John Canale is on a leadership journey that has led him to strategic supply management for the diversified New York Power Authority. His focus is on always improving and protecting state communities and their people.

Every effective leader develops skills that are the sum of their life and work experiences. For John Canale, Senior Vice President for Strategic Supply Management at the New York Power Authority (NYPA), his path to leadership and the leadership style he uses traces back to his father, who started as a union bricklayer and later founded a construction company. The values and work ethic instilled by his father have significantly shaped John's leadership style, which is characterized by a deep desire to benefit entrepreneurs, small businesses, and communities. Now leading the NYPA Supply Management function, John has proven his determination to fulfill that desire through strategic innovation, creative thinking, and remarkable inclusion achievements.

Evolving Leadership Skills and Suppliers

A deep commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workforce defines John's leadership journey. He acknowledges that the prime motivation for his generation when entering the workforce was collecting paychecks. However, he also recognizes the need for a shift in leadership style. “When I was younger, many managers used fear to manage. In today's world, you can't manage like that anymore. People left the job market in droves during the COVID pandemic, and now we need to develop a strategy and philosophy that makes people want to work for the employer of their choice. They want a safe space for conversation and assurance they can bring their true selves to work.” John's leadership style bridges the gap between leading with fear and fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion.

John’s life and work experiences have uniquely positioned him to apply his knowledge and expertise at the NYPA to meet his supplier diversity goals. The NYPA’s utility work is highly specialized, and John works through large contractors to promote supplier diversity. He communicates the NYPA's goals and suppliers’ role in helping the NYPA achieve them. John has also developed several programs to build supply chain capacity, ensuring the sustainability of MWBEs and service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses (SDVOBs) in the supply chain. “Our goal is to bring small, diverse-owned businesses through a journey with a focus on economic development, helping them get certified as an MWBE or SDVOB and eventually compete as a prime contractor instead of a subcontractor,” explains John.

One key program John has developed is a mentor-protégé program, which pairs world-class prime contractors with small, diverse firms. This program has been instrumental in helping small companies overcome one of their biggest challenges: surety capacity. Suppliers must be able to get bonded for the contract's total value. The mentor-protégé programs provide smaller construction firms with the education, training, and one-on-one financial management guidance needed to get them to the point of qualifying for higher surety bonding levels. As John reports, “We're very excited about our small and local business capacity-building program. We've had well over 100 suppliers go through that program, and they are migrating from the small business area to MWB certification and ultimately to prime contractor status.”

Analog Engineer in a Digital World

Another challenge John manages is balancing technology use with suppliers' capabilities. While technology is good, he feels companies should not overuse it and potentially exclude suppliers that supply chains should include because they can make a positive impact on economic development. For example, if the bidding platform is too complex, competitive suppliers will not participate. This is also related to the need to make contractors aware of the NYPA’s work opportunities. Attracting suppliers to the bidding process begins with increasing awareness of projects. “We have job fairs and other specific supplier events where we will bring business units in and review the portfolio of work on the horizon. We've got a robust capital plan over the next 10 years that we'd like to share with the supply chain so that suppliers know the type and amount of work we’re doing. It’s partially a sales job because we must inspire the suppliers to want to work with us.” John vividly remembers the struggles his father’s small business went through and that some SMEs spend days, weeks, or even months preparing bid responses. Some spend hundreds of 1000s of dollars putting these proposals together, so it is important to reciprocate that effort with a user-friendly supplier interfaces and bid platforms.

Aha Moments for a Continuous Learner

John's journey at the NYPA began with his first role as a level two mechanical engineer. He eventually became the Director of Mechanical Engineering. Interested in applying for a VP position, he was told Executive Management Committee members were unfamiliar with his work, which meant he was not yet ready to pursue the position. Instead of being discouraged, John asked, point blank, what he needed to do. Working with his senior manager, they put together a roadmap that led to his current position.

As a part of that process, John was encouraged to get a well-rounded experience, so he moved into project management. There, he proved his leadership ability. “I became a project manager for our capital work at the Niagara project and built my portfolio. I built a warehouse administration building in Niagara and am working with Niagara University, which historically has been very difficult to work with. We found a way of bringing them into the fold, getting them to be a good neighbor to us. That project went off without a hitch.”

