Deborah Owen’s path is centered on community involvement and making a difference as the Executive Director of Customer Service for NIPSCO (Northern Indiana Public Service Company).
“As the Executive Director of Customer Service, I lead roughly 450 passionate employees who serve their communities on a daily basis. We are all in the people business and we make sure to improve our listening skills as well as our passion to provide the highest forms of service. What I hope to see in the near future is a partnership with businesses and community leaders to hear more voices in our service territories,” Owen said.
Prior to applying at NIPSCO, Owen spent thirteen years working for Bank One which introduced her to the intricacies of the banking industry.
“I graduated from Hobart High School in 1978 and began my professional background at Bank One; I worked assorted roles at various branch offices and also gained experience on commercial lending. In 1991, I decided to apply for a transportation clerk position at NIPSCO and since then I have been working in the Northern Indiana public service industry,” Owen said.
As a clerk, Owen made sure her fellow employees had up-to-date, reliable vehicles for use on the job. In 1995, she took a position at NIPSCO’s R.M. Schahfer Generating Station in Wheatfield, supervising the clerical work force and managing pay rolls; because of her hard work, there were even more possibilities on the horizon.
“A customer service position as a quality assurance coordinator opened up in 2000. I then set out in 2009 to lead NIPSCO’s customer team,” Owen said.
Through NIPSCO, Owen has been active in many types of leadership training and development programs. NiSource, NIPSCO’s parent company, created a developmental program called DAWN, Developing and Advancing Women at NiSource, to “further enlighten and empower women through a healthy environment which attracts, retains, and promotes women.” (To see more about Employee Resource Groups that NiSource provides, please go to http://www.nisource.com/en/about-us/inclusion-and-diversity/employee/employee-resource-groups.aspx)
Owen has also received her Call Center Management Certification from Purdue North Central which provides knowledge on how to run a 24-hour phone center, what technology platforms are required, and how to optimize staffing. She is also a graduate of Leadership Northwest Indiana, an organization which helps community leaders get more involved with those whom they serve and also learn about the region.
One of the many customer service improvements Owen has helped usher in was the development of NIPSCO’s mobile website. The goal of the site is to provide features that are accessed quickly and easily by the public. This customer option continues to prove useful to NIPSCO customers and has provided a essential platform in sharing much needed information on power outages.
When she is not making a difference at work, Owen enjoys time with her funny and admirable husband of 34 years, Chuck, her three children, and her four beautiful grandchildren. In her spare time, she takes motorcycle trips with her husband, Brenda Bow (Manager of Meter Reading, NIPSCO), and Saundra Taylor (Director of Electric Operations, NIPSCO).
Owen also belongs to the DeMotte Chamber of Commerce because she loves staying involved with what is happening in her home community.
In closing, Owen shared what she is looking forward to most in the future:
“Everyone at NIPSCO will continue to provide safe, reliable service and quality expertise for our customers; we will make sure to deliver exactly what our communities need, which includes the latest and greatest technology platforms. For my personal life, I will continue to balance my duties at work and home—including trying to spend more quality time with my husband, our children, and their families,” Owen said.