FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHITE PLAINS—Jennifer Mayadas-Dering, a resident of Cross River in Westchester County, has been selected as the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) 2007 Woman Leader. She was honored at the 34th Annual Academy of Women Leaders Salute Lunch, sponsored by the YWCA of the City of New York, on Nov. 15 at the Hilton New York. 

With a lifelong-love of power engineering, Mayadas-Dering came to the Power Authority as an intern in 1994. Her leadership skills and technical insight drew her to increasingly challenging assignments that paralleled many of the Power Authority’s recent major achievements and led to her current position as manager of operations planning for NYPA’s Transmission Business Unit. 

“Jennifer is a tremendous asset to the Power Authority,” Roger B. Kelley, NYPA president and chief executive officer, said. “Her strong work ethic and ability to tackle difficult assignments more than warrant her selection to receive this prestigious award.” 

Mayadas-Dering, who was nominated for the award by the Power Authority’s senior managers, has been involved in a number of significant projects during her career at NYPA. These include a major upgrade of the Authority’s Niagara Power Project; installation of the world’s most advanced transmission control device, a convertible static compensator, at NYPA’s Marcy Substation near Utica; and the rapid completion of 11 small, clean power plants at six sites in New York City and a seventh on Long Island in a successful effort to avert power shortages in the region. 

“I regard my work as project engineer for the small power plants as a highlight of my career,” Mayadas-Dering said. “This project, which we completed in less than a year, gave me the opportunity to oversee design, construction and testing of the units under very tight time constraints. It was a turning point for me since it provided the equivalent of three years’ education in six months’ time, making me a better person and a better engineer.”

Mayadas-Dering’s interest in power generation stems from her father, who worked on semiconductors for IBM. Her early involvement with the industry led to her earning Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Vermont and Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, respectively. She holds a professional engineering license in New York State and is certified by the Association of Energy Engineers as an energy manager. Before joining the NYPA staff, Mayadas-Dering worked in information technology for IBM. 

In addition to her duties at the Power Authority, Mayadas-Dering serves as a volunteer for Mentor-net, an electronic mentoring network that provides guidance for woman and minority students interested in engineering, science and mathematics. She is also a member of the Conservation Advisory Council for the Town of Lewisboro. 

Mayadas-Dering is an accomplished racquetball player who has competed in Olympic-sponsored events and world championships. She and her husband, Ken Dering, have two children, Alex, 5, and Zachary, 4.

Mayadas-Dering was the only engineer among 60 women from various organizations recognized at the Nov. 15 event.

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About NYPA:

■    NYPA uses no tax money or state credit.  It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity.  ■    NYPA is a leader in promoting energy-efficiency, new energy technologies and electric transportation initiatives.  ■    It is the nation’s largest state-owned electric utility, with 18 generating facilities in various parts of the state and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines.

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