IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - July/August 2015 - 104

for three years with Siemens in Germany in the design of data switches.
Back in his country, he developed the
country's Telex network and launched
a project for designing and building
data switches locally. It was a major
success, applied first for Telex and
later for X-25.
In 1979, he moved to Salto Grande,
a newly built 1890 MW hydroelectric
facility jointly owned by Argentina and
Uruguay. For 25+ years, he was responsible for SCADA and EMS. His group
also designed, developed, and operated
the extensive company's data network.
He was promoted to manager for Engineering and Planning in 2007 until his
retirement.
From 1967 to 2013 he also taught
courses in electronics, electromagnetic
theory, and data networks in engineering schools in Uruguay.
In 1989, he founded the Uruguayan
IEEE Section. Since then he has volunteered every year and served on the
IEEE Board of Directors (1998-1999).
Active in IEEE Member and Geographic Activities and other boards, he has
given ample proof of leadership, vocation to serve and dedication to work "for
the benefit of the humanity."
After a tenure as Chapter representative, he served for six additional
years (2006-2011) as Region 9 representative in the PES Governing Board,
getting first-hand knowledge of the
Society, its strengths, and its problems. Recently, he has been successfully promoting technical conferences
in Latin America. He was the general
chair of PES T&D LA 2012 and ISGT
LA 2015, the first international IEEE
conferences in Uruguay. In 2012, he
nominated and secured approval for
the hydroelectric "Rincon del Bonete"
as the first IEEE Milestone in the
country, the fourth one approved in
Latin America.
Among other qualifying jobs in the
IEEE, he was Region 9 treasurer in
2012 and 2013, having direct and recent experience with IEEE monetary
issues. Presently he serves on the IEEE
Life Members Committee.

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ieee power & energy magazine

Candidate Statement

The technical Societies constitute the
core and the strength of the IEEE; to participate in one as dynamic and successful
as PES gives me legitimate pride.
I have volunteered actively for 27
years in many IEEE boards and units,
from founding the Section in my country to serving in the IEEE Board of
Directors, also including six years
of experience on the PES Governing
Board. In all my roles, I have worked
hard turning ideas into achievements,
giving proof of leadership, and gaining
a solid knowledge of the Institute.
If you elect me, I am confident that
my experience in the industry and in
the IEEE will allow me to fulfill the
role of treasurer. I will dedicate my
time, skills, and knowledge to support
the ideas and projects that flourish in
the PES community of volunteers,
which I believe are the lifeblood of
the Institute. I will always strive to get
things done and to support the strategic
goals of the board for the benefit of its
members and humanity.

Christopher E. Root
Christopher Root
has been on the PES
Governing Board
in various roles
since 2007. He
joined the board
as a member at
large and has been elected secretary and
treasurer. He is extremely active in PES
Board activities and tries to bring a utility executive prospective to the board.
He is a Senior Member and has been a
PES member since 1983. He is the chair
of the PES Leadership in Power Award.
He has a good understanding of how the
Society works from both a procedural
basis (from being secretary) and financially (from being treasurer).
He is currently the chief operating
officer of the Vermont Electric Power
Company and has dealt with large budgets for over 20 years, which is invaluable in understanding budgets and the
budgeting process. This is critical in
being treasurer of PES.

He was instrumental in reinvigorating the Boston PES Chapter and has
started a new PES Chapter in Vermont.
He brings a utility as well as a practicing engineer perspective to the board.
He tries to view the Society from both
a local Chapter view as well as a global view. He has had an opportunity
to meet with Chapter representatives
from around the world, and these experiences have been helpful in making
decisions at the Governing Board.
He has a B.S.E.E. from Northeastern University with a focus in power
systems and an M.Eng. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in power
systems. He has also attended the
Harvard Business School's Program
for Management Development. He is a
registered Professional Engineer in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Candidate Statement

I believe that PES is a very strong
Society in both financial and in
leadership areas. As treasurer, I can
attest that the Society continues to
grow in both membership and revenues. The increased revenues continue to be reinvested in the membership. Whether it be in scholarships
and student opportunities around the
world or in improving our education
venues, it is critical to reinvest in our
member's needs. PES needs to continue to grow its Web offerings for
education and technical information
opportunities.
I have tried to take both a local
Chapter and global perspective at the
Governing Board. I believe that both
are very important. Support for our local Chapters is critical to develop local interest in PES from professionals.
Our technical committees provide an
important service to the world and our
industry. We must continue to review
their efforts and support them.
I ask you to return me to the Governing Board as treasurer. I believe it is
important to have a utility executive on
the board to bring this perspective to
PES leadership.

p&e

july/august 2015

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