Activism

20-Year PG&E Employee Has a Big Heart for Customers, Community

As a customer success manager, Adrienne supports her coworkers who work with large agricultural and industrial customers. When someone has a billing issue that’s been escalated by an account manager, Adrienne works to “resolve these concerns before they become bigger issues.”

Published

8 months ago

January 25, 2026

Oakland Post

PHoto Courtesy PG&E.

By Tony Khing

Adrienne Shelton has a way of putting herself in others’ shoes.

As a PG&E employee recently marking 20 years with the company, she works to resolve billing issues with large customers. In her hometown of Oakland, she’s on the lookout for ways to make a difference, volunteering at her church, her kid’s school, and as she says, “just anywhere.”

If anyone’s looking for an example of being empathetic, look no further.

‘Our customers come first’

Recently, PG&E changed the billing format for customers who are manually billed. In the past, they got two bills: one that summarized everything and one that was more detailed and broke down the various billing components. The new format has everything on one bill.

“Some of our customers create internal reports based on how we presented the information,” said Adrienne. “But now, they’re not seeing the detail as they had in the past. They’ve had problems reconciling their books. Change can be hard. They’re used to seeing things in a certain way.

“I put myself in their shoes,” she added. “I ask myself what would make me satisfied? I make sure our customers come first.”

Besides being empathetic, Adrienne consistently shows characteristics valued at PG&E: tenacity, curiosity, and ownership.

“Much of my role involves encouraging people to accomplish tasks and working with internal partners to implement changes,” said Adrienne. “For example, I might say, ‘This customer requires their information formatted in a certain way. Even if only a few customers need this, it’s essential for them to balance their numbers and keep their businesses running.’

“I reach out to anyone necessary to ensure we can implement the change, and I don’t accept ‘no’ easily,” she continued. “I’ll escalate the issue as far as possible until I determine it truly can’t be done.”

Adrienne enjoys solving problems. When a customer explains their needs, she views it as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

“That’s part of why I enjoy my job,” she explained. “Each day brings something different, and we get to work out how to find solutions.”

Making a difference in the community

Not only does Adrienne practice being empathetic at work, but she also brings that trait to her community in Oakland.

“My church has a feeding ministry that feeds the community twice a week,” said Adrienne. “I go as often as I can. For Thanksgiving, I took my kids and family and we served dinner to the homeless.”

Adrienne has also been a member of the company’s Black Employee Resource Group for 19 of her 20 years. This past year, one of her ERG responsibilities was supporting the scholarship program, which provides awards to college-bound students.

“The students are very appreciative when they get their scholarship checks and have someone follow up with them,” she said. “It’s important to make a difference in their lives.”

Perhaps Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud of Adrienne, who honors his legacy by making service a part of her life—not just for one day, but every day. On Jan. 19, Adrienne and her family will take the Celebration Train from San Jose to San Francisco and then participate in the annual march through the city to honor King’s birthday.

Her motivation is deeply personal. Her father grew up in segregated Arkansas, and his stories shaped her understanding of resilience, justice, and gratitude.

“It’s important for my kids to know their history and how fortunate we are to be in this time and place,” she said. “We’re so blessed to have many of the things we have. It’s important we don’t take any of that for granted.”

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Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

Published

2 days ago

September 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Post News Group

Dawna Williams, EOBA executive director speaks to attendees at the Black August Eperience on Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Flynn of EOBA.

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.