go on to earn their degrees in the sciences, business or other areas benefit throughout their lifetime from a diversified education.”
At SoCalGas, Reed has held leadership positions in human resources, personnel relations, marketing, environmental engineering, finance and public policy, among other departments. She also was the first female officer ever appointed at SoCalGas.
This breadth-and-depth approach to life runs in the family. Reed’s daughter, Carolynn, who minors in economics at the College, will be a senior in the USC Annenberg School of Communication this fall.
“When she first came to USC, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do,” says Reed. “One of the things that drew her to the College is the diverse course offerings students are encouraged to explore. This helps students achieve professional goals later in life.”
At SEU, Reed is well known for setting high goals and achieving them. That’s one of the qualities she admires in College Dean Joseph Aoun. “He has a focused plan in place and has not hesitated to set far-reaching goals. You can’t achieve anything remarkable without being ambitious in the first place,” she says.
But with any raised bar comes challenges, Reed recognizes. In her opinion, the College’s commitment to attract the best faculty is the most important initiative. “Once we recruit and retain even more topnotch faculty, there is a foundation for greater success,” she says.
“I believe that in my company as well,” adds Reed. “People are the foundation of success.”
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