ENGINEERING ALUMNA NAMED DIRECTOR OF NEI, IMPROVING ECONOMY

Pamela D. Lewis has been named director of the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan (NEI) and will work in the next chapter of the organization to bring jobs to Michigan and improve the economy.

“Pam has been instrumental to the success of NEI and we are pleased that she will lead the initiative during its next chapter,” said Mariam C. Noland, president of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. “As a champion of innovation in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, with strong Detroit roots, Pam has excelled at breaking down boundaries and bringing diverse constituencies together to move our region forward.”

NEI is one of the nation’s largest philanthropic partnerships, funded by 12 national and regional foundations and managed by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. The initiative is in its eighth year of innovative funding and the development of public/private partnerships that have helped create more than 17,000 jobs and 1,600 companies throughout the region.

“Pam is a highly talented economic development expert who will bring important continuity to NEI’s work as well as the vision to guide the NEI team in defining a strategy for its next important phase,” said Steven K. Hamp, NEI chair.

Lewis received her bachelor’s degree from the College of Engineering in 1986. She has served as deputy team leader of NEI under former director David Egner. She joined the initiative in 2011 as senior program officer, after serving as a member of the Kauffman Foundation’s Detroit team, overseeing national entrepreneurial programs. She was recently named as one of the top 25 women in technology in Michigan by Crain’s Detroit.

Lewis began her career at DTE Energy, spending 15 years in roles ranging from analyst to manager of process management and continuous improvement initiatives. At NextEnergy, she managed entrepreneurial programs focused on accelerating clean energy startups.