UDM Hosts "Electric Detroit" Symposium Featuring Pres./COO Of Detroit Edison And UDM Chair Of Business Ethics

DETROIT, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Detroit's electrical utility infrastructure faces daunting challenges and opportunities. In our city, the   demographics, economy, and technology surrounding energy are vastly changing and we are constantly looking to find new ways of delivering electricity that is efficient, effective, environmentally responsible, and ethical.

University of Detroit Mercy's College of Engineering & Science, School of Architecture and DTE Energy are hosting a symposium of "Electric Detroit," to discuss these important issues on Wednesday, February 8, 2012, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. in the Chemistry Building Lecture Hall on UDM's McNichols Campus.

The evening's keynote speaker is Steven Kurmas, president and chief operating officer of Detroit Edison, one of three major business units of DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE), a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide.  Kurmas is responsible for power generation, fuel supply, electric distribution, customer service, marketing activities and assorted support functions.

To discuss this technology from an ethical perspective, Kurmas will be joined by Gerald Cavanagh, S.J., D.B.A, Charles T. Fisher Professor of Business Ethics, University of Detroit Mercy. He is a world-renowned scholar of business ethics and author of the widely used textbook on the topic: American Business Values: A Global Perspective.

Kurmas previously served as executive vice president of fossil generation at Detroit Edison, responsible for the operation of the company's fossil-fueled electric power plants.  He joined Michigan Consolidated Gas Company (MichCon) in 1979 and held various engineering and construction leadership posts before being named vice president, gas supply in 1995. Over the next several years, he held senior management positions in gas supply, transmission, and storage and gas operations.