33 years in power. Meet Laura Gribbin.
In honor of Women's History Month, we're highlighting history-making women of our own. Like Laura Gribbin. She was the first female programmer in her department way back when. After 33 years, she's still innovating.
Q: How long have you been involved with the New York ISO and what brought you to it?
A: I have worked at NYISO since startup in 1999, but also worked for the New York Power Pool (NYPP) since 1986.
Q: What's changed in those 33 years?
A: In the mid 1990's, I was the first female programmer in my group and the first woman on the Communications & Data Advisory Subcommittee (CDAS).
Q: Where did you go to school and what did you study?
A: I attended Elmira College, transferred to Russell Sage, and graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Q: What job did you dream of as a kid and why?
A: I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to use my creativity to make the world more beautiful.
Q: What gives you energy in your daily life?
A: I am inspired by creative and technical people, by nature, and by family and friends. Sun and solitude also give me energy.
Q: Do you have a role model that had a profound effect on you?
A: My first supervisor, John Hickey. He knew what I was capable of before I did. He never once said "We can't."
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring leaders?
A: Be humble, have a clear vision, listen more than you speak, and be decisive.
Q: Are there certain quotes you find particularly meaningful?
A: I love two quotes:
"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave are not those who feel afraid, but those who conquer their fears." - Nelson Mandela
"Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire." - from the film Schindler's List
Q: What are you proudest of?
A: When I realize my two children have already exceeded my own accomplishments.
Q: What do you look forward to?
A: Our next Caribbean vacation and our next visit with my children and granddaughters.
Q: What lesson is among the most valuable you ever learned?
A: Bad luck and bad judgement always go hand in hand!
