Jaclyn Cantler
Jaclyn Cantler, Senior Vice President of Government, Regulatory and External Affairs
Powering Communities by Putting People First
In an industry often defined by infrastructure, one South Jersey leader is putting people first – driving energy efficiency, customer relief and workforce opportunities across the region.
Jaclyn Cantler, senior vice president, Government, Regulatory and External Affairs for New Jersey and Delaware at Pepco Holdings, a subsidiary of Exelon, has spent more than two decades growing up alongside the company she now helps lead.
“Over the last 10 years, our proactive investments have led to real, tangible results”
Starting as an electrical engineering intern, Cantler steadily moved through engineering, operations, transmission and distribution – eventually leading large-scale teams responsible for keeping the lights on. Today, her role sits on the opposite side of the business, shaping policy and external strategy. “I have the opportunity to shape and develop policy focused on making life better for the customers and the communities we serve,” she says.
Cantler’s connection to the region is personal. “My family has been an Atlantic City Electric customer forever,” she says, “so it’s important to me to be able to impact what we’re doing in our communities and for our customers.”
At the heart of that work is a growing urgency around affordability. “If you turn on the news or talk with friends and family, everyone is focused on affordability,” she says. “That reality has shaped both my daily priorities and the broader strategy behind the Exelon Promise initiative.”
Part of that promise is Atlantic City Electric’s Customer Relief Fund. “We asked ourselves, ‘What can we do to make a real difference?’” she says. The answer: millions of dollars in direct assistance. “To date, we’ve provided more than $3.1 million, which has helped over 6,800 customers in South Jersey.”
But for Cantler, support goes beyond immediate relief – she wants to be a part of teaching customers how to use less energy, not more. We want to make a difference in our communities and our environment, and we’re putting action behind our words,” she says. “We offer energy efficiency programs where we can come into a customer’s home, assess appliances and provide weatherization tips to help reduce energy use. These initiatives not only lower bills but empower customers to take control of their energy consumption.”
That same forward-looking mindset extends to workforce development, an area she calls really critical to both the company and the region. Recent efforts include the launch of the South Jersey “Get Into Energy” program, an apprenticeship initiative designed to prepare residents for high-demand HVAC careers. “It’s really just one example of our broader commitment to workforce readiness and economic development,” she says. The program, alongside STEM initiatives and scholarship opportunities, reflects a pipeline approach – from early education to long-term careers.
Reliability, too, remains the backbone of Cantler’s work. “Over the last 10 years, our proactive investments have led to real, tangible results,” she says. “The frequency of outages has decreased by 43%. Even in the face of severe weather, the system has performed strongly – proof that long-term investments are paying off. That doesn’t happen by accident.”
For Cantler, those results are not just about infrastructure – they reflect the leadership mindset she has carried throughout her career.
“I really take pride in being an example,” she says. “I never shied away from being in a nontraditional role – in fact, I saw it as an opportunity and a challenge.”
For Cantler, leadership is ultimately about impact – on customers, communities and the next generation. “When you can tie all of that to real, everyday impact in the community, it makes it even more meaningful,” she says.
