| 2023 Business Plan and Budget | | https://rfirst.org/2023-business-plan-and-budget | 2023 Business Plan and Budget | | <p><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">Dear Members and Registered Entities:</span></p><p><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">On April 28, 2022, the Board of Directors approved the ReliabilityFirst Corporation's 2023 Business Plan and Budget, Draft, Version 1, for publication for 30 day industry comment and release to NERC.</span></p><p><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">Annually, the Regions are required to develop their Business Plan and Budget (BP&B) for the following year to provide adequate time for the Regional Boards, the NERC Board, and FERC to each approve the documents in succession. NERC and the Regions developed a set of strategic and operating objectives in order to develop their individual BP&B with a common foundation. These strategic and operating objectives are set forth in the ERO Enterprise Long Term Strategy. Any unique objectives that apply only to ReliabilityFirst are expressly noted in the BP&B. In developing the 2023 BP&B, management considered the common assumptions, conducted manpower analyses, considered efficiency gains attributable to new processes and maturing systems, and examined projected future workloads.</span></p><p><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">Highlights of the proposed 2023 BP&B (compared to the 2022 BP&B) are as follows:</span></p><ul style="list-style-type:disc;"><li><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">An overall increase in the budget of 6.7% or $1,755,493 </span></li><li><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">An increase in total personnel expenses of 5.2% or $1,165,673 </span></li><li><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">A increase in operating and fixed asset expenses of 15% or $589,820</span></li><li><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">The addition of 2 FTEs </span></li><li><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">An overall increase in assessments to Load Serving Entities of 5% or <span style=""><font color="#000000">$1,078,724</font></span></span></li><li><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">Operating Reserve of $1,000,000, consistent with 2022 level </span></li></ul><p><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">Please review the <a href="/about/publicreports/Public%20Reports/2023%20Business%20Plan%20and%20Budget%20Document_FIRST%20DRAFT.pdf"><span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-6-0 ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">2023 BP&B</span> </a>and provide any comments to <a href="mailto:carol.baskey@rfirst.org"><u class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1"><span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-6-0 ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;">Carol Baskey</span>.</u></a></span></p> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2022-04-28T04:00:00.0000000Z |
| ReliabilityFirst Honors Former NERC CEO Michehl R. Gent | | https://rfirst.org/reliabilityfirst-honors-former-nerc-ceo-michehl-r-gent | ReliabilityFirst Honors Former NERC CEO Michehl R. Gent | | <font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="background:white;color:black;">The RF team mourns
the passing of Michehl R. Gent on February 1, 2022. He was the longest
tenured CEO of NERC, serving the organization and industry from 1980-2005, and he
initiated the important shift from a voluntary reliability organization to one
with mandatory standards and enforcement. </span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="background:white;color:black;"> </span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="background:white;color:black;">Gent had the
foresight to establish the Electric Sector Information Sharing and Analysis
Center, and, under his leadership, NERC began its strong focus on cyber and
critical infrastructure protection. NERC changed the center’s name to the
Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center in 2015. In addition to his
dedication to building NERC into the successful organization it is today, he also
served on the Board of Directors for Electric Reliability Council of Texas
(ERCOT) for many years.</span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1"><font color="#000000"> </font></span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1"><font color="#000000">“Mike was an outstanding
and visionary advocate for electric system reliability throughout his career,”
said Tim Gallagher, RF President and CEO. “He also was a strong leader, friend
and mentor to me when I was fortunate enough to work for him on the NERC staff.
