MELISSA SEIXAS

PRESIDENT, DUKE ENERGY FLORIDA, ST. PETERSBURG

Duke Energy Florida serves 2 million retail customers and more than 4 million people in 35 counties. It has about 3,700 employees. Seixas has nearly 40 years of service with Duke since starting at the operations center at age 19, when she worked part-time drawing maps of poles and wires that serve customers. She has been president of the company since 2021.

EDUCATION: Eckerd College (BA), University of South Florida (MA)

SOMETHING SURPRISING: My mother was born deep in the Amazon interior of Brazil. One of nine children, she arrived in the U.S. at 19 to work as a maid. My father was a U.S. Army Colonel and an attorney. My mom gave me a love for cooking, music and people. From my dad, I inherited a passion for history. Living in a home with two vastly different parents, I quickly learned that no two backgrounds are the same.

PASSION PROJECT: My goal is to read 50 books a year of any genre. ... I’ve also started making candles a few years ago and enjoy giving them as gifts.

INDUSTRY TREND: Duke Energy is executing the largest clean energy transition while preserving affordability and reliability. We have already delivered 1,470 megawatts of solar in Florida across 20 solar energy sites.