“It gives me great pleasure to write this testimonial about Alison LaBonte. I had the good fortune of working for Alison as an analyst in the Energy Division of the California Public Utilities Commission.  From my perspective as one of the many analysts Alison supervised, she was thorough and conscientious in reviewing my work.  

Alison instilled in me a mantra/approach that I continue to use at work, and with my children whenever confronted with an issue. “What does success look like Lola, tell me about the big picture,” - Alison would ask me in our weekly check-in meeting. I will ramble on and get chastised as she made notes on this long spread sheet that captures every activity she was monitoring. In no time, “what does success look like and what is the big picture” became a mantra for me. Indeed, Alison’s questions made me kick up my game.  Before long, I was better prepared with my briefings, more coordinated, articulated my analysis more clearly, and anticipated challenges in line with Alison’s reasoning.

As a supervisor, Alison was responsible for the Procurement and Portfolio Management Section; this role required strong communication skills, interpreting, and applying the rules and regulations including the Commission’s General Orders, Public Utilities Code, various program directives and Commission decisions. Alison was still relatively new to the Commission, but quite motivated, and asked questions about everything. She managed her responsibilities with integrity, despite the breadth of programs she oversaw, and she consistently met deadlines. Not only did Alison review proposed decisions for Commission approval, managed the entire Portfolio Budget and Programs Approval team, including administrative tasks, she constantly attended meetings, oversaw consultants, contractors’ work, and supervised staff in three locations. To me, this makes Alison an all-around manager. Not only does she have an exceptional ability to identify and incorporate the Commission’s position in all our deliverables, but she also managed to include alternative options and suggested recommendations where applicable.

With the enormous amount of responsibility Alison was tasked with, she remained effective at managing the large workload, and staff, including those located in Sacramento and Los Angeles, in addition to interfacing with management. Alison made an enduring contribution to the Commission with her dedication and inquisitive mind. I have no doubt that Alison will soar high in her future endeavors.

In addition to working with Alison in the Energy Division, we were both members of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group where she inspired respect and the team’s cooperation. Alison also played a significant role in the Workplace Culture subcommittee of the DEI Working Group. My overall assessment is that Alison has a mathematical mind suited for analyzing situations accurately and adopting effective courses of action in maneuvering the world of legal, policy, regulatory, program implementation and the CPUC’s multi-disciplinary analytical work.

Recently, Alison shared her hopes to pursue a new path of starting a business and I couldn’t agree more that this is a fitting choice for her.  Alison clearly has the interest, she is qualified, equipped with the breadth of experience and courageous to tarry. I wholeheartedly believe in her ability to achieve success. ”