Message from our CEO
2020 marks a year unlike any other in recent memory. The COVID-19 pandemic killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. Racial unrest and protests occurred in many cities. And let’s not forget an agitated Mother Nature with the spate of hurricanes and wildfires.
Throughout these challenges one thing remained certain: electricity was transmitted reliably and safely across the MISO footprint, stretching from Canada to New Orleans. At MISO, we view challenges as opportunities because MISO employees rise to the occasion. Moreover, MISO is a 501(c)(4) non-profit whose vision is to be the most reliable, value-creating RTO. We do so by ensuring the equitable, non-discriminatory distribution of electricity in our region.
The dynamic energy marketplace we find ourselves in now and beyond exists in a constant state of change, and with that comes increased risk. Our greatest challenge is what we call the “Regional Reliability Imperative.” The efforts by policymakers, members and regulatory commissions toward the increased use of renewables challenge the reliability of the grid. MISO’s response to the Reliability Imperative builds on prior work and provides us with the opportunity to capture the value of working together to address this challenge. We are evolving our markets, operations, planning processes and systems to address the urgent threats to the reliability of the system.
In this challenging environment, I am especially proud of the work of MISO employees. Their collaboration is motivational. We find that in our daily work, MISO’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is the foundation of our success. The MISO Board of Directors and leadership team released an important statement in June 2020: “We take pride in being one of the most diverse companies in the utility industry. In fact, the organization has long been committed to diversity and inclusion. That being said, we commit to doing better.”
In addition to our hard work in the energy arena, in 2020, our employees in MISO’s three regions volunteered more than 1,500 hours of service by rolling up their sleeves or opening their wallets and giving back to their communities. MISO employees’ commitment and integrity shone brightly in all of their community service.
I encourage you to review this MISO Community Impact Report 2020 to learn more about our culture, our people and our communities. Thank you for your interest in MISO.
John Bear
Chief Executive Officer
Our People
Our Community
Our Culture
Our
Culture
Our
People
Our
Community
The U.S. economy took a downward turn in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of businesses shut down and factories limited production. Many people lost their jobs, their livelihoods. Children were educated at home as schools also closed. We felt that pain throughout our region. MISO “site-essential” employees, ever dedicated, stayed at the helm in the control rooms to ensure that the electricity flowed throughout our footprint while consumption shifted from the heart of the cities to homes.
MISO employees demonstrated their commitment and adaptability, two of our Core Values. Even in the midst of the pandemic, we continued our employee charitable giving with nearly $270,000 donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2020. In seeing the struggles of our customers during the downturn in the economy, we took the opportunity to redesign our employee charitable giving for 2021 and beyond: 70% of the donations received will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation while 30% will be donated to three food banks in our region.
The integrity of MISO employees was on full display in 2020, starting with our diversity and inclusion initiatives and through our national partnerships such as the American Association of Blacks in Energy and Women IN Energy. We began a series of open conversations (Courageous Conversations) to talk about the issues that underpin having a difficult conversation at work. The MISO Employee Resource Groups provided safe environments where courageous conversations could take place and our leaders and employees could discuss the barriers to diversity, equity and inclusion.
On the local level, our employees volunteered more than 1,500 hours of community service in 2020. We enjoy many local partnerships with organizations such as Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County, Arkansas Food Bank, Second Harvest Heartland and Habitat for Humanity. Whether it is collecting food for donations or helping to build homes, MISO employees are deeply rooted in their communities where they live or work.
We learned a lot about our resiliency in 2020. These are valuable lessons that we carry with us into
the future as we strive to fulfill our mission and be the most value-creating RTO.
Todd Hillman
SVP, Chief Customer Officer
COVID-19 allowed MISO to step back and enhance its focus on the safety of its employees. Many in MISO Shared Services worked long hours at MISO campuses, keeping the lights on for those who keep the lights on. The missions for my team members are to maintain a safe environment at our facilities and to support a critical infrastructure facility for our IT and Operations departments to ensure employees can successfully do their jobs.
In 2020, the MISO Core Values of Adaptability and Collaboration were at the top of my list. Shared Services adapted and collaborated, becoming resourceful in finding ways to follow the CDC recommendations to protect our employees.
Celebrating 20 Years of MISO
MISO leadership, along with its Diversity & Inclusion Council, renewed its commitment to employees by providing more support, tools and resources that encourage and inspire more open and candid dialogue across the organization. The communication series, Courageous Conversations, launched in 2020 and is designed to model behaviors that break down fears, biases and frustrations, and
help employees gain wisdom and understanding while recognizing and respecting our differences and ensuring everyone feels welcome.
