By Allison Erdman Gregoire
Friday, March 18, natural gas utility providers across the country celebrated “Natural Gas Utility Worker’s Day” to recognize the hard work and dedication of those who work in the industry. Nicor Gas serves 2.2 million customers daily to provide the clean, safe, and reliable service they expect and deserve. March is Women’s History Month and to celebrate, Nicor Gas provides a feature of the women who make Nicor Gas what it is today.
Julie Wallin of Aurora didn’t think she would spend more than 22 years with Nicor Gas. What started as a job fresh out of West Aurora High School in 2000 as a unionized Level I Clerk was meant to be a stepping stone while she earned her college degree.
“I thought I would just stay a few years and leave,” the Aurora native said. “But I had such great people here to work with at Nicor Gas and it kept me staying. When you have great leaders to support you, it makes you want to stay.”
She is a resource management superintendent in the Glen Ellyn office, of Nicor. Julie worked her way through the ranks while earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration and later her MBA (master’s of business administration), both from Aurora University.
Throughout her two-plus-decade career with the largest natural gas provider in Illinois, Julie has been promoted through the Correspondence Department, the Gas Transportation Department working with industrial customer billing while going to school full time, and customer service management where she was responsible for 17,000 customers.
She most recently worked as a supervisor in billing operations and now in Resource Management where she leads a team of 24 individuals in dispatching and planning.
As a female in a still male-dominate industry, Julie learned the importance of earning her stripes.
“I had to navigate being a woman in a man’s world,” she said. “I had to earn respect; I didn’t just get it. I put the work in and had to ensure my voice was being heard.”
She looked to other female leaders in the Company for mentorship and support, including recently-retired director of Regional Operations, Nina Hunter.
“Nina did a great job of giving me confidence in my voice to lead and develop others,” Wallin said.
As a leader at Nicor Gas, Julie encourages women growing in the energy industry to network with those in the Company.
“This is a great place to work and the people I started with 22 years ago are leaders in the company now,” she said. “It’s important to field your connections and to always put the work in. When you put the work in, you will always see the results.”
Julie mentors young professionals within the company as the secretary of ENERGY, a Nicor Gas employee resource group that supports young, engaged, professionals through networking and relationship-building opportunities.
Outside of work, Julie lives in Aurora with her three children and enjoys watching them play sports.
— Allison Erdman Gregoire is in public relations and media relations, corporate communications, Nicor Gas.