I learned so much from Mike and owe the successes I have enjoyed during my
career in large part to him. The industry has lost a great friend.”</font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2022-02-03T05:00:00.0000000Z |
| Welcome Sr. Director, Corporate Services, Beth Dowdell | | https://rfirst.org/welcome-sr-director-corporate-services-beth-dowdell | Welcome Sr. Director, Corporate Services, Beth Dowdell | | <p></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">RF is thrilled to welcome Beth Dowdell as the new Senior
Director of Corporate Services. In this role, she will oversee the Human
Resources, Finance and Information Technology teams, as well as spearhead and
implement high-value strategic initiatives for the organization. </font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Beth’s thoughtful leadership and change management skills
will support succession planning, talent assessment, corporate goal setting,
business and strategic plans, as well as financial projections, analysis and
budget planning. She has more than 15 years of management experience leading
high performing teams in high growth companies. She has developed
strategies to improve productivity while meeting operating and fiscal
targets. </font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Prior to RF, she was the Senior Director of Operations at American
Endowment Foundation where she drove efficiency through process improvement and
automation, created KPIs and standardized reporting and mentored other
leaders. Before that role, she was the Vice President of Operations then
Vice President of Enterprise Products at Asurint. Within those roles she led multiple
teams focusing on employee development, improving efficiency through technology
and product development. </font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Beth has a Bachelor of Science degree in
Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. </font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1" id="ms-rterangepaste-end"></span> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2022-01-27T05:00:00.0000000Z |
| Larry Bugh Retires from RF | | https://rfirst.org/larry-bugh-retires-from-rf | Larry Bugh Retires from RF | | <font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style=""><font color="#000000">The RF team would like to extend our
heartfelt congratulations to Larry Bugh on his retirement! After 15 years at RF
and nearly 50 in our industry, Larry is retiring as the Chief Security Officer,
and his steadfast leadership has made him a valuable pillar of our executive
team.</font></span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style=""><font color="#000000"> </font></span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1"><font color="#000000"><span style="">Larry has held various positions at RF
and also has the important role of staff liaison for the RF Critical
Infrastructure Protection Committee (CIPC). Larry has been a key contributor </span><span style="">and planner for each of the
industry-wide GridEx exercises. He is routinely sought out by NERC for guidance
on security matters, the latest being asked to help author the ERO-wide Crisis
Action Response Plan. </span><span style="">Additionally,
Larry has led RF’s Pandemic Response Team (PRT) since March 2020 to ensure the
health and safety of staff, ERO and Entity personnel and our stakeholders
remains a top priority. </span></font></font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style=""><font color="#000000"> </font></span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style=""><font color="#000000">One of the many notable aspects of his
career is his role in the first-ever approved NERC Reliability Standard. Larry
was the chairperson for the Standard Drafting Team for Version 1 of the Cyber
Security Standards (CIP-002 thru CIP-009), the Version 1 Violation Severity
Levels, Version 2 Violation Severity levels and Violation Risk Factors, and the
Order 706B Implementation plan. He also participated in drafting the Urgent
Action Cyber Security Standard (1200).</font></span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style=""><font color="#000000"> </font></span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style=""><font color="#000000">“Larry has been an outstanding and
steadfast contributor to the reliability and security of our industry his
entire career,” said Tim Gallagher, RF President and CEO. “His quest to learn, ability
to stay current, energy level and work ethic are so very impressive, and he
served our country with honor and distinction as a member of our armed forces.
Larry, thank you for all you have done for me and RF, our industry and our
country. RF and our industry are losing a true friend. My very best wishes to
you in retirement.”</font></span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style=""><font color="#000000"> </font></span></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;"><font face="Arial"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="">Larry began his career in the planning
department for Ohio Edison, and prior to RF, he served as Manager, Information
Technology for ECAR. He holds an Associate degree in Electrical Engineering
from Kent State University and a BA in Business Management from Malone College.
He is a graduate of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy and </span><span style=""><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1">served our country for many
years with distinction in the Army National Guard</span>.</span></font></font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2021-12-15T05:00:00.0000000Z |
| RF Welcomes Chief Security Officer Marcus Noel | | https://rfirst.org/rf-welcomes-chief-security-officer-marcus-noel | RF Welcomes Chief Security Officer Marcus Noel | | <font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">As an integral part of ReliabilityFirst’s (RF) continued
dedication to security, the organization is pleased to welcome Marcus Noel as
the new Chief Security Officer (CSO). In this role, he is responsible for establishing
and maintaining the organization’s cybersecurity and physical security
management program to ensure that information and physical assets are
adequately protected. Additionally, he will manage the critical task of
elevating industry relationships to understand, address and communicate emerging
threats and security trends.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Previously, Noel spent 10 years at FirstEnergy Corp. where
he worked on the Cybersecurity Governance Team, the Security Operations Center,
Security Technologies, and ultimately served as Manager of the Cybersecurity
Organization. Prior to FirstEnergy, he worked in cybersecurity at PNC Bank and
Cuyahoga Community College.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">“We are thrilled for Marcus to join the RF team,” said
president & CEO, Tim Gallagher. “The CSO role is more important now than
ever due to the rapidly and constantly evolving threat landscape in the
electric utility sector. I’m confident his leadership in strategic and tactical
matters will allow us to successfully maintain and improve our security posture
