Be Part of Michigan’s Energy Transformation
By Joi Harris
DTE Energy serves an essential role in Michigan’s communities by powering the homes, schools, and businesses where our 10,000 team members live and work.
Our company’s purpose – to improve lives with our energy –lies at the foundation of everything we do, for our team, our customers, and our communities across our Great Lakes state.
Our purpose inspired me in 1991 when I joined DTE’s co-op program while studying industrial engineering at Wayne State University. In the 35 years that followed, serving my fellow Michiganders continued to drive and fulfill me as I developed my skills and my career in unexpected and exciting ways –and it’s why I’m still at DTE today.
Today, I see this same purpose – improving lives with our energy –speaking to the newest generation joining our workforce. And while the work our Gen Z employees are performing is much more technologically advanced than when I joined the company, the spirit of service remains the same.
Anthony Wheeler
This spirit attracted Anthony Wheeler, an aspiring engineer and graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit and Tennessee State University. After attending a career awareness session hosted by DTE employees who graduated from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), he wanted to be part of Michigan’s energy transformation.
Wheeler joined our internship program that summer 2022 and advanced to become a student co-op. Today, he supports our renewable operations engineering team, ensuring our solar and wind farms are designed to deliver safe, reliable and clean energy to our customers across southeast Michigan.
One important way we retain the purpose-driven, diverse, and talented people who join DTE’s team is our nine employee resource groups. These groups connect team members around a shared interest, which is especially engaging for our younger generations who use these internal communities to build skills and develop networks outside of their daily work.
Working together, we will continue to improve lives with our energy.
Joi Harris is the President and Chief Operating Officer of DTE Energy.