ArkLaTex Chapter Executive Committee

Allison Sawyer

2024 ArkLaTex Chapter Chair

Allison is the Energy Delivery Operations SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Supervisor for the SCADA Display Team and SCADA Technology Team for American Electric Power. The teams’ responsibilities include updating and maintaining any SCADA display and database work, keeping up with the modern data exchange between the field and SCADA, troubleshooting SCADA data and technology problems, plus a numerous of other SCADA related items. She has been in the supervisor role for 3.5 years. She started working with AEP as a contractor in 2012 as a SCADA Analyst. She got hired on AEP in 2013 and stayed as a SCADA Analyst until she got promoted to the supervisor role. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a BBA in Computer Information Systems and a minor in Management before starting her career at AEP.

Allison lives in Shreveport, LA. She got married in 2019 to her husband Jarrod Sawyer and they have one dog child named Leo. Her hobbies include travelling, working out (mostly lifting weights or hiking), golfing, and trying new restaurants and visiting new places with her husband.

Allison has been a part of WiNUP for 5 years. She started off by receiving a free year membership through AEP by writing an essay of what WiNUP meant to her. She enjoyed being a part of such an awesome program so she continued renewing her membership and became active in the Chapter board. She was the IB rep for 2 years, then became secretary, then Vice Chair, and now is the Chapter Chair for 2024. She has assisted in items for the planning committee during her first conference in Little Rock.

“Our chapter is growing and becoming more and more engaged, so I am very excited on what more our Chapter and the organization as a whole has in store for the future. It is a great opportunity for not only yourself and the potential for growth within your career, but also a great opportunity for others to learn more about what you do and all of the avenues you can take with a career in the utility industry.”

Becky Whitenack

2024 ArkLaTex Chapter Secretary

Becky started working with AEP as a contractor at Pirkey Power Plant in 2013. She went full-time in 2014 and is now an Administrative Asst Sr. Currently she is the HPI Team Leader. She is serving on the Plant Safety Team and has been on the SHAC team for SWEPCO and PSO. In March of 2023 Pirkey Power will be closed. Becky will remain at the plant until it fully closes then she will transfer to another department in SWEPCO in the fall of 2023.

Becky loves helping others and is very involved in the community. She helped with Pirkey's annual Fishing for the Future event for kids with special needs at seven school districts. Started the Pirkey's Food Drive and got the plant supporting the Angel Tree program at Christmas. She is the plant Wellness Person. Is on the PAC Leadership team and was on the Transition committee for Pirkey's closure. Becky is a member and has served in several leadership position with the Judson Lions Club for over 30-years. She's been a Girl Scout volunteer and Troop Leader for many years along with several other community organizations. She has been a member of WiNUP since 2020 and is very excited about serving as the Chapter Secretary this year.

Becky lives in Longview, TX with her husband Brian and their daughter Kasey who is a Senior at UNT in Denton. She loves spending time with family and friends, reading when she has time, doing crafts, attending craft fairs and meeting new people.

Alice Cogburn

2024 ArkLaTex Chapter Treasurer and International Board Rep.

Hi, my name is Alice Cogburn. I begin my career in the utility industry in 2006 when I was hired as a contractor by AEP-Welsh. It was an education to say the least; I had never seen or heard of some of the equipment you find in a power plant. I was lucky enough to have some great co-workers who were willing to not only answer my questions but, take me out into the plant. This allowed me to understand my environment better. I was hired full time in October of 2010 as an administrative associate handling operations payroll and scheduling (and everything else they asked of me). I had the opportunity to earn my degrees and graduated with my Masters in Business Administration in May 2021 for Texas A&M Texarkana. I currently work for AEP-Wilkes/Knox Lee as an administrator. This is a role I was promoted to in January 2022.

On a personal note, I enjoy traveling and spending time with family and friends. I have two children (James 29 and Amber 27) both are married. I have two of the sweetest grandbabies (Evelyn 2 and James IV 1) by my son. I am lucky enough to have them living next door and I can spoil them (and then send them home).  I like the outdoors and spend most of my vacations enjoying the great rivers, lakes and state parks Texas/Oklahoma has to offer.



I am looking forward to being actively involved with WiNUP and helping our local chapter grow and expand while also participating at the international level of the organization. 

Jasmine Gilbert

2024 ArkLaTex Vice Chair and Secretary for the International Board

Jasmine is an environmental/scientific professional that works in power generation with American Electric Power. She lives in East Texas and services, as an Environmental Coordinator, all of SWEPCO and PSO’s power stations for Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems as the Regional CEMs Environmental Coordinator. She just recently has been given this new role and is very excited about the opportunities ahead in this position.

She has been with AEP for 9 years, and has worked as a chemist in the power plant and a plant Environmental Coordinator for coal and gas generation plants in northwest Arkansas and East Texas. She has a BS in Biochemistry from University of Central Arkansas and a minor in Biology. She also has an Environmental Management Professional Certification from University of Texas Arlington.

She has 2 children, Laila and Brenton, 19 and 15yo. Laila is off to college in San Antonio to make her own way and Brenton keeps her busy with basketball and track and will be playing soccer as well.

Jasmine has been with WiNUP, in the ArkLaTex chapter for 8 years and has served as the ArkLaTex chapter secretary for 3 years, and then the International Board Rep for 2 years also. She is currently the ArkLaTex chapter Vice Chair and will also serve as the International Executive Committee Secretary for 2024. She served on the Little Rock conference planning committee, Niagara conference planning committee (with subcommittee participation as well), co-chair of the International STEM committee and serves on the Finance and Budget committee. Jasmines appreciates how WiNUP gives the opportunity to meet people from everywhere and feel like we are linked and super comfortable interacting. She loves how it’s a great opportunity to look at how powerful women have worked their way down all these different paths and have been successful in so many different ways, and to see how women have been able to pivot from a career path and been successful in doing so.