DTE Energy
(Retired)
Joyce Hayes Giles recently retired from DTE Energy as the assistant to the chairman and senior vice president of Public Affairs. Giles was responsible for a broad range of assignments related to the company’s commitment to the community on behalf of DTE Energy’s Chairman, President and CEO. She is the former chair of the DTE Energy Foundation, responsible for strategy and oversight. In addition, she served as the company’s Chief Ethics Officer and the ombudsman for employee-related issues.
Giles previously served as assistant to the chairman and senior vice president of Customer Service for DTE Energy. Prior to that, Giles was vice president of corporate resources at MCN Energy Group, the former parent company of MichCon. She joined MichCon as manager of Compensation in 1978. Prior to joining MichCon, Giles was employed with the Automobile Club of Michigan, Chrysler Corporation and Connecticut General Life Insurance Co.
Giles earned a BA in psychology from Knoxville College. She also earned an MBA from the University of Detroit and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Her professional affiliations include membership in the Detroit, State of Michigan and Wolverine bar associations; the Women’s Economic Club of Detroit, Leadership Detroit Alumni Association, Junior League of Detroit’s Community Advisory Council, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and The Links, Inc. She serves on both the local and national board of directors of the American Association of Blacks in Energy. In addition, she is actively involved in the community and has served on various boards, including past Board Chair of Marygrove College, the Urban League and the NAACP-Detroit Chapter. Her current boards include Health Alliance Plan of Michigan, the Music Hall, Wayne State Alumni Association, Habitat for Humanity of Detroit, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Knoxville College, and the DTE Energy Foundation. She also served on the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Nominating Committee and their Planning Committee for the annual legislative conference. She is the former Vice President of the Detroit School Board.
Giles has numerous honors including: Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion as a 2012 Humanitarian for her efforts in the community to build relationships that create social justice. In October 2012, she was inducted into the Hall of Honor by the University of Detroit Mercy College of Business Administration, having been selected from more than 17,000 living alumni, as an individual who embodies the true meaning and spirit of “women and men in service to others.” Giles was named one of the “Top Influential Women in Corporate America” by Savoy Magazine and was featured in the Fall 2012 edition of this national publication. In March 2012, Giles was recognized by the Historic Little Rock Baptist Church of Detroit as a Woman of Distinction. In 2009, she was honored by Inforum as one of the area’s most powerful and accomplished woman business leaders. She was the recipient of the Detroit Women’s Club Professional Woman of the Year Award and also received honors from the UNCF Detroit Inter-Alumni Council.
In 2008, Giles was recognized by the Michigan Chronicle as one of the “Women of Excellence” awardees. In 2007, she was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of Detroit’s Most Influential Women, and was also presented the Political Service Award from the Fannie Lou Hamer Political Action Committee. In 2006, she was appointed by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm to the Mentor Michigan Leadership Council. She was also selected as one of the country’s Most Distinguished Black College and University Graduates by US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine. In addition, she was recognized in the Inaugural Edition of Who’s Who in Black Detroit as one of Detroit’s Most Influential Leaders. In 2005, she was awarded the Booker T. Washington’s Two Way Street Award. She has also been recognized by Corp! Magazine as one of Michigan’s “Most Powerful African -American Leaders” and in 2005 as one of Michigan’s “Extraordinary African American Achievers.” She received the Lewis H. Latimer award from the American Association of Blacks in Energy. She was also selected for “Who’s Who Among Black Americans” and was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of Metro Detroit’s Most Influential Black Business Leaders. In 2000, she was selected as one of the finalists in Grant Thornton’s Executive Woman of the Year award. She was chosen as an Outstanding Young Woman of America in 1981 and received a NAACP 100 Club Award. On the national level, she made Minority Business News USA’s list of “Women Who Mean Business” and Women’s Informal Networks Most Influential African American Women for 1998.