Shell Shocked | Episode 2 Kelly Tomblin “Pushing Women Up”

Shell Shocked with Shelley Mozelle

The President & CEO of El Paso Electric proudly calls herself an "Appalachian Girl," hailing from a coal miner’s family in the Appalachians. As the first in her family to graduate college, she went on to become a lawyer and now leads a company that serves over a million customers in the utility and energy sector.

Her remarkable career has taken her around the world, working for international companies in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and Latin America. Along the way, she learned the challenges of "taking her place at the corporate table," often before it was offered. In her early career, she was told to look older—tie her hair back, wear pantyhose, and dress in suits like the men. Her journey to leadership was full of lessons on fitting in while making her own way.

Her advice? "Who you are at 20 is not who you are at 30—give yourself time to look at yourself again." And we can’t forget her powerful quote: "Most warriors don’t become worriers without a war."

Her inspiring “leave behind” message at the end of her talks is not to be missed.