Chemical engineering alumnus named to state's first environmental justice advisory council
Wayne State University alumnus Fadi Mourad was among the 21 people selected to the new Michigan Advisory Council for Environmental Justice (MAC EJ). Under the direction of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the council is charged with helping to ensure that all residents of the state of Michigan have a voice in the creation of environmental laws and regulations, and ultimately benefit equitably from those measures.
"Since taking office, I've been deliberate and focused on protecting our Great Lakes, cleaning up our drinking water, and combating the real-life impacts of climate change," said Whitmer in a Jan. 23 announcement. "To address ongoing environmental justice issues, it was absolutely critical that those impacted daily have a seat at the table. We must ensure that the implementation and enforcement of environmental protections, regulations, and policies in Michigan will be fair and meaningful to all Michiganders, regardless of geography, race, color, origin, or income. Actions like these will help to further rebuild trust in our state government."
The MAC EJ is expected to conduct meetings throughout the state to discuss environmental health threats and provide this public input to the Interagency Environmental Justice Response Team, which is responsible for addressing the inequities that affect communities across Michigan.
Mourad, the director of environmental strategy for DTE Energy, is a member of the Michigan Environmental Rules Review Committee and co-chair of the Detroit Regional Chamber Energy and Environment Committee.
A native of Farmington Hills, Mourad is a registered professional engineer in the state of Michigan and holds degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Toledo and Wayne State University. He joined DTE in 2005, and in his role oversees the company's day-to-day environmental performance and developing corporate strategies to prepare for future increases in regulatory requirements. Mourad was previously with Horizon Environmental Corporation, an environmental engineering and scientist firm, where he focused on environmental strategies and long-term sustainability.