Pepco Region President Amber Perry offered UDC students a candid message about resilience, service and the importance of embracing unexpected opportunities during the university’s “Speaking Potential into Power” event Sept. 16 at the Van Ness Campus.
“I got here through resilience and grit,” Perry told the audience gathered in the Windows Lounge.
Akilah Hanson, a senior accounting and finance major from Portland, Jamaica, welcomed Perry and guests. SGA President Toluwalase Adetosoye, a senior civil engineering major from Prince George’s County, Maryland, and SGA Treasurer Joshua Copeland, a junior mechanical engineering major from Bowie, Maryland, moderated the conversation.
For Adetosoye, Perry’s visit carried personal significance. The civil engineering student from Bowie, Maryland, has received academic support, career mentorship and professional development through the Pepco Power Scholars program since 2023.
“Having you here today means a great deal to me,” Adetosoye told Perry. “Your advice about staying adaptable, taking on challenges and finding ways to make an impact is something I will carry with me.”
Perry’s path to leadership, she explained, was not a straight one. She said she had always expected to become an engineer and began college studying engineering before ultimately changing course. She later earned her degree in finance from Howard University and began her career in the corporate sector.
As she moved forward professionally, Perry distinguished herself by accepting difficult assignments and approaching each role as an opportunity to learn.
“I took jobs that no one else wanted,” she said. “I’ve been thrown into a lot of challenging roles.”
Those experiences prepared Perry to lead through uncertainty and reinforced a lesson that became a recurring theme throughout her career: “Learn beyond the immediate assignment.”
Today, as Pepco region president, Perry is responsible for shaping, leading and executing state and external affairs strategies across the company’s District of Columbia and Maryland service areas. Her work includes strengthening relationships with elected officials and civic, community and business leaders.
Perry said she is drawn to opportunities that allow her to drive change and make an impact. She also spoke warmly about her work with Pepco and its parent company, Exelon, and emphasized the importance of the company’s continued relationship with UDC.
“UDC is a premier university that we want to continue to partner with,” Perry said.
Pepco has contributed more than $2 million to UDC over the past three years, Perry said, reflecting the company’s investment in education, workforce development and opportunities for students.
“Amber Perry reminded our students that potential is only the beginning,” said UDC President Maurice D. Edington. “By bringing leaders like her to UDC to speak honestly about their journeys, we are also speaking potential into power. We appreciate Pepco’s continued investment in our university and our students.”
Throughout the conversation, Perry connected her professional accomplishments to the values she learned growing up. Raised by a single mother and deeply influenced by her grandmother, she spoke about the challenges her family faced as well as the encouragement she received from the two women who consistently affirmed her abilities.
“My mother and grandmother instilled in me a sense of giving back to the community,” she said. “My family never let me disconnect from my community.”
Those early experiences helped shape Perry’s commitment to children and education. She said she has always gravitated toward helping young people, including through her involvement with STEM Gems, which encourages students to explore opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Perry urged students to use their time at UDC to explore, learn and prepare for the demands they will encounter after graduation.
“Use your time at UDC as your sandbox,” she said. “Life will push you, and this university will prepare you.”
Her advice was both practical and direct.
“Ask questions. Be visible at all times. Adapt to change,” Perry said. “Be planful in your studies, internships and first role, but be adaptable.”
She encouraged students not to limit themselves to the duties listed in a job description or wait for someone else to recognize what they can contribute. Instead, she advised them to remain curious, take initiative and seek places where their talents can make a difference.
“Look for opportunities where you can add value and make an impact,” she said. “Find the thing that you have a passion for and never let go.”
“Speaking Potential into Power” convenes student leaders, university leadership, faculty, current students, alumni and invited guests for timely conversations about leadership, governance, education and business. The series highlights UDC’s role as a driver of innovation, opportunity and impact.
Before the conversation concluded, Perry reminded the students that their potential extended well beyond the university and that many of them would eventually assume positions of significant responsibility.
“A lot of you will go forward in life and be major leaders,” she said.
When asked how students could turn their potential into power, Perry offered a final piece of advice that reflected the persistence behind her own journey:
“By never letting a door close.”