Allen Nye: In the fall of 2010, I was faced with a very difficult decision. After seventeen years of practicing law, I had developed a successful and comfortable practice at a firm I loved and never intended to leave. It had taken years of hard work to get there and I believed I could finish my career there. But in the fall of 2010, I was approached about becoming the general counsel at Oncor.  While the job was obviously interesting to me, it would mean leaving behind everything I had built to start over. Oncor’s majority shareholder was also in severe financial crisis and likely headed to one of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history. My choice was to stay where I was comfortable and secure, or start over and see if I could protect Oncor through the likely treacherous bankruptcy.  After significant thought, I decided to take a chance, at extreme personal and professional risk, and try to help Oncor. After seven years of very difficult work and with the significant assistance of an incredible team of people, Oncor emerged under new ownership and I was asked to stay on as CEO. While I had significant doubt throughout the entire process, taking that chance definitely shaped by career.

Allen Nye: My mentorship philosophy and one shared by our leaders is to empower the team with the vision, tools and authority they need to lead and then get out of their way and let them do their jobs. From top to bottom, we give employees a clear view of the company’s strategic objectives, and cross-functional collaboration is encouraged to innovate and grow professionally.

We champion a culture where new ideas are welcomed, learnings are shared, and employees are given space to experiment – even if that includes the possibility of failure. This empowerment is central to our business and the way we operate. Our current leaders and our next generation of leaders know I trust them to make decisions based on experience, context and collaboration that always considers stakeholder impact. And I’m proud to say that mentoring happens at all levels of our organization.

Allen Nye: Giving back to the communities we serve matters to me and our business, and is a key part of our culture. Most of our team members live and work in our service area, and being a good neighbor is sacred. Every day, we prioritize collaboration with our communities, businesses, elected officials, and non-profit organizations to nurture the quality of life and economic well-being that makes this region and state incredible – all while delivering safe and reliable power.

More than 35 Area Managers help ensure every city has at least one dedicated individual familiar with the region. These Area Managers represent Oncor in all local government, civic, and community related initiatives and assist with a variety of local issues, including energy service and delivery needs, economic development projects, and public education opportunities. Area Managers are also active members or leaders within various local organizations, such as chambers of commerce, economic development foundations, home builders’ associations, and rotary clubs. Our territory includes customers in more than 40 percent of all Texas legislative districts. Our legislative affairs and regulatory teams regularly work collaboratively with Area Managers and state leaders to advocate on behalf of customers and employees, and to strengthen Oncor’s commitment to building a safer, smarter, and more reliable electric grid.

We also show up through our Oncor Cares Community Councils, which are voluntary employee groups focused on identifying local community organizations and causes to support through volunteer opportunities and fundraisers. In addition, we maintain a 501(c)(3) private foundation, the Oncor Cares Foundation.

Most noteworthy, is our 14-year participation in the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk. Each year, more than 4,000 employees, contractors, and their families participate, with this year’s turnout expected to exceed 6,000 registered walkers. Since 2012, we have contributed over $10 million to education, research, and programs aimed at fighting heart disease and stroke –conditions that hits close to home for all of us.

I have always had an appreciation for service and its importance in business. I am proud of what we do as a company to give back, and am also fulfilled by doing what I can personally, such as serving on the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk board, among others.

Allen Nye: Changes almost always occur when a new CEO is appointed. When I became CEO in 2018, it was a period of great change. Oncor was under new ownership. Strategy, priorities, and personnel changes were all occurring at the same time.  My predecessor, Bob Shapard, sat me down and gave me a great piece of advice. He emphasized that -with all that was going on – the most important thing I could do was to make sure I selected the right people to serve on my leadership team, to provide them with the support they needed to do their jobs, and then to get out of their way. From that day until the end of last year, our leadership team remained unchanged. I believe that advice, and the decisions we made based on that advice, have played a significant role in the success we’ve experienced over the last eight years.

Allen Nye: My career has been built on intensity, focus, and a sense of urgency often times at the expense of anything outside of the workplace. While I continue to believe those things are incredibly important to success, I would tell my younger self to relax a little bit. To remember that are things that are more important that whatever is presently on your desk. Maybe to enjoy the journey a little more than to always be focused on the end result.

Allen Nye: As Texas continues to lead as an economic powerhouse, I am so proud to see this community thriving, attracting new businesses from outside the state, and preparing for this unprecedented population growth. This comes with tremendous opportunity for our local leadership and we’re thrilled to build the infrastructure required to help guarantee a strong and prosperous future for our great state, despite any challenges that come our way.

Oncor has a critical role in this effort. Our five-year, $47.5 billion capital plan enables accelerated grid upgrades and enhancements, marking a major step forward in preparing the state’s infrastructure for severe weather events and evolving cybersecurity threats. And while we work to meet growth demand, we also stay focused on readying for Texas weather.

I believe that what sets Dallas and our great state apart is how this business community plans with vision and works with unity – turning opportunity into reality, together. I’ve seen many corners of the world, but none match the energy, promise, and pride I feel living and working here each and every day.