{
    "title": "Duquesne Light's Erin Henley Recognized Among Pittsburgh's Top Innovators",
    "modified_at": "2026-09-16 09:11:29",
    "published_at": "2026-09-16 09:12:00",
    "url": "https://newsroom.duquesnelight.com/duquesne-lights-erin-henley-recognized-among-pittsburghs-top-innovators",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/9EOd",
    "culture": "en",
    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "One of 15 innovators in the region named to \"RealLIST\"",
    "slug": "duquesne-lights-erin-henley-recognized-among-pittsburghs-top-innovators",
    "body": "<p style=\"text-align: left\">Duquesne Light Company&#039;s (DLC) <strong>Erin Henley</strong>, innovation associate III, has been recognized as one of <a href=\"https://technical.ly/workforce/reallist-innovators-2026-pittsburgh/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u><strong>Technical.ly&#039;s 2026 RealLIST Innovators</strong></u></a>. </p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Published annually, the RealLIST celebrates engineers, developers, scientists, researchers, inventors and technologists who are helping strengthen Pittsburgh&#039;s innovation ecosystem through leadership, creativity and impact. </p><p style=\"text-align: left\">At DLC, Henley serves as the innovation team&#039;s lead for safety and advanced drone capabilities, helping identify, evaluate and pilot emerging technologies that support the company&#039;s commitment to delivering safe, reliable and affordable energy. Her work includes advancing drone-based solutions designed to enhance infrastructure inspections, damage assessment and operational efficiency. </p>\n    <figure\n        class=\"release-content-image release-content-image--contained release-content-image--align-center\"\n        data-component=\"image-zoom-popup\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-selector=\".release-content-image__image\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-i18n=\"data:application/json;base64,eyJEb3dubG9hZCI6IkRvd25sb2FkIn0=\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-views-event=\"Story Image View\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-download-event=\"Story Image Download\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-placement=\"content\"\n    >\n        <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover\" style=\"width: 100%\">\n            <img\n                src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/a4e365cc-a429-4260-a2eb-3727510db264/-/format/auto/\"\n                                class=\"release-content-image__image image-thumbnail-rollover__image\"\n                data-description=\"Erin Henley &lt;em&gt;(tan blazer)&lt;/em&gt; spoke at Pittsburgh Robotics Network&amp;#039;s utility robotics &lt;br&gt;\u200bsummit in March, where she shared insights about safety and efficiency &lt;br&gt;\u200bmeasures when deploying robots near electrical infrastructure. \"\n                id=\"image-a4e365cc-a429-4260-a2eb-3727510db264\"\n                data-id=\"a4e365cc-a429-4260-a2eb-3727510db264\"\n                data-original=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/a4e365cc-a429-4260-a2eb-3727510db264/-/inline/no/Henley+-+Robotics+Panel.jpg\"\n                data-mfp-src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/a4e365cc-a429-4260-a2eb-3727510db264/-/format/auto/\"\n                alt=\"Erin Henley  (tan blazer)  spoke at Pittsburgh Robotics Network's utility robotics \nsummit in March, where she shared insights about safety and efficiency \nmeasures when deploying robots near electrical infrastructure. \"\n            />\n            <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover__caption\">\n                <svg class=\"icon icon-expand image-thumbnail-rollover__caption-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-expand\"></use>\n            </svg>            </div>\n        </div>\n\n        <figcaption class=\"release-content-image__caption\">Erin Henley <em>(tan blazer)</em> spoke at Pittsburgh Robotics Network&#039;s utility robotics <br>\u200bsummit in March, where she shared insights about safety and efficiency <br>\u200bmeasures when deploying robots near electrical infrastructure. </figcaption>\n    </figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Henley also founded DLC&rsquo;s &ldquo;Innovators Circle,&rdquo; a program that brings employees together to develop creative problem-solving skills and explore new ways to address business challenges across the organization. Through the initiative, she has helped foster a culture of curiosity, collaboration and continuous improvement. </p><blockquote style=\"text-align: left\">&ldquo;Innovation starts with people, not technology,&rdquo; Henley said. &ldquo;When innovation is grounded in the realities of the people doing the work, it becomes easier to identify and advance opportunities that create real, lasting improvements.