Steven Cocchiara
Mechanic A, Manhattan Subsurface Construction

Steve plans the work and works the plan. He has been with Con Edison for 20 years and is one of our top vault repair mechanics. Steve takes ownership of jobs and holds himself accountable. He is known by his co-workers as a great team leader who celebrates success when a job is done well. Steve coaches for the Staten Island Youth Baseball League and was recently a foster parent.

Seda Edip
Senior Planning Analyst, System Operation

Seda believes in teamwork and she makes sure that her colleagues' opinions are heard. When supervising the successful Voltage Reduction testing program for the past two years, her management style paid off with stations receiving a 95 percent “passing” rate. While living in lower Manhattan, Seda joined one of the first volunteer Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), becoming its Deputy Chief of Search and Rescue.

Edward Fitzgerald
Chief Construction Inspector, Substation and Transmission Construction

For 51 years, Ed has been a valued member of our company, and honesty is a trait that best describes his way of doing business. Most recently, Ed led a team that built the new Astor Substation in upper Manhattan. With his level of expertise, it's no surprise that Ed is continually assigned GOLD Associates so they get the best on-the-job experience. Ed is active in local charities on Staten Island.

Nathaniel Howard
Senior Specialist, Gas Engineering

Improving continuously and taking action is second nature to Nate. When faced with the challenge of job attrition, he and a coworker developed a recruiting plan with 11 community colleges, creating an ongoing pool of qualified junior designer applicants. Due to these efforts, 18 new employees from this program were hired in 2008. Nate serves as treasurer of the Board of Stewards at his church, Bridge Street AME Church, Brooklyn.

Vivian Shropshire
Customer Field Representative, Field Operations North

Vivian seeks and accepts responsibility. As a collector, it her duty to work with customers to settle outstanding bills, a job she does with professionalism and compassion. She recently encountered an elderly woman who had lost her husband and could not pay her energy bill. Vivian negotiated a payment plan and provided the customer with phone numbers for HEAP and Catholic Charities. Vivian is active with the children in her community and has organized Halloween and Christmas events.

Andy W. Woo
Engineer, Distribution Engineering

Andy believes in communicating openly. Through participation in the Manhole Explosion and Electric Shock Report Field Response team, he has improved dialogue between field and engineering personnel resulting in better productivity. He also teaches an electric system overview to new management hires at The Learning Center. Andy volunteers his time as Con Edison's liaison for high school teams participating in the FIRST Robotics competition and is a member of our company's dragon boat race crew.

2009 Award Recipients

Vice President Carlos Torres Among
Hispanic Business Magazine's “Corporate Elite”

Carlos Torres, vice president, Emergency Management, has been named to Hispanic Business magazine's 2009 Corporate Elite. The list of Hispanic corporate leaders appears in the magazine's January/February issue.

The Corporate Elite list focuses on Fortune 500 companies, and includes successful executives who shine in the areas of technology, finance, banking, fashion, health care, utilities, retail, and other industries.

Mr. Torres became vice president of Emergency Management in June 2008. He joined Con Edison in 1985 as a management intern, and served in positions of increasing responsibility in departments including Gas Operations, Steam Operations, Manhattan and Bronx/Westchester Electric Operations, Electric Operations Emergency Management, Construction Services, and Emergency Management.

Phyllis Minacapilli Honored by Summit School

Phyllis Minacapilli, senior executive secretary, received the Employer of the Year Award from the Summit School in Queens. 

“I am very pleased to receive this award,” said Minacapilli. “But it is the support of other Con Edison employees at 4 Irving Place, Astoria, and College Point who really made this recognition possible.”
The Summit School helps children with special needs develop the tools necessary to achieve success. The Employer of the Year Award is given to an individual who has supported the school's students over several years and is an active member of the organization's advisory board.

