Celebrating leaders, professionals, and teams shaping the future of utility analytics

The Utility Analytics Institute (UAI) is excited to announce the finalists for the 2025 UAI Excellence Awards, which recognize the individuals and teams driving innovation, leadership, and meaningful transformation through analytics in the utility sector.

Now in its sixth year, the UAI Excellence Awards remain one of the most respected honors in the industry. The 2025 finalists represent utilities and organizations across North America that are solving critical challenges and advancing analytics maturity to deliver measurable value.

Finalists will be celebrated and winners announced during Utility Analytics Week 2025, taking place October 28–30 in Austin, Texas.

The Signature Award Categories

Three awards undergo a rigorous peer review process and finalist interviews before winners are chosen:

• Best Innovative Utility Analytics Team
• Best Utility Analytics Leader
• Best Utility Analytics Professional

The 2025 UAI Excellence Awards finalists represent diverse achievements, from wildfire mitigation planning and asset decision support systems to leadership in AMI analytics, governance, and data science innovation.

Beyond the Signature Awards

During UA Week 2025, UAI will also:

• Announce the 2025 Analytics Ambassador
• Recognize winners of the Community Engagement Awards (Most Engaged Individual Member, Most Engaged Utility Member, and Most Engaged Solution Provider Member)
• Reveal this year’s Top 25 Thought Leaders in Utility Analytics

Why It Matters

“These finalists represent not only technical excellence, but also the collaboration, creativity, and leadership that are essential to advancing analytics across the industry,” said Leslie Cook, UAI’s Manager of Membership, Engagement & Training.

“Each year, the UAI Excellence Awards shine a spotlight on the incredible talent within our community,” added Gina Weber, Managing Director of UAI. “We’re excited to celebrate these achievements in Austin and share their impact with the broader utility analytics community.”

And the Finalists for the 2025 UAI Excellence Awards…

---

Best Innovative Utility Analytics Team

---

Best Utility Analytics Leader

---

Best Utility Analytics Professional

---

Join Us in Austin

---

About the Author

Leslie Cook, Manager, Membership, Engagement & Training Utility Analytics Institute (UAI)

Leslie Cook is a strategic program director, dynamic business leader, and expert facilitator with 30 years of professional experience. Leslie’s peers describe her as a passionate, authentic, action-oriented leader with a goal driven attitude and enthusiasm for creating connections and collaborations. She excels at developing and managing frontline programs that position companies and their products for sustainable revenue growth and delivering customer-focused solutions that demonstrate product value, build long-term loyalty, and foster client engagement and retention. Cook’s background includes extensive work with associations and institutes in program development and management, marketing communications, event management, branding, and sales/new business development. She holds a BA in public relations from Texas Tech University and served in various program director and marketing roles for the Utility Analytics Institute (An Endeavor Business Media company), Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), HDI (an Informa company), and the Global Semiconductor Alliance (formerly Fabless Semiconductor Association). When she is not out facilitating cutting-edge programs or creating unforgettable member experiences, Leslie can be found traveling the world and also enjoying all that Colorado has to offer, from hiking, swimming, and outdoor excursions with her fur babies, to antiquing for the best mid-century modern finds and blown glass of all kinds. She also leverages her high attention to detail and project management skills when dabbling in home remodeling and interior design, two of her favorite pastimes.