and framework.”</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Noel is a graduate of Bryant & Stratton College with an
associate degree in Accounting, Baldwin-Wallace University with a bachelor’s
degree in Business Administration, and Cleveland State University with a master’s
in Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate in Law. He has held the
Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification since 2009.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">He will succeed current CSO, Larry Bugh, who will retire at
the end of this year.</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2021-11-22T05:00:00.0000000Z |
| RF Welcomes New Independent Board Directors | | https://rfirst.org/rf-welcomes-new-independent-board-directors | RF Welcomes New Independent Board Directors | | <p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">ReliabilityFirst (RF) is pleased to welcome Joanna Burkey
and Courtney Geduldig to its Board of Directors. Burkey, Chief Information
Security Officer (CISO) at HP, Inc., and Geduldig, Chief Public &
Government Affairs Officer at S&P Global, will begin their Independent
Director service at the upcoming ReliabilityFirst board meeting June 16-17.</font></font><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">“We are excited to welcome Joanna and Courtney to the Board,”
said RF Board Chair, Simon Whitelocke. “Joanna’s impressive cybersecurity
background and Courtney’s broad and deep government and policy experience bring
additional expertise to the Board in two critical areas. This expertise
combined with the unique perspectives they bring as dynamic and accomplished
leaders in industries outside the utility sector will help RF continue to grow
and improve as an organization, as well as achieve its mission of preserving
and enhancing the reliability and security of the bulk power system.”</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Burkey currently leads global cybersecurity efforts for HP,
Inc. where she is responsible for the organization’s cybersecurity program,
including IT infrastructure, technology platforms and business units. Burkey returned
to HP in April 2020 after several years in Germany with Siemens AG where she
was most recently the Global Head for Cyber Defense responsible for
cybersecurity defense across IT/OT infrastructure, as well as products,
solutions and services. She is a publicly recognized thought leader and speaker
who is passionate about growing diversity throughout technology roles.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Geduldig currently leads Public Affairs as a strategic
advisor for S&P Global, a global
data, analytics and intelligence provider to the capital and commodities
markets. She has led
communications, public relations, media, corporate responsibility, and brand
marketing for the company. She has served on the Enterprise Risk Management
Committee and Chaired the S&P Global Foundation and the S&P Global PAC
during her time with the company. As a former staffer for Senator Bob Corker,
and previously a Bush appointee in the U.S. Treasury, Geduldig has spent
significant time in the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal
government.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">The Carter Baldwin Executive Search firm, led by Chris Guiney,
assisted RF in finding a diverse slate of senior executives from outside the utility
industry to consider for these critical Independent Director roles.</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2021-05-20T04:00:00.0000000Z |
| NERC, ERO Extend Expanded Self-Logging and On-site Activity Deferment Through Q4 2021 | | https://rfirst.org/nerc-ero-extend-expanded-self-logging-and-on-site-activity-deferment-through-q4-2021 | NERC, ERO Extend Expanded Self-Logging and On-site Activity Deferment Through Q4 2021 | | <font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">On May 10, 2021, the ERO released </font><a href="https://www.nerc.com/news/Pages/ERO-Enterprise-Issues-Extension-of-Self-Logging-Program-Expansion-and-Deferment-of-On-Site-Activities.aspx"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;"><font color="#0563c1">guidance</font></span></a><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000"> that
it is further extending expanded self-logging and on-site activity deferment
until December 31, 2021. For additional guidance on the expanded self-logging
process, please see our </font><a href="/reliabilityfirst-granted-additional-discretion-for-standards-impacted-by-covid-19"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;"><font color="#0563c1">prior
announcement</font></span></a><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">. The expanded self-logging process was created to lighten the
administrative burden of entities for noncompliances posing only a minimal or
moderate risk and resulting from impacts related to COVID-19.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Thank you for your dedication to ensuring the health and
safety of your employees and communities, as well as the continued reliability
and security of the ReliabilityFirst Region.<br>
<br>
If you have other questions or concerns regarding the coronavirus outbreak that
are not related to this regulatory discretion, please use the </font><a href="/Pages/Contact%20Us.aspx"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;"><font color="#0563c1">Contact Us</font></span></a><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000"> page.
Choose “COVID-19" as the Area and “Updates - COVID-19" as the Topic.</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2021-05-11T04:00:00.0000000Z |
| RF Director Larry Irving Elected to NERC Board of Directors | | https://rfirst.org/rf-director-larry-irving-elected-to-nerc-board-of-directors | RF Director Larry Irving Elected to NERC Board of Directors | | <p><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" id="ms-rterangepaste-start"></span><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
<font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">ReliabilityFirst (RF) is pleased to congratulate Larry
Irving on being elected to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation
(NERC) Board of Directors. To serve the industry in this new role, he will step
down from his current position on RF’s Board of Directors.</font></font><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Irving is one of the founding RF Directors having joined at
the organization’s inception in 2006. His exemplary leadership and commitment
to RF’s mission of ensuring a safe and reliable electric grid are appreciated
by all who have the privilege of working with him. As a member of the NERC
Board, the ERO Enterprise and industry overall will benefit further from
Irving’s expertise and knowledge, and the RF team looks forward to continued
collaboration with him.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">“I can think of no higher praise to bestow on anyone than my
thoughts about Larry: you are a better person after spending time with him,”
said Tim Gallagher, RF president and CEO. “He is one of those very rare people
who makes a positive and lasting impression on everyone he meets, and his
leadership has been instrumental in making our organization what it is today.