MISO was not immune to the negative impact of the coronavirus in 2020. But, in the true spirit of the MISO Core Values, especially adaptability and collaboration, MISO employees made the best of it. Non-site essential employees worked from home and used technology to continue their collaboration with other employees and customers. Site-essential employees, such as those who work in the control rooms, continued their work from the MISO offices, following CDC guidelines, to ensure that electricity flowed.
These are all examples of the resilience and commitment of MISO employees, even in the wake of a global pandemic.
20 Year Veteran Testimonials
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One of the many aspects of our lives that shifted over the past year was how we serve our local communities. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw an increase in need while simultaneously facing restrictions on in-person volunteer events.
Many of our employees found ways to perform service despite these challenges, and MISO was able to have a positive impact across our footprint. Employees did not hesitate to take the opportunity to sew masks for healthcare workers, collect food and donate blood, giving back to those most in need during the pandemic.
Internships
MISO hosted 27 interns in 2020 from 14 universities. Although 2020 was not a typical year, interns plugged in meetings virtually and made the most of their experiences by learning more about MISO’s operations and the electric grid.
Stakeholder Workshops
MISO believes our people are our greatest asset. This year, we saw firsthand how the people behind the scenes keep MISO running. Within short notice, our meeting and conference services staff transitioned all internal and external meetings to a virtual platform. The biggest challenge with the transition was making sure all employees had access to and were trained on our virtual meeting tools (WebEx, Microsoft Teams). Two days after the transition, our conference services staff released training guides and quick reference documents. Over the following week, they facilitated training sessions in groups and one-on-one.
MISO Fact Sheet
n 2020, the MISO Board of Directors reached a women-majority. Although we celebrate this milestone, we acknowledge that there is more work to be done. We remain committed to Diversity and Inclusion to ensure we have the talent to support our culture and prepare us for tomorrow’s workforce.
Economic Impact
$269,000
to Make-A-Wish
1,500
Volunteer Hours
Season
of Service
MISO CEO John Bear continues to lead employees through challenging times in the energy industry. He also maintains an active presence with industry, civic and philanthropic executives to learn from them and share his own insights.
In 2020, John participated in CEO discussion forums, including the Edison Electric Institute CEO Roundtable and met one-on-one with industry CEOs to discuss best practices and lessons learned about the opportunities in our industry.
A key focus for John is to advance MISO’s corporate culture and further its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Through these and other opportunities, MISO is poised for a bright and fulfilling future. In 2021 and beyond, MISO will continue working with our employees, customers and communities to get better together.
MISO CEO Leads Through Challenging Times
Employee Charitable Giving
At the beginning of the year, 2020 seemed filled with opportunities and possibilities. The electric power industry almost immediately began seeing impacts from external influences on how we do business and those drivers accelerated as the year marched on. At MISO, we took this opportunity to lead our industry by adhering to our Core Values and exploring the possibilities ahead of us. We relied on Integrity, Commitment, Collaboration, Creativity and (most importantly) Adaptability to understand the dynamic energy marketplace, respond to the pandemic, recognize the social justice movements and celebrate our milestones.
MISO weathered many figurative and literal storms alongside our members and neighboring RTOs throughout 2020. With a global pandemic and a very active hurricane season, we had many opportunities to practice our preparedness plan and implement best practices along the way.
We took proactive measures to ensure the grid and operating systems were secure and protected, and assisted our members throughout recovery. Together, we came out stronger, more resilient and better prepared to tackle the next crisis.
Member Company Partnerships
MISO Cares for our Communities
2020
Community Impact Report
Interns
Universities
27
14
MISO announced its continued financial support to Make-A-Wish and has expanded support to local food banks through its employee charitable contributions program in 2021. In 2020, MISO employees contributed more than $269,000 to Make-A-Wish. Our 2021 goal recognizes the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the communities where we live and work.
MISO routinely organizes volunteer opportunities allowing employees to link community service hours and dollars to make an even greater impact. In 2020, employees logged more than 1,500 hours of volunteer service.
Interns volunteered and wrote letters of encouragement to frontline healthcare workers amid the pandemic.
