Southwest Power Pool elects Susan Certoma and Darcy Ortiz to board of directors
LITTLE ROCK, AR — On Oct. 30, Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional power grid operator that ensures access to reliable and affordable electricity, held its quarterly board meeting and annual meeting of members in Little Rock, Arkansas. SPP’s members elected Darcy Ortiz of Phoenix, Arizona, and Susan Certoma of New York City to the company’s board of directors. They will replace former board chairman Jim Eckelberger and former vice chairman Harry Skilton, who will transition to emeritus roles and continue to advise the board. The appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2019.
“On behalf of our board, I am very pleased to welcome Susan and Darcy,” said Nick Brown, SPP president and CEO. “Much of our continued success now hinges on effective management of data and technology infrastructure and our approach to cybersecurity. Our newest board members’ leadership and expertise will be invaluable in helping us address these matters, and they’ll bring fresh perspectives and valuable knowledge as SPP continues to grow its membership and services.”
After a successful 30-year career in finance, Certoma is president of Enterprise Engineering, a financial technology firm that provides software solutions and consulting to top-tier financial firms. Certoma is responsible for the company’s services and software businesses. Previously, she was president of wealth and markets solutions at Broadridge Financial, chief information officer (CIO) at Wachovia Bank’s corporate and investment bank, technology vice president at Goldman Sachs, technology director at Merrill Lynch and technology vice president at Lehman Brothers. Certoma received her Bachelor of Science in management and economics and her Master of Business Administration in finance from St. John’s University.
Ortiz is a proven technology leader who has focused on strategy and operations throughout her career. As Intel Corporation’s vice president and general manager of corporate services, she is responsible for the company’s facilities worldwide, including construction, building services, environmental health and safety, security and real estate strategy. Before assuming her current role, she was information technology vice president and manufacturing IT general manager, where she led the global team responsible for IT operations and services for Intel’s factories worldwide. She previously served Intel as general manager of the CIO strategy office, chief of staff to the chief operating officer, IT director and IT infrastructure manager. Ortiz received her bachelor’s degree in business administration in management information systems from the University of New Mexico and her Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.
About SPP: Southwest Power Pool, Inc. manages the electric grid and wholesale energy market for the central United States. As a regional transmission organization, the nonprofit corporation is mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure and competitive wholesale electricity prices. Southwest Power Pool and its diverse group of member companies coordinate the flow of electricity across 66,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines spanning 14 states. The company’s headquarters are in Little Rock, Arkansas. Learn more at www.spp.org.