Source: School of Environment and Sustainability
Tony Reames, center, receives the Michigan Chronicle Men of Excellence award.
Tony Reames, center, receives the Michigan Chronicle Men of Excellence award.
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice, Associate Professor of Environment and Sustainability and Detroit Sustainability Clinic Director Tony G. Reames received a Michigan Chronicle Men of Excellence award last week at the 17th Annual Men of Excellence Awards and Induction Ceremony in Detroit. Each year, the Michigan Chronicle provides Men and Women of Excellence awards to outstanding African American men and women who have made significant contributions to the city of Detroit through their leadership, vision, exemplary achievements and service across all sectors.
This year’s 50 Men of Excellence recipients included Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garland Gilchrist II and many other distinguished honorees and executives from the political, educational, business, healthcare, civil service, faith and arts spheres. Recipients are nominated by at least two previous Men of Excellence awardees. To qualify, a prospective recipient must be an African American executive or business owner with a proven track record of success in his industry, be active in community service and be a positive role model.
Reames has worked with disadvantaged communities in Detroit since 2014, and was nominated for his enduring leadership and innovation in sustainability, environmental justice and energy equity. At the Detroit Sustainability Clinic, Reames and his team provide technical assistance, resources, and multi-year engagement opportunities to uplift community priorities and implement climate solutions in Detroit’s most underserved areas.
Recently, Reames served as a Biden-Harris appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he was the DOE’s Deputy Director for Energy Justice and Principal Deputy Director for State and Community Energy Programs. He led the implementation of the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which affords 40 percent of the benefits of Federal climate investments to communities that bear the worst burdens of the climate crisis. Reames also founded and led the Office of Energy Justice Policy and Analysis, advancing equitable decarbonization in historically marginalized neighborhoods.
Reames adds the Men of Excellence award to a growing list of accolades. In 2019, he was named a Grist 50 Fixer and in 2022 received a Jan Brinch Award for Collaboration in Public Service from the National Council on Electricity Policy. In addition to his Federal service and academic roles, Reames is also a U.S. Army veteran.