Texas A&M
Tuskegee University
University of Arkansas
University of Tenessee
North Carolina State
Iowa State
Calvin University
Wright State
Miami University
Purdue University
Iowa State
Indiana - Purdue University
Butler State
Ball State
Hover over the map to learn more
Our People and Our Community
Courageous Conversations
Impact of the Pandemic
Stakeholder Meetings
MISO Facts
Employee Resource Groups
43,000
1,100
WebEx Meetings
Attendees
Clair Moeller
President & COO
Next, came the task of converting all stakeholder and MISO Board Meetings to virtual, which presented a new set of challenges, as many stakeholders didn’t have WebEx accounts or much experience using these virtual services. Demonstrating adaptability and collaboration, our staff facilitated over 43,000 WebEx meetings by the end of 2020, with the largest hosting 1,100 attendees.
Although the pandemic brought challenges, the biggest benefit of virtual meetings is maintaining the safety of employees, contractors and stakeholders, plus the added benefit of spending time with family.
MISO executives volunteer at Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis during the pandemic
Our Little Rock employees donated directly to The Watershed, helping feed more than 500 families in one week
A team of MISO employees worked diligently to sew masks and 3D print face shields for healthcare workers
Employees donated 3,753 boxes of cereal to the Arkansas Food Bank to help those in need
MISO employees volunteer their time at Second Harvest in Brooklyn Park, MN
MISO employees are more diverse than the energy industry as a whole. We have accomplished this by consciously focusing on our vision: to deliver MISO’s mission by harnessing our collective strengths, embracing differences and creating a workplace where employees can thrive.
In 2020, the MISO Board of Directors reached a women-majority. Although we celebrate this milestone, we acknowledge that there is more work to be done. We remain committed to Diversity and Inclusion to ensure we have the talent to support our culture and prepare us for tomorrow’s workforce.
MISO has five employee led and organized resource groups. Our resource groups are helping us move the needle by improving understanding of our similarities and differences.
Women
Minority
MISO
Electric Power Workforce
U.S. Workforce
31%
24%
+2%
vs. 2015
-2%
vs. 2015
20%
-2%
vs. 2015
14%
+3%
vs. 2015
22%
+4%
vs. 2015
47%
+0%
vs. 2015
2020 Population: 963
2020 Population: 741K
2020 Population: 148M
24%
-2%
vs. 2015
MISO Workforce Diversity Statistics (2020)
Generation
Education
MISO
U.S.
U.S.
MISO
Elec. Power
Gen X (1965-1980)
Gen Z (1997+)
Bachelor Degree
Advanced Degree
Assoc Degree or Less
Millennial (1981-1996)
Baby Boomer (1946-1964)
60%
21%
17%
2%
45%
26%
24%
5%
43%
25%
23%
9%
56%
14%
50%
36%
27%
17%
Happy healthcare
workers wearing masks made by MISO employees
Shepherd Community Center extends a thank you for donations collected by MISO's Community Service Group in Carmel, IN
In partnership with AABE, MISO donated 30 DYI Solar Climbing Vehicles to the STEM program at a local elementary school
The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented experience that impacted every aspect of my work in how I communicate and collaborate with my team and peers. I started feeling isolated and overwhelmed and ended up enjoying a new form of social connection and collaboration through regular video check-ins. Establishing a routine and having physical boundaries for my work-space from the rest of the home space worked effectively.
My mission at MISO is to provide a safe and open door environment for the team to be successful and to bring forth their maximum potential. I lead with honesty and curiosity. By collaborating with stakeholders, we are in the process of reforming the resource adequacy construct under the overall Resource Availability and Need (RAN) initiative. Collaboration among various MISO divisions is one of the key success factors for moving the RAN effort forward with diverse and innovative ideas that bring out the best in the team.
2020 was a rollercoaster of personal challenges that brought a total loss of normalcy to my life, starting with a cancer diagnosis. My journey from diagnosis to treatment and survivorship was extremely difficult during the pandemic.
As a husband and father of three children under the age of eight, having us all at home at the same time working remotely and attending school virtually has presented various challenges and rewards.
My mission at MISO is to build and strengthen personal relationships internally and externally to better implement innovative technology solutions to improve the lives of MISO customers. It is through adaptability that I can effectively respond to emerging needs and challenges of our business. Also, I am a member of MISO’s Diversity & Inclusion Council where I have the opportunity to collaborate with the Employee Resource Groups to help build a positive work environment where all people are valued.
