Nichole Bell, field operations manager – Gas Operations for the Northwest Region at SoCalGas, has worked for the company for 23 years. From her first role as a customer service representative to now overseeing a team of 509 employees, she has had an incredibly successful career with SoCalGas.
It was her success and relentless drive that inspired her daughter, Kallie Rodgers-Bell, to also join the company when it was time to start her career. Kallie is an emergency management watch desk specialist with SoCalGas and has been with the company for nearly six years.
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In honor of Women’s History Month, we connected with this mother-daughter duo who demonstrate the impact of supporting the next generation of female leaders at SoCalGas and beyond.
- What is the title of your position, how long have you served, and what are your duties?
Nichole: As the field operations manager for Gas Distribution, I oversee the 26 districts of the northwest region of our service territory. My duties include emergency response, compliance and safety management, resource allocation across districts, and overall workflow management.
Kallie: I serve as an emergency management specialist. My responsibilities include managing emergencies and risk management across our entire service territory. Having worked in both the call center and the field was an incredibly valuable experience that has helped me transition in my current role.
- What factors attracted you to your current position and SoCalGas?
Nichole: In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to break into a historically male-dominated sector. This opportunity has come from years of hard work as well as support from my past managers. Joining SoCalGas made me feel as if I was joining a big family.
My supervisors encouraged me to invest in myself. I was able to obtain a Bachelor of Arts from La Verne University and am currently pursuing an MBA from the University of Arizona Global Campus, thanks to support from SoCalGas. It’s special to work somewhere that develops their employees by providing career development opportunities and benefits.
Kallie: The company’s culture of growth and support was something I noticed from my mom’s career, and my experience has been the same. Transitioning into my current role in management was a very natural progression from my experience as an energy technician in Anaheim. I can leverage my experience from the field and contribute at a higher level within the company.
I echo what my mom also said about the company investing in its employees. I received my Bachelor of Arts this month and am going to pursue an MBA this fall — it would not have been possible to work full time, be a present mom to my three-year-old, and get a degree, without the support of the SoCalGas team.
- What are two to three goals you hope to achieve in this job?
Nichole: Increasing diversity and inclusion in the field is a significant goal for me. I have been able to excel in a career path that typically attracts more men than women, and I want to make sure women can clearly see the many opportunities to enter and excel in this industry. It’s also important to me that my team feels valued and included at SoCalGas. I achieve this by fostering a culture of safety and accountability.
Kallie: My main goal is to make positive enhancements in how we approach safety organization-wide. Safety is a core value at SoCalGas, and I appreciate being able to focus on building psychological safety and community well-being. I also want to encourage more women to pursue opportunities in the field by providing resources and support so they can see themselves excelling in a similar role.
- How can African Americans or the public support you or other women to be successful, and how can our community assist SoCalGas?
Nichole: There is so much opportunity. Rather than competing against each other, we must uplift one another and share knowledge and resources. This support looks like involvement in recruitment and mentorship so that we have a central role in diversifying the workforce.
Kallie: Mentorship, recruitment, and uplifting communities is important. To support my team in being successful– if they “see something, say something” and always call 8-1-1 before doing any digging. This is the biggest issue we see from homeowners so give us a call before doing any digging so that you don’t hit one of our lines and create a potentially dangerous condition!
- What are other activities you are involved in?
Nichole: Outside of work, I love camping and spending quality time with my family and embracing the outdoors whenever possible. I especially love having the opportunity to travel with my grandson and show him new places.
Kallie: I serve as the vice president of Administration for our employee resource group focused on empowerment of women. I also enjoy spending time with my family, including my three-year-old son—who comes with us on lots of traveling adventures.
- Do you have a mantra or philosophy of life that has guided you in your career?
Nichole: My philosophy is to do good and avoid harm. I’m passionate about kindness and empathy– both in my professional and personal endeavors.
Kallie: I believe in competing with myself and holding myself to high standards. There is enough space for everyone at the table.
- What does it mean to both of you to work at the same company?
Nichole: I am proud of my career and what Kallie has been able to do in her career. Seeing her become a mom, a student, and an amazing employee makes me super proud. I have two other kids and sometimes we tease them about joining us at SoCalGas.
Kallie: I am grateful for all the opportunities SoCalGas has given me. Even though my mom and I work at the same place, I like to think that I have stood on my own through my work ethic. But I learned a lot from her. I aspired to be like her, and work like her. She always taught me to dress for the job I want, not the job I have.
- Please feel free to add any other information.
Nichole and Kallie: We’re proud to work at SoCalGas and we take immense pride in our shared accomplishments. We are dedicated to our work, which helps provide safe and reliable energy to about 21 million customers, and it’s an honor to be able to serve our community through different volunteer opportunities.