Christopher Jones Named to Westchester 40 Under 40

Con Edison's Christopher Jones, department manager, Bronx/Westchester Electric Operations, was recently ranked among the Business Council of Westchester's 40 Under 40, Rising Stars. 
Westchester's 40 Under 40 pays tribute to individuals in the county who are making their mark in their chosen profession at a young age. The program is specifically designed to acknowledge individuals under the age of 40 who surpass expectations, raise the bar, and set new standards for success.

Gurudatta D. Nadkarni Honored by Asian American Business Development Center

Gurudatta D. Nadkarni, vice president, Strategic Planning, recently received the Asian American Business Development Center's Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business award.

Mr. Nadkarni joined Con Edison in January 2008. He is responsible for all aspects of the company's strategic planning function. Before joining Con Edison, Mr. Nadkarni held a number of positions in corporate strategy/development including managing director of growth, Duke Energy, and management consultant, McKinsey & Company. He previously was a senior research scientist at International Paper. Mr. Nadkarni earned an M.B.A. with honors in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago and a PhD in Physics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the Board of the Museum of the City of New York

The Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business award program highlights the contributions and achievements of Asian American entrepreneurs and business professionals in the national economy. The award program is the nation's largest and most influential business honoring event in the Asian American Community.

Franklin Alvarez Honored as Con Edison's Hispanic Corporate Achiever for 2009

On Tuesday, May 19, Franklin Alvarez was named Con Edison's Hispanic Corporate Achiever for 2009 at the annual Circle of Achievers reception sponsored by ASPIRA, a nonprofit organization that fosters the social advancement of the Latino community. 
Franklin Alvarez joined Con Edison in January 1993. He has held various positions of increasing responsibility, and currently serves as section manager of computer applications in the Construction department.

Mr. Alvarez volunteers his time in his local community helping people assimilate into American life and promoting cultural awareness. He is a financial contributor to the SEEK program of The City College of New York, a program that allows academically and economically challenged individuals an opportunity for higher education.  

Mr. Alvarez holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting Information Systems from Pace University and a Masters of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Mercy College. He has been an adjunct professor at both Mercy College and The College of Westchester.

ASPIRA is known for its support of Latino youth in their pursuit of educational excellence through leadership development programs that emphasize commitment to the community and pride in Latino cultural heritage. The organization's name is derived from the Spanish verb aspirar, “to aspire.”

Nancy Shannon Honored at Queens Awards Event

Nancy Shannon, director, EH&S, was among the honorees at the seventh-annual Queens Courier/Queens Business Today Top Women in Business Networking Awards dinner, held April 2 at Terrace on the Park.
Ms. Shannon was ranked among area women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership within their business and local communities. Other honorees included Good Day New York co-host Rosanna Scotto, who was recognized as “Best Woman of the Year,” and actor, writer, and radio talk-show host Malachy McCourt, who was recognized as “Best Man of the Year.” 

Nancy Shannon joined Con Edison in 1989 and has held a variety of positions with the company. She is currently responsible for managing the company's EH&S programs, which includes developing and maintaining the company's EH&S procedures, training, and communication, and manages the company's EH&S risk-management program and information-management systems. Ms. Shannon is a graduate of The Mary Louis Academy and St John's University.

Con Edison Employees Receive National Black Achievers in Industry Honors

On March 19, Con Edison employees Christine Osuji, director, EEO Affairs, and Edward Naylor, section manager, Distribution Engineering, were honored at the 2009 Harlem YMCA National Black Achievers in Industry (BAI) Awards dinner. Motivational speaker George C. Fraser, president and CEO of FraserNet, delivered the keynote address at this year's event, which as held at the New York Marriot Marquis in Manhattan.

Both awardees were selected through a survey of company officers, which sought nominees deemed to perform functions vital to the operation of their department, and to exemplify self-improvement, diligence, community service, and the advancement of corporate environmental excellence goals.    

Now celebrating its 39th year, the BAI award recognizes the accomplishments of African-Americans who have made outstanding contributions as members of the corporate community and have enlisted their energies in ways that would provide inspiration, motivation, and hope for youth and young adults. BAI was founded in 1971 at the Harlem YMCA branch, and has since become a national project with more than 4,000 honorees to date.