First-Hand:Remembering Steve Mallard (1924-2014)

Submitted by Harry T. Roman

As I sit here in my home, staring at my IEEE membership card, I ponder how quickly the 43-plus years of membership have passed. I remember the moment Steve Mallard urged me to get involved with IEEE, and now, with Steve’s passing, that moment of guidance becomes ever more poignant.

I had the pleasure of knowing him since 1970; and working directly for him for 20 years. He was a seminal influence on my engineering career. The greatest lesson I learned from Steve was the difference between leadership and management, something Steve practiced daily. . . “walking the talk” as they say. His consistent striving for excellence impressed us all at PSE&G.

A regular saying he perpetuated was “If you have done something worthy of review, be proud to sign your work; and be prepared to stand up and ask for the money to implement it at the annual budget review meetings.” Steve believed in getting his young engineers in front of the senior managers at PSE&G so they could develop presentation experience. That, and clear, concise written expression, were highly prized skills in his department. As I stood there, making my budget pitch to grizzled chief executives, “trembling in my young boots,” I knew Steve’s big guns were ready to provide covering fire if needed. He was always there as your backstop; content and comfortable with letting his young engineers get credit for their work while building a corporate reputation. He stood out among his peers in this approach to developing talent.

IEEE Winter Power Engineering Society meetings back then were held in January in NYC. We young engineers were required to attend the various sessions and write up what we learned, and to exchange this information with our colleagues in Steve’s System Planning Department. He always encouraged each of us to write a paper for these annual sessions, and to participate in relevant IEEE committees throughout the year. Steve was the IEEE flagpole for the department.

He took a deep interest in my first large project, development of a graphical computer system for portraying and analyzing sub-transmission circuit load flow runs directly on a cathode-ray tube. I still remember his excitement at first seeing this interactive system up and running. Throughout the design and development of the system, Steve was there with sage advice and counsel as this young engineer cut his project management teeth. Back in 1974-75, $300,000 was a big chunk of change for a new piece of power system analytical hardware and software, and Steve trusted me with it.

After enjoying this “design and build something from scratch” project, I asked Steve to transfer me to the R&D department, also under his purview. Project management had gotten in my blood and Steve realized I had a passion to bring new ideas and concepts to practical form. Knowing the future value of developing new technology, he was always interested and protective of the company’s R&D efforts. Here again, he stood out among his peers, championing and establishing one of the first R&D departments in the electric utility industry.

If I close my eyes, I can see Steve and me sitting in the old 744 Club in Newark, talking and languishing over lunch—a kind of quarterly project review meeting. No formalities, just a delightful discussion about where each project was, lessons learned, mistakes corrected, and some new ideas for the future. He seemed to have as much fun with new technology as me, and sometimes I think he would have liked to trade all those executive meetings for a couple weeks to get his hands dirty and fly by the seat of his pants. I always came away so refreshed and recommitted from those lunches. He so believed in my work and my capabilities.

A “Steve moment” comes to mind. I was heading out to San Francisco for a meeting, and had been working quite hard on some robotic applications. Steve called me after reviewing my trip request and told me to add several days onto my trip, to take some time to rest and smell the flowers out there. He suggested a visit to the redwood forest and some other attractions; and then told me not to be back at work before a certain date. He concluded our conversation with a hearty congratulation on my accomplishments, and told me how proud he was of my work. He also mentioned something that has echoed profoundly in my psyche. He told me to always remember that in the grand scheme of things, it was family and God first, the job second. That says more about the man’s character and perspective than I could ever pen.

Another memorable moment came after he had retired from PSE&G. He learned I had received an IEEE award, and called me at home to lavish praise. For me, Steve was the kind of ideal manager/leader talked about in today’s business books. He was the last person in the world I ever wanted to disappoint.

We stayed in touch throughout his retirement. When he saw I was developing a very strong interest in writing and publishing educational books, he was incredibly supportive. I sent him copies of my articles and he offered comments and guidance for future writings. I was blessed to have so many years of his caring mentorship.

Upon learning of Steve’s passing, I contacted many old PSE&G friends and IEEE colleagues. In response, the same characterizations were evident: “incredible manager;” “caring and gentle;” “true gentleman.”

We all have to leave this earthly place; and if there is a good time to go, I am glad Steve died in the spring. It is fitting that during this season of rebirth and renewal that a renaissance man like Steve should be called home. Spring so epitomizes his life. . . ever green in outlook.

I will always hear his voice in my head, and it will continue to guide me. I am grateful for everything he taught me, and I promise to do my best to pass it along to those I am privileged to mentor. His story is an exemplar of IEEE member-to-member mentorship.