100+ Women Strong Steering Committee
Led by Stratonics owner and CEO Holly Craig, the 100+ Women Strong steering committee includes female alumni and friends with degrees in chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. They have used their degrees as foundations for successful careers as executives and program managers, entrepreneurs, and in patent law.
Holly Craig ’84, Owner and CEO, Stratonics (Chair)
Holly Craig started her career at a small hi-tech laboratory developing state-of-the-art sensors incorporating lasers, optics, and holography to measure aerodynamic properties of missiles in wind tunnels.Focusing on systems engineering, Holly became an R&D missile program manager at Perkin Elmer Applied Optics Operations and later transitioned toAdvanced Interventional Systems, coordinating the development of a laser angioplasty medical device.In 1992, she and her husband launched Stratonics, Incorporated, which has become a leader in sensor technology that measures high temperatures of metal to improve the output of additive manufacturing processes. Holly graduated from CSULB with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering(’84).
Holly is excited for the position of Chair for 100+ Women Strong and expanding the influence we can have in supporting the success of future women engineers
Debbie Meeks '86, Government Relations, Shell USA (co-chair)
Debbie Meeks manages energy and climate policy for Shell USA. This role helps Shell’s existing businesses-traditional and low carbon fuels, Trading, Renewable Natural Gas, Hydrogen, EVCharging-navigate policies in the western states. She supports Shell’s new business opportunities and potential future investments as an internal expert on regional carbon policies.As a CSULBChemical Engineering graduate, Debbie began her career at the ARCO Refinery in Carson,California.She then moved to Houston to provide technical support for a wide variety of refineries while working for Akzo Nobel.After 6 years in Houston Debbie returned to California joining ShellCatalysts & Technologies’ sales group. Through various commercial and leadership assignments she has had the opportunity to lead teams of technical experts and sales executives while negotiating with a variety of national and international oil companies.Debbie is married with two sons–one earning a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and the other studying Mechanical Engineering. She is passionate about education and currently sits on theboard of De La Salle High School, Concord and has volunteered as a math/science tutor at theschool. Teaching was always a dream job, and she has been fortunate to guest lecture for theExecutive MBA program at Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga
Dana Cabbell, Director of Integrated System Strategy, SCE (retired)
Dana Cabbell, P.E., retired after an extraordinary 41-year career with Southern California Edison(SCE) in 2024. She was responsible for ensuring SCE’s transmission and distribution system weresafe, reliable, resilient, clean, and affordable through well-informed, strategic decisions regardinggrid investments, integration of renewable/energy storage resources, enabling grid modernization,resiliency efforts, and reaching a carbon-neutral electric grid. Dana and her team were alsoresponsible for assessing generation, transmission, and newcustomer interconnections to the SCEgrid, performing joint studies with neighboring utilities, and ensuring compliance with mandatoryReliability Standards and Criteria. Dana holds a Bachelor of Science degree in ElectricalEngineering California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. She became a RegisteredProfessional Electrical Engineer with the state of California in 1989.
Dorothy Benveniste, Boeing 747 Fleet Chief Office (retired)
Dorothy Benveniste is a retired senior project engineer and manager of airline customer service initiatives from Boeing Commercial Customer Support in Seal Beach. She led technical projects for flight controls, payloads, airframe and structures subsystems, from problem detection through solution implementation across the international in-service fleet of 747 and 767 aircraft. Benveniste is passionate about STEM education support for underserved youth and an advocate for corporate STEM and intern sponsorship. As the Director of Systems Engineering Training, L.A. Chapter of International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), she enables systems engineering training to members. An experienced Agile Scrum Master, Product Owner, Scaled Agile Framework practitioner, and SAFe® Agilist, Benveniste holds a Bachelor of Science in software engineering from Cal State University and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Monica Amalfitano '94, Director of Design and Construction Services, Campus Engineer, CSULB
Monica Amalfitano has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from CSULB ('94) and is Director of Design and Construction and Campus Engineer in the CSULB Department of Design and Construction. Monica 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. She is a member of the first CSU Women in Facilities Cohort started in January 2022 and a presenter at high school Career Days. She enjoys traveling, wine tasting, and spending time with her husband Mario, son Isidoro and daughters Rosaria and Sofia.
Jennifer Didlo ‘02, AES Southland President (retired)(Past Chair)
Over Ms. Didlo’s nearly 30-year career in energy and energy infrastructure, she held a myriad of leadership roles, including her final appointment in 2015 as AES’s Western U.S. Market BusinessLeader, in addition to her responsibilities as President of AES Southland and AES Hawaii. She led business development efforts, including redevelopment of the California thermal and wind generation fleet as well as Plant Manager positions at AES Deepwater in Houston Texas and AES Placerita in the Santa Clarita Valley. Prior to AES, Didlo held plant manager, supervisory and engineering positions at Southern California Edison.A registered Professional Engineer, Didlo holdsa Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from CSULB and a Bachelor of Science inMechanical Engineering from the California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. Throughher retirement and volunteer work, she remains an advocate for promoting broader inclusion intoScience and Technology fields. She retired in 2018 and is enjoying family time with her husband and their 15-year-old son. In her spare time, she hikes, mountain bikes and loves a good book. She has been actively involved with CSULB College of Engineering both on the Dean Advisory Council for over a decade and as the founding Chair of the 100+ Women Strong initiative since inception in 2019.
Neveen Farag, Hardware Engineering Manager, Northrop Grumman 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.
Gale Swartz, Spacecraft Systems Senior Management, Raytheon Technologies (retired)
Gale is a retired Spacecraft Systems Engineer and was inSenior Management at RaytheonTechnologies and Boeing Satellite Systems. She was responsible for the successful build, test andlaunch of a GPS constellation consisting of 12 Satellites managing a staff of nearly 125 engineers.Earlier in her career she worked on 3 of Nasa’s 4 Great Observatories, Gamma Ray Observatory,Chandra Xray Observatory and the early version of the James Webb Telescope, in addition toseveral military and defense satellite programs. As a complete end-to-end Systems Engineer, shehas worked in all phases of a program for Concept Design through Launch and On-orbit Operations.She has been trained in 6Sigma and specialized in areas of organization effectiveness andcost/schedule management. After retirement, Gale worked as a consultantserving small businessin the areas of HR, systems and executive coaching. She currently a Los Angeles CountyCommissioner serving as Vice-Chair of the Community Action Board, dealing with public fundingfor organizations providing services to at risk-youth, battered women, legal aid, fighting poverty andfood insecurity. She serves on several non-profit Boards of Directors both at the local and NationalLevels and is a certified panelist for LA City’s Neighborhood Justice Program.She has been a Judge forthe last two years for CSULB Senior Capstone Projects and is very excitedto be a part of the 100+ Women Strong steering committee
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