Coaching Circles 2025
Topic: Learn a few simple ways to respond with confidence in a group setting when responding to a question or making an impromptu comment. Rise to the occasion and practice your elevator speech!
Dorothy Benveniste, Retired, Boeing (Lead)
Dorothy Benveniste, recently retired Project Engineer. Ideas on how to give back, to support young women engineers, have been percolating and are now ready for action. Giving back – to students of the CSULB BESST Program, to 8th graders at Prairie Vista Middle School in Hawthorne – and most importantly by forming 100+ Women Strong here at The Beach.
I’ll pull the curtain back for a glimpse into my long engineering education journey and the mentors who helped along the way. The first step on my journey to an engineering career began when a fellow worker took an interest in me. And encouraged me. I met her engineer friend, who also pushed, prodded, and cajoled me to grow. To see more. To be more. To do more.
Co-Leads:
Mozhdeh Najafabadi - PM, Protected Tactical Satellite Comms, Space Force-Dept of Defense
Lucie Nurdin - Lead Reactor Engineer, Terraform Industries
Emily Woodman-Nance - CEO & Co-Founder, At Their Side LLC, a healthcare status platform
Laurie Huning - Assistant Professor, CSULB Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management
Topic: Healthy work-life balance is how you consciously managing your time and energy to meet both professional and personal commitments while prioritizing self-care and well-being. Learn key ways to find the correct balance in your life.
Monica Amalfitano '94, Director of Design and Construction Services, Campus Engineer, CSULB (Lead)
Monica Amalfitano has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from CSULB and is a professionally licensed Engineer in the State of California with over 28 years of management, design and construction, and facility operations experience in Higher Education. Before coming to CSULB, she was a Project Manager and Senior Mechanical Engineer for P2S Engineering. She served as Campus Engineer to CSULB, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CSUF and other UCs and community colleges. Monica has her LEED BD+C credentials, and as Campus Engineer, leads CSULB’s sustainability conversations and decisions related to campuswide utility infrastructure and building design and renovations. Monica enjoys mentoring women in Design, Construction, Facilities and STEM careers.
Co-Leads:
Marie-Jeanne Ayoub - Manager of Construction Services, CSULB Design and Construction Department. Alumni from Civil Engineering department
Lisa Salgado - Capital Projects Programs Manager, CSULB Design and Construction Department, Alumni from Construction Engineering department.
Topic: What Makes You an Engineer? Your authentic engineering identity plays a vital role in your future work and career. Explore how to develop your engineering identity, while maintaining your authentic self.
Dana Cabbell, Director of Transmission System Planning & Strategy, Southern California Edison
Dana Cabbell, P.E has worked for Southern California Edison (SCE) for 40 years in the areas of transmission, subtransmission, and distribution long-term planning.
Presently, Dana is the Director of the Transmission System Planning & Strategy (TSP&S) in the Asset Strategy & Planning (ASP) organization. She is responsible for translating electric system regulatory policies and SCE’s long-term Pathway 2045 vision into transmission and subtransmission strategic project-development plans. TSP&S accomplishes this via the development of long- term scenario analyses to perform 10+ year system assessments to determine system capabilities, needs, and grid architectures in support of clean grid strategies.
Co-Leads:
Antonella Sciortino - Associate Dean of Academic Programs, CSULB COE
Topic: Have you ever felt self-doubt,inadequate, or feared being exposed as a “fraud”? If so, you’re not alone. Many high achievers have faced Impostor Syndrome even after years of experience. We’ll explore how to harness this mindset to achieve remarkable success both professionally and personally.ud of your success!
Debbie Meeks, ’86, US West Coast Policy and Business Coordinator, Corporate Relations, Shell USA (Lead)
Debbie manages energy and climate policy in the western states for Shell USA. This role supports Shell’s existing businesses - traditional and low carbon fuels, Trading, RNG, Hydrogen, E-Mobility, SENA - navigate complex government policies and programs. She supports Shell’s new business opportunities and potential future investments as an internal expert on regional carbon policies. Debbie began her career as a Process Engineer at the ARCO Refinery in southern California before moving to Houston to provide technical support for a wide variety of refineries while working for Albemarle. She returned to California joining Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ sales group. Through various commercial and leadership assignments in the Catalyst group and US Mobility she has led teams of technical experts and sales executives while negotiating with a variety of national and international oil companies.
Debbie is married with two sons – the oldest graduated in December 2024 as an Electrical Engineer and is now working for SpaceX while the other is studying Mechanical Engineering.
Co-Leads:
Gale Swartz - LA County Commissioner, Community Action Board
Betty Lynn Senes - Project Executive, DPR Construction
Topic: So, you’ve landed your first internship or job, now what? There will be plenty to experience while you navigate your new situation; people to meet, processes to learn, and an organization to sort out. However, never lose sight of the larger picture, your career trajectory. You must keep current with market trends, industry drivers and most importantly, your goals. We will discuss what and how to position yourself for continued growth to help ensure you move forward along your career journey and ultimately unlock your true potential
Jennifer Didlo, President, Retired, AES Southland
Jennifer Didlo’s appointment in 2015 as Market Business Leader for the Western Portion of the United States for AES in addition to her responsibilities as President of AES Southland and AES Hawaii is a culmination of more than 25 years of leadership experience in power generation, including 20 years in California, Hawaii and Texas. AES’s Western portfolio includes more than 3,900 MW of natural gas fired and 180 MW of coal generation, 125 MW of wind generation and 40 MWhr of Battery Energy Storage.
Prior to working at AES, Ms. Didlo held Plant Manager, supervisory and engineering positions at Southern California Edison across multiple locations. She was an integral member of the SCE divestiture team during California’s electrical deregulation.
She holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the California State University at Long Beach and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. As well, she is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of California. Recently, Ms. Didlo has retired from her corporate role and now enjoys spending time with her husband and their teenage son and helping to promote women in energy and engineering through her involvement with both CSULB and The Hawthorn Club.
Co -Leads:
Megan Schneider - Client Account Leadership, Accenture
Karen Abarca - Communication Systems Engineer, NGC
Topic : Transitioning from a technical to a leadership role is a significant step for women in engineering. This journey often involves developing a unique set of skills, overcoming challenges, and embracing opportunities for growth.
Neveen Farag, Hardware Engineer Manager, NGC, Mission Systems,Inc
Neveen Farag has been working with Northrop Grumman since 2018, her current role is HardwareEngineering Manager at Northrop Grumman Mission system, leading a department of 20 engineers of whom are electrical component and design layout engineers. Prior to her current role, she was part of the Electrical Engineering Department as Electrical components Engineer/ DMSMS lead atNorthrop Defense systems.She has been always an active member of (Society of Women Engineering) SWE. Currently she is the Northrop Grumman WomenInternational Network (NGWIN) Enterprise Chair. She has been awarded many times for her work with NGWIN and SWE.She has received her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Northridge in California, and MBA fromBayPath University in Massachusetts. Neveen has been married to a great husband for 8 and half years and has a 7-year-old boy Adam. Her current hobby is running around with Adam.
Co-Leads:
Delilah Nunez - Systems Engineer, The Aerospace Corporation
Candace Givens - Sector Vice President Mission Assurance, NGC
Note: CSULB events and scholarships are open to all CSULB students, regardless of sex, race, or ethnicity.
