Jennifer Granholm has spent her career in service of air, our water and the places we love. Of course, she never thought her professional path would lead to holding office first as Michigan Governor and then as US Secretary of Energy. Clerking under prominent Detroit judge Damon Keith, she envisioned a career as a civil rights attorney.

So when she was approached by the Democratic Party to put her hat in the ring for Attorney General in 1998, she thought, “there’s simply no way.” Not only was running for office a new prospect, but she had three young children at home. But her family and close friends were steadfast in urging her to give it a whirl.

To her surprise, not only did she win—she loved the job.

“I wanted to serve. I wanted to help others get elected. I wanted to do something because we’re put on this planet to serve something more than ourselves.”

Just a few years later in 2002, her next big opportunity arrived: a shot at becoming Michigan Governor. Uniting women, Black and young voters, she became our 47th Governor. That leadership would come with significant progress, and significant challenges.

As Governor of Michigan, she faced a national recession that was particularly detrimental to the state’s manufacturing. So, she melded environmental and economic interests together, investing in energy efficiency and battery storage while requiring 15% of the state’s energy be derived from renewable sources.

She also worked to secure federal funds to usher auto manufacturing into a new era and begin diversifying Michigan’s energy portfolio into bold new sources like wind and solar.

“That work in Michigan led, for me, to this role as [US] Energy Secretary, where we crafted an industrial policy the likes of which we had never seen before. Michigan then became one of the largest recipients of funding to invest in clean energy projects.”

That funding was the kind of thing that Granholm dreamed of when she sat in the Governor’s seat.

During her time as Energy Secretary, Granholm helped shape and see through hundreds of billions of dollars in clean and efficient energy investments, the largest in the nation’s history. She then ensured the investments properly served communities most hit by pollution and its impacts through the Department of Energy’s Justice40 initiative.

“Often communities are bisected by freeways and other industrialization—and they’re the last people to be consulted [about the impacts.] I was really proud to embed justice and equity into everything we did at the Department, so that communities are at the table when development is happening.”

Jennifer Granholm exemplifies the qualities of outstanding leadership, enduring commitment and extraordinary public service that define the Helen & William Milliken Distinguished Service Award. She was honored at the 27th Milliken Award Celebration on Thursday, August 14, 2025. You can view event photos by clicking the button below.

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