The entire RF team will miss him terribly, but we are so very humbled and proud
to lose him to a great organization like NERC.”</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Among his many impressive accomplishments, Irving was the
first African-American inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame for his tireless
efforts and groundbreaking research to address the digital divide – a term he
is widely credited with coining. He continues his important advocacy work today
and is a strong voice for students lacking the internet access needed for
virtual education during the pandemic. </font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">He is currently the president and CEO of the Irving Group,
an international telecommunications and information technology consulting firm,
and his career spans executive roles in the private sector, as well as
government positions. Irving served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information and Administrator of the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). In addition to his
work on domestic and international telecommunications and information
technology issues, he was one of the principal architects and advocates of the
Clinton Administration's successful efforts to reform US telecommunications
laws, which resulted in passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Irving also serves on the boards of directors of Education
Networks of America, the American Australian Council and the Texas
Tribune. He is president of Northwestern University's Alumni Association
and is a member of Northwestern's Board of Trustees. Additionally, he is a
member of the Boards of Visitors of Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and
Sciences and Stanford Law School. </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2021-02-04T05:00:00.0000000Z |
| NERC, ERO Extend Expanded Self-Logging and On-site Activity Deferment Through Q2 2021 | | https://rfirst.org/nerc-ero-extend-expanded-self-logging-and-on-site-activity-deferment-through-q2-2021 | NERC, ERO Extend Expanded Self-Logging and On-site Activity Deferment Through Q2 2021 | | <font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">On January 6, 2021, the ERO released </font><a href="https://www.nerc.com/news/Pages/ERO-Enterprise-Further-Extends-Self-Logging-Program-Expansion-and-Deferment-of-On-Site-Activities-Through-Mid-2021.aspx"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;"><font color="#0563c1">guidance</font></span></a><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000"> that
it is further extending expanded self-logging and on-site activity deferment
until the end of Q2 2021. For additional guidance on the expanded self-logging
process, please see our </font><a href="/reliabilityfirst-granted-additional-discretion-for-standards-impacted-by-covid-19"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;"><font color="#0563c1">prior
announcement</font></span></a><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">. The expanded self-logging process was created to lighten the
administrative burden of entities for noncompliances posing only a minimal or
moderate risk and resulting from impacts related to COVID-19.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Thank you for your dedication to ensuring the health and
safety of your employees and communities, as well as the continued reliability
and security of the ReliabilityFirst Region.
</font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">If you have other questions or concerns regarding the coronavirus outbreak that
are not related to this regulatory discretion, please use the </font><a href="/Pages/Contact%20Us.aspx"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;"><font color="#0563c1">Contact Us</font></span></a><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1"> page.
Choose “COVID-19" as the Area and “Updates - COVID-19" as the Topic</span>.</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2021-01-07T05:00:00.0000000Z |
| NERC, ERO Further Extend Expanded Self-Logging and On-site Activity Deferment | | https://rfirst.org/nerc-ero-further-extend-expanded-self-logging-and-on-site-activity-deferment | NERC, ERO Further Extend Expanded Self-Logging and On-site Activity Deferment | | <font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">On October 27, 2020, the ERO released </font><a href="https://www.nerc.com/news/Pages/ERO-Enterprise-Further-Extends-Self-Logging-Program-Expansion-and-Deferment-of-On-Site-Activities.aspx"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;"><font color="#0563c1">guidance</font></span></a><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000"> that
it is further extending expanded self-logging and on-site activity deferment
until the end of Q1 2021. For additional guidance on the expanded self-logging
process, please click </font><a href="/reliabilityfirst-granted-additional-discretion-for-standards-impacted-by-covid-19"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;"><font color="#0563c1">here</font></span></a><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
for our prior announcement. The expanded self-logging process was created to
lighten the administrative burden of entities for noncompliances posing only a
minimal or moderate risk and resulting from impacts related to COVID-19.</font></p><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">Thank you for your dedication to ensuring the health and
safety of your employees and communities, as well as the continued reliability
and security of the ReliabilityFirst Region.</font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;"><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000">
If you have other questions or concerns regarding the coronavirus outbreak that
are not related to this regulatory discretion, please use the </font><a href="/Pages/Contact%20Us.aspx"><span class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" style="text-decoration:underline;"><font color="#0563c1">Contact Us</font></span></a><font class="ms-rteFontFace-1 ms-rteFontSize-1" color="#000000"> page.
Choose “COVID-19" as the Area and “Updates - COVID-19" as the Topic.</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font> | aspx | 0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D0093A70D41E916EA45B5172B8FDD4B3EFA00F578CE634144CA46817471FA34146B93 | | | 2020-11-19T05:00:00.0000000Z |