1996
2001
2002
2005
2009/
2010
2011
2015/
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Workforce
31% Women
24% Minority
Line Ratings
and Hybrids
IDEA Resource Group is created
Products, Services and Planning for an Evolving Portfolio
De-
Carbonization
Portfolio Evolution
Short Term Incentive Metric on Diversity
South Region Integration
Supplier Diversity Implemented
Value Expansion
Workforce
Ancillary Services Implemented
Energy Markets Implemented
FERC approves MISO as
an RTO Reliability Coordinator
25% Women
16% Minority
Tariff Administration under MISO's Open Access Transmission Tariff
Market Implementation
FERC issues Orders 888/889
2013/
2014
Workforce
Discussions begin to form MISO
28% Women
24% Minority
Resource Adequacy Value-based Transmission Planning
Women's Resource Group is created
Environmental Regulations (MATS & CPP)
North-South Coordination
Storage
Distributed Energy
Gas Electric Coordination
Community Service Resource Group is created
D&I Council is created
AMP & EmPower Resource Groups are created
FERC Resilience Inquiry
MISO's Journey
20 Years of Regional Transmission Services
Click each year to learn more!
2020: Turning Challenges into Opportunities
In this challenging environment, I am especially proud of the work of MISO employees. Their collaboration is motivational. We find that in our daily work, MISO’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is the foundation of our success. The MISO Board of Directors and leadership team released an important statement in June 2020: “We take pride in being one of the most diverse companies in the utility industry….In fact, the organization has long been committed to diversity and inclusion. That being said, we commit to doing better.”
In addition to our hard work in the energy arena, in 2020, our employees in MISO’s three regions have volunteered more than 1,500 hours of service by rolling up their sleeves or opening their wallets and giving back to their communities. MISO employees’ commitment and integrity shine brightly in all of their community service.
I encourage you to review this MISO Community Impact Report 2020 to learn more about our culture, our people and our communities. Thank you for your interest in MISO.
John Bear
Chief Executive Officer
I like to say that we gain experience by having experiences and 2020 was a year of many new experiences. Through unforeseeable challenges, we flexed our adaptability and creativity muscles, listened and learned and through it all, we found ways to connect with, inspire and care for one another.
The MISO Community Service Resource Group hosted a Season of Service dedicated to supporting the communities where we live and work. The ongoing pandemic changed the way we volunteer, but MISO employees used paid time off and rose to the occasion using their creativity to continue to spread cheer and do good deeds.
Kenny Thomas
Product Owner
Carmel, IN
Liangying (Lynn) Hecker
Senior Manager, Resource Adequacy Policy and Analytics
Eagan, MN
Scott Worth
Regional Site Senior Administrator
Little Rock, AR
In 2020, CEO outreach included engaging with employees and stakeholders through:
Listening tours with MISO’s Employee Resource
Groups
Leveraging the MISO Board of Directors for support and expertise
Launching a series of Courageous Conversations to permeate discussions throughout the organization
Enlisting MISO’s leaders to create educational opportunities and accountability around our core values
Holding discussions with prominent members of the communities MISO serves and deepening our relationship with civic leaders
Reviewing talent processes and programs, including improving and expanding diverse hiring pools
Three MISO employees share their reflections on how the year 2020 impacted them, how they applied the MISO Core Values in their work and their personal mission to fulfill MISO’s mission.
Ultimately, MISO is the right group of people with the right concerns who work together as a team.
Dr. Renuka Chatterjee
Executive Director, System Operations
MISO employees have had a long-standing relationship supporting Make-A-Wish
Adaptability and Creativity
MISO began limiting visitor access to our facilities in March 2020. Stakeholder meetings continued via conference call and WebEx only including the Board of Directors and the Advisory Committee meetings through December 2020.
WHO names Coronavirus desease COVID-19
COVID-19 spereads aroiund the world and into the U.S.
Stock Market crash due to Covid-19 fears
Stay-at-home orders effective nationwide
National Events that Impacted our Industry
Hover over the images to learn more!
2021 Reliability Impacts of Climate Change
Launched Courageous Conversations
and Listening Tours
Pandemic
Social
Justice
MISO Milestones
Grid Reliability
MISO began limiting visitor access to our facilities in March 2020. Stakeholder meetings continued via conference call and WebEx only, including the Board of Directors and the Advisory Committee meetings through December 2020.
