CHICAGO, Illinois—February 12, 2015. The Chicago Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers has formed a new group to bring together local IEEE Fellows to network and to support IEEE global objectives. Vickie Peters, Chair of the Chicago Section, has appointed Fellows Gary R. Johnson, President of Mortar Net Solutions in Burns Harbor, Indiana to chair this new group, with Dr. Mohammad Shahidehpour, Bodine Chair Professor of ECE and Director of the Robert W. Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Wanda Reder, Chief Strategy Officer, S&C Electric Company in Chicago as members. Ms. Peters said, “I am pleased that this distinguished group has come together to form a new committee of IEEE Fellows in the Chicago Section. Fellows is a designation that only results from considerable accomplishment in the field and I believe that this committee, with the experience and prestige of its members, will contribute significantly to the mission and members of our section. Chicago is taking the national lead in forming a Fellows Committee and this pilot may well spawn wider adoption in other sections.”

Johnson said, “IEEE Fellows, through their experience and professional accomplishment, are in a position to provide leadership to the section and to influence the success of all members. I am pleased to work with Vickie and the other committee members to define specific initiatives to further the success of the IEEE Chicago Section in serving its members.”

The committee has held its first organizational meeting and is announcing that a gala event is scheduled for May 2 at the Union League Club in downtown Chicago. This event will combine the traditional welcoming dinner for 2015 Fellows with a new program including all IEEE Fellows of the Chicago section. Another outcome of the meeting was an initial discussion about how the Fellows Committee might promote broader IEEE objectives. The committee identified promoting career development and diversity as areas for further exploration.

IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through IEEE’s highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. IEEE is a global organization with over 400,000 members in more than 160 countries. IEEE Fellow is a distinction reserved for select IEEE members whose extraordinary accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest are deemed fitting of this prestigious grade elevation. No more than 0.1% of the voting membership may be recommended as Fellows in any year. There are approximately 7,000 IEEE Fellows worldwide.

For more information contact:

Gary R. Johnson
President, Mortar Net Solutions
Direct: 219-850-4502
E: gjohnson@mortarnet.com