Gil C. Quiniones, President and CEO of ComEd, was appointed yesterday chairperson of the board of the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council (IUBDC) at the group’s year-end board meeting. He succeeds Rebecca Losli, president of Illinois American Water, who led IUBDC in 2024 and remains an active member of the IUBDC Board of Directors.
The IUBDC was formed in 2015 to increase business opportunities for diverse suppliers through closer collaboration among leading Illinois utilities, including technical development and sharing of best practices. IUBDC charter members include Ameren Illinois, ComEd, Illinois American Water, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. Aqua America Illinois is an associate member.
“I have been an engaged member of the IUBDC board since I joined ComEd in 2021, and I am constantly impressed by how deeply committed members are to creating opportunities for diverse suppliers to grow and prosper,” said Quiniones. “Through their membership in IUBDC, companies can take a more active, collaborative role in enhancing equity in our communities and in delivering value to our respective customers. I am honored to serve as chair in 2025.”
IUBDC’s latest economic impact study shows that in 2023, the goods and services purchased from diverse businesses by IUBDC member utilities totaled $1.7 billion, of which $881.2 million was with Illinois-based diverse businesses. This spend provided new opportunities for diverse businesses across the state and supported economic development and growth of a diverse work force. The IUBDC member companies’ spend with diverse suppliers contributed $11.8 billion to the Illinois Gross Domestic Product from 2017-2020, including $4 billion in purchases from Illinois-based diverse businesses, which supported an average of nearly 20,000 jobs in each of those years.
“Businesses owned by people of color, women and veterans are playing major roles in the efforts of all Illinois utilities to modernize energy infrastructure, meet the changing needs and interests of customers, and support the clean energy transition in Illinois,” said Quiniones.
Special guests recognized at the IUBDC event included winners of a scholarship to the Advanced Management Education Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. The 2024 scholarship winners included Monica Arbuckle of AFE Construction; Brinton Flowers of Flowers Communication Group; Anthony Jason Lloyd of Trice Construction; and Kaitlyn Ortiz of the Nacional Group LLC. Co-sponsored by IUBDC and the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the annual program is centered on preparing business leaders to achieve sustainable growth. The scholarships are awarded in the memory of the late Emmett Vaughn, who served as director of the Office of Diverse Business Empowerment at Exelon Corporation. He was a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management and played a key role in the formation of the IUBDC.
Applicants for the IUBDC scholarship must be certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council and have a minimum of two years of experience in business. For more information visit https://iubdc.com/resources/kellogg-scholarship-program
