09 May Utilities Technology Council Thanks Osiene-Riggs for Her Service as President and CEO
Arlington, VA—May 9, 2023—
The Utilities Technology Council (UTC) expresses its appreciation for outgoing President and CEO Sheryl Osiene-Riggs, who leaves the organization today after three years as its head.
Osiene-Riggs joined UTC in 2017, serving as Director, Finance and Operations before becoming Vice President, Finance and Operations in 2018. In 2019, she was promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations before being named Interim President and CEO later that year. In 2020, Osiene-Riggs was named President and CEO.
UTC is a global trade association representing electric, gas, and water utilities in their mission-critical information and communications technologies. The UTC Board of Directors will work to name a new President and CEO that will build on Osiene-Riggs’ success and continue the association’s momentum as it continues to work on behalf of its members and the communities they serve.
Osiene-Riggs began her tenure as President and CEO during the COVID pandemic and lockdown, a time of unprecedented challenges and uncertainty for the industry and country. She became UTC’s 3rd female President and CEO and the first woman of color to lead the only utility trade association that represents all types of utilities. Shifting its operations to ensure business continuity and staff safety during the pandemic, Osiene-Riggs worked with the UTC Board of Directors to ensure it and the staff had the support and resources needed to continue operations without interruption of service.
During her time as President and CEO, Osiene-Riggs continued to evolve UTC’s staff structure and operations to ensure the association could best represent its members. In addition to focusing on UTC’s communications to its members and the industry, she also worked to make cybersecurity and protection of the grid a key element of the Advocacy Department’s portfolio. Osiene-Riggs also placed UTC at the forefront of discussions around the development of the industry’s future workforce, partnering with the Center for Energy Workforce Development and its planning and outreach efforts. During her tenure, UTC also passed a new multi-year strategic plan and underpinned the association’s financial strength, overseeing three straight years of clean audits.
“Being a part of UTC has been a highlight of my life, and I am proud of everything it and its staff have accomplished over the past three years,” Osiene-Riggs said. “I want to thank our Board and Executive Committee for the support they have given me and my vision for the association. I also want to thank each and every member of the UTC staff for the tireless work they do every day to serve UTC’s members and the industry. It is hard to leave an organization and colleagues I believe in with all my heart, but I know that UTC’s best days are ahead of it. And last but certainly not least, I want to thank my family for coming on this journey with me and say that I couldn’t have done it without their constant love and support.”