John also found a creative solution for a project where land was needed for the installation of ice booms, which prevent ice chunks from clogging intakes. After finding 12 acres of property on the Buffalo River, he met with the Assemblyman. Looking back on it, John explains, “I learned my biggest lesson in my life after I informed the Assemblyman, without his input, what the NYPA was going to do with the property. He looked at me and said, ‘You’re not going to walk into my community and dictate to me.” It was an “aha moment” for John as he learned of the importance of community collaboration and stakeholder management. He rethought his approach and identified what was important to the community. He returned with a new plan that carved off 1.1 acres out of the 12 for a kayak launch, a kayak storage facility in the museum, and a lovely decorative wall. Ultimately, the Assemblymen agreed to the project, and the community was pleased with the results.

Stories of Inclusion

John embraces the NYPA culture of diversity and inclusion and uses his position to make a positive difference. After the NYPA took over management of the New York State canal system, a 540-mile waterway, John wanted to reimagine projects to create economic development. He embarked on the Reimagine the Canals project and, during the pandemic, added the goal of subsidizing the New York State small businesses in the towns on the canal to give community members access to the water. “We subsidized many small businesses by giving them stipends to help them build their programs and businesses, like renting canoes and kayaks. We gave people access to the pleasures that the water gives by developing a program to bring small businesses on and helping them financially so that residents of New York State could enjoy the wonders of the canal system.”

The phenomenal success of the canal subsidy projects led to up to 50 suppliers participating and thousands of people working or enjoying the water. For John, it was not enough. During Disability Awareness Month, he was inspired to create an even more inclusive program. He knew of a company, Rochester Accessible Adventures, with values and a culture similar to the NYPA. He brought them on to mentor, tutor, and train a supplier in the canal recreational project on assisting people with disabilities. “Now you look at the clientele and see people with disabilities, including people in wheelchairs, with a smile on their faces because they can get back on the water, rent a handicap-accessible bike, and so on.” The first disability-focused project was so successful that John rolled it out to 12 more suppliers along the canal. These types of projects are called “inclusive procurement,” and the NYPA established the benchmark for what this term means across industries.

At times, John must take unconventional paths to meet inclusion goals. After Grainger was awarded a contract, the management was reluctant to embrace some of the NYPA inclusion goals. Instead of giving up, John met with a Grainger executive and asked that Grainger’s catalog give him three options for vendors: a traditional corporate vendor, a diverse vendor, and a local vendor. Though some prices are higher for local vendors, John believed in supporting communities and local vendors. “If you are transparent with buyers, some will choose diverse and local vendors, even if prices are slightly higher, because they want to make a change or a difference.” This new catalog approach has been adopted as a corporate value because it worked just as John predicted.

Lessons From an Inclusive Leader

John advises leaders in other organizations to build relationships with suppliers because it is unknown when one or more will have to be called upon. He also advises organizational leaders to be transparent with customers, including during disasters. NYPA is in the power transmission industry segment and not power distribution. Still, it works to support customers who only know they lost power during a disaster and not why they lost it. “Be honest with your customers, letting them know what the issues are and what it will take to restore power. Don't sugarcoat it. Develop risk mitigation and resiliency plans. Offer advice to customers and suppliers on managing risks.”

John also says organizations should not abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion principles, even without a formal office or program. These are critical values that should drive organizational decision-making. Finally, John advises helping suppliers educate on industry changes and stay current in areas like sustainability and technological advances. “The renewable market is rapidly growing, so we are always looking for suppliers who are subject matter experts in areas like solar and battery storage. We frequently ask ourselves how we at the NYPA can ensure suppliers are educated to meet our needs.”

John Canale exemplifies the forward-thinking, innovative, and inclusive principles of the NYPA culture, which is one reason he has been so successful. His deep belief in helping communities thrive, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability, underlie everything he does, benefitting the NYPA, local communities, customers, and suppliers. It is leadership at its best.