Welcome to Connected, Avangrid’s blog for stories and insights about our people, our culture and our communities. Follow us on social to stay in the know. Learn more at www.avangrid.com.

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November 2025

In addition to their day jobs at Avangrid, two military veterans—Micah Weinstein and Shawn Cronkwright—have found a new mission: supporting those who’ve served and building a bridge between military and civilian life. [caption id="attachment_8435" align="alignright" width="217"] Avangrid's employee resource group has nearly 300 members.[/caption] Shawn (above right), the Manager of the Cyber Security Operations Center and Vice Chair of the AVAN-Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG), brings with him a legacy of service rooted in family tradition. “My grandparents, father, uncle, and cousins all served,” he says.

As part of our Avangrid in the Community series, we’re shining the spotlight on employees who generously give their time and energy to passions that drive them. Michael Russo has spent 18 years as a lineworker at United Illuminating (UI) in Connecticut, helping keep the lights on and the community moving. But outside of work, he devotes countless hours to something just as vital: supporting local veterans and their families through Shoreline Veterans Corporation, a nonprofit he founded. [caption id="attachment_8407" align="alignright" width="439"] Mike Russo (left) and

Hi everyone! My name is Rebekah Verlander, and I’m the newest member of the Land Management team. I’ve been with Avangrid for the past two years as part of the Global Rotational Graduate Program, where I had the opportunity to work across four departments—including a six-month assignment in Madrid at our Iberdrola office. I’m originally from England, spent ten years living in Houston, Texas, and recently relocated to Portland for this role. Outside of work, I love to travel, stay active, and spend time with friends.

What inspired you to work in development? I am a mechanical engineer by background and have always had interest in energy conservation and optimization while working in the petrochemical and other heavy industries (as a plant engineer and consultant). However, my career path became more focused on energy as my reaction to 9/11/2001, when it became my strong belief (and remains to this day) that our country needs to be energy independent. That focus is what moved me into energy generation. What would you recommend

Vicki Ashley is a fourth-generation landowner at Avangrid’s Bakeoven and Daybreak solar projects in Wasco County, Oregon. We caught up with Vicki during a recent visit to the site. How long have you been on the land? Have things changed? The family has been here for almost 100 years, but I’ve been here for about 45 years. It’s totally changed from the dryland wheat to the solar project. This particular area was used for dryland wheat and cattle grazing before Avangrid built the solar project. We

Avangrid is one of the nation’s leading energy generation companies, producing power for homes and businesses across the United States. With 80 projects spread across 21 states, we are expanding our footprint and creating value for communities through job creation and economic growth. Our growing list of projects supports local jobs that help to prop up local communities, contribute significant tax revenue for states and counties, and represent major private investments in rural America that bolster the country’s energy independence. Since the beginning of this year,

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