Talk about walking an illuminated path!

Kevin Walker has made history as the first Black man and person of color to lead Duquesne Light Company.

According to TribLive, Walker is a U.S Army combat veteran with over three decades of experience in leading utility companies. He currently holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from West Point Academy along with a master’s of business administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Formerly, Walker served as the Chief Operating Officer for both American Electric Power and Iberdrola.

“It is my honor and privilege to lead the talented and dedicated employees of [DLC] and I’m looking forward to working with our business and community partners in Allegheny and Beaver counties,” said Walker.

Upon leaving his positions as Chief Operating Officer, the Pennsylvania native went on to serve as senior vice president for customer & operations services. He also served as nuclear decommissioning at Southern California Edison.

In April 2020, Walker joined Duquesne Light Company (DLC) and took on the role of Chief Operating Officer.

Now, he is breaking barriers as the new president and CEO of DLC.

“With more than 30 years of utility and leadership experience, Kevin has played an integral role at DLC over the past year in helping to navigate the complexities of the covid pandemic, said Joseph Guyaux, DLC Chairman of The Board of Directors. “We have been impressed with Kevin’s business acumen, [the] vision of the energy future and commitment to supporting employees, customers, and the communities we serve.”

During his time in the service, Walker served as a field artillery officer for six years. He was also deployed in Desert Storm.

Today, Walker also serves on the board of the American Association of Blacks in Energy and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.

“I’ve been impressed with the company’s ability to provide excellent customer service to the people of the Pittsburgh region, and my goal is to continue to meet our customers’ changing energy needs,” continued Walker.

DLC currently employs over 1,700 people and now with Walker leading the way, he will continue to serve both customers and staff with high levels of excellence!