&rdquo; </blockquote><p style=\"text-align: left\">Through both her technical expertise and commitment to developing others, Henley has become a leader both within and beyond DLC&rsquo;s innovation efforts. </p><blockquote style=\"text-align: left\">&quot;Erin is the definition of an innovator,&quot; said Velvet Gaston, manager of innovation. &quot;She leverages her creativity, curiosity and empathy to provide service to her DLC team members wherever she can.&quot;</blockquote><p style=\"text-align: left\">Henley serves as chair of UServe, DLC&#039;s employee resource group supporting veterans, first responders and their allies. She&rsquo;s also an all-source intelligence analyst in the Pennsylvania National Guard and is preparing for an upcoming overseas deployment. </p>\n    <figure\n        class=\"release-content-image release-content-image--contained release-content-image--align-center\"\n        data-component=\"image-zoom-popup\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-selector=\".release-content-image__image\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-i18n=\"data:application/json;base64,eyJEb3dubG9hZCI6IkRvd25sb2FkIn0=\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-views-event=\"Story Image View\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-download-event=\"Story Image Download\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-placement=\"content\"\n    >\n        <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover\" style=\"width: 100%\">\n            <img\n                src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/a070c288-ab91-474a-8149-5f38511a618a/-/crop/3024x2352/0,634/-/preview/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                                    srcset=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/a070c288-ab91-474a-8149-5f38511a618a/-/crop/3024x2352/0,634/-/preview/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/ 1x, https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/a070c288-ab91-474a-8149-5f38511a618a/-/crop/3024x2352/0,634/-/preview/-/resize/2400x/-/format/auto/ 2x\"\n                                class=\"release-content-image__image image-thumbnail-rollover__image\"\n                data-description=\"All-Source Intelligence Analyst Erin Henley &lt;em&gt;(center), &lt;/em&gt;U.S. Army National Guard, Pennsylvania, &lt;br&gt;\u200breceives an award for her performance during a successful June 2025 military training exercise. \"\n                id=\"image-a070c288-ab91-474a-8149-5f38511a618a\"\n                data-id=\"a070c288-ab91-474a-8149-5f38511a618a\"\n                data-original=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/a070c288-ab91-474a-8149-5f38511a618a/-/crop/3024x2352/0,634/-/preview/-/inline/no/Henley+-+Training+Exercise.jpeg\"\n                data-mfp-src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/a070c288-ab91-474a-8149-5f38511a618a/-/crop/3024x2352/0,634/-/preview/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                alt=\"All-Source Intelligence Analyst Erin Henley  (center),  U.S. Army National Guard, Pennsylvania, \nreceives an award for her performance during a successful June 2025 military training exercise. \"\n            />\n            <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover__caption\">\n                <svg class=\"icon icon-expand image-thumbnail-rollover__caption-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-expand\"></use>\n            </svg>            </div>\n        </div>\n\n        <figcaption class=\"release-content-image__caption\">All-Source Intelligence Analyst Erin Henley <em>(center), </em>U.S. Army National Guard, Pennsylvania, <br>\u200breceives an award for her performance during a successful June 2025 military training exercise. </figcaption>\n    </figure>\n<blockquote style=\"text-align: left\">&ldquo;The people who create the greatest impact aren&rsquo;t always those with the highest rank, title or position,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Positive change doesn&rsquo;t require authority, and you don&rsquo;t have to wait for someone else to create it. You can be a part of creating it yourself.&rdquo; \u200b \u200b </blockquote><p style=\"text-align: left\">Henley&#039;s recognition underscores DLC&rsquo;s commitment to innovation, leadership and service, and reflects how employees across the company are helping shape the future of energy while strengthening the communities we serve. </p><p>&nbsp;</p>",
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