Adaptability and Creativity
Integrity and Commitment
During our June 2020 Board meetings, we acknowledged the broad outrage over recent events of unjustifiable mistreatment of members of the African American community. We view these events as indicative of even broader concerns over systemic racism that unfairly discriminates against human beings throughout this community and many other diverse communities.
In August 2020, MISO’s CEO John Bear and President Clair Moeller began Employee Resource Group (ERG) listening tours to better understand diversity and inclusion issues.
MISO hosts its biennial Market Symposium virtually with more than 300 participants.
MISO announces the completion of the first competitive transmission project in the
operating footprint (Duff to Coleman project).
MISO placed 20th at Training Magazine’s Top 125 Reflections Gala and was one of
five recipients of the Outstanding Training Initiative award.
Collaboration
We worked together and celebrated everything virtually.
Creativity and Adaptability
Following Hurricane Laura in August 2020, MISO escalated to the most severe step in its emergency actions in order to avoid a larger power outage on the bulk electric system in the MISO affected areas. MISO supported its members through a record-breaking hurricane season.
In December 2020, MISO issued “Response to Reliability Imperative” report as a result of the industry’s longtime reliance on conventional baseload power plants declining sharply, driven by economic factors and consumer preferences for clean energy, among other things.
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Mission: MISO employees come together to
find ways to serve our communities where we work
through leadership and participation by volunteering.
Mission: Support the creation of a more culturally aware organization by providing insights and recommendations on the African-American experience in the workplace, workforce, and community.
Mission: The WRG is a community that exists to grow, connect and support the women of MISO.
Mission: Enhance the development of MISO's next generation of employees by connecting, growing, and embracing modern professionals.
Mission: Build a collaborative community of present and future subject matter experts across MISO. Grow capabilities and skills to tackle the ever-growing difficulty of process improvement at MISO and develop the competency of turning information into meaning.
Our Board of Directors
John R. Bear
Chief Executive Officer
MISO
Phyllis E. Currie
Former GM at Pasadena
Water and Power
H.B. "Trip" Doggett
Former President and
CEO at ERCOT
Mark S. Johnson
Former VP of Transmission
Operations at PG&E Corporation
Barbara J. Krumsiek
Former President, CEO and Chair at Calvert Investments, Inc.
Nancy Lange
Former Chair of MN Public
Utilities Commission
Robert F. Lurie
Co-Founder and Partner of
White Dog Strategies
Rodd M. Raba
Former President and CEO at
GridPoint, Inc.
Theresa Wise
Former Technology Executive and
Executive Consultant at Amtrak
MISO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jody Davids
Former Chief Information Officer
at PepsiCo
Joining MISO in 2013 has been valuable for our customers in Arkansas, as well customers throughout the Entergy system. Entergy’s membership in MISO has saved Entergy customers in all five operating companies about $1.5 billion over six years.
Laura Landreaux
President and CEO, Entergy Arkansas
Community service is core to who we are as an organization. We pride ourselves in giving back and it's why we offer MISO employees paid time off to support causes close to their hearts.
Greg Powell
Vice President, Human Resources
I am excited to be selected to lead the D&I effort at MISO. I commend the leadership team for their passion and longstanding commitment to this important work and look forward to learning more about the organization. From my very first discussion with the leadership team during the recruiting process,
I knew that MISO was a special company and I feel honored to be here.
Allegra Nottage
Chief Diversity Officer
2020 marks a year unlike any other in recent memory. The COVID-19 pandemic killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. Racial unrest and protests occurred in many cities. And let’s not forget an agitated Mother Nature with the spate of hurricanes and wildfires.
Workforce
31% Women
24% Minority
2021 Reliability Impacts of
Climate Change
Launched Courageous Conversations
and Listening
Tours
2020
Line Ratings
and Hybrids
IDEA Resource Group is created
2019
Products, Services and Planning for an Evolving Portfolio
AMP & EmPower Resource Groups are created
FERC Resilience Inquiry
2018
Community Service Resource Group
is created
D&I Council is created
De-Carbonization
2017
Portfolio Evolution
Women's Resource Group is created
Environmental
Regulations (MATS & CPP)
North-South Coordination
Storage
Distributed Energy
Gas Electric Coordination
Women's Resource
Group is created
2015/
2016
Short Term
Incentive Metric
on Diversity
South Region Integration
2013/
2014
FERC approves MISO as
an RTO Reliability Coordinator
25% Women
16% Minority
Workforce
Click on
the boxes to
learn more
