Pioneers of Power: Celebrating Black Leaders in Energy and Sustainability
Culture
Black History Month is more than just a time to reflect, but a chance to celebrate the humanity and contributions that generations of African Americans have made across American society.
In the collective spirit of Black History Month, Exelon is proud to be an industry leader because of the contributions made by employees from a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds.
While Black History Month offers the opportunity to remember and appreciate the great contributions to American society, it is also a chance for the energy industry to acknowledge and recognize African American contributions that have shaped our past and present.
This year, we’re celebrating a select group of African Americans for their leadership, innovations and talents that shaped the energy industry. The impact of these leaders from both past and present continue to ensure a stronger, cleaner and brighter energy future.
Lewis Latimer
Lewis Latimer (1848-1928) was an inventor and expert draftsman who joined Thomas Edison’s lab in 1884. He is one of the pioneers in the electric light industry, seeing it from its infancy until it became a global feature. His work helped to improve Edison’s initial invention and patented the use of carbon filament that would open the door to widespread public use. Latimer worked with Alexander Graham Bell to draft the patent for Bell’s design of the telephone until he was hired by the Edison Electric Light Company. Latimer also published a book titled Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System.
Hazel O'Leary
Hazel O’Leary was the first woman and first African American to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Energy in 1993 with the Clinton administration. She also served in leadership roles for President’s Ford and Carter and was named assistant administrator for conservation and environment in the Federal Energy Administration (FEA) in 1977. When the FEA joined the Department of Energy (DOE), she served as chief of the DOE’s Economic Regulatory Administration. Throughout O’leary’s time with the government, she worked to ensure funding, resources and innovation-focused energy policies that expanded efficient and renewable energy. Following her career in public service, she also served as president of Fisk University, her undergraduate alma mater and a historically Black college.
Lisa Jackson
Lisa Jackson is the vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives at Apple where she reports to CEO Tim Cook. Lisa has also served as the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013 and was the first African American to have the role. While at the EPA, she focused on reducing greenhouse gases, authorized the recognition of carbon dioxide as a public health concern and worked to increase outreach to vulnerable communities on environmental issues.
Jessica O. Matthews
Jessica is the founder and CEO of Unchartered, an award-winning power solutions company that works to reduce the cost burdens of developing smart and sustainable infrastructure. The company was founded by Jessica when she was 22 years of age. In 2016, her Series A offering set a historic record for funding by a black female founder. As a trailblazer, her name is featured on 12 patents and patents pending – including her first invention of the SOCCKET, an energy generating soccer ball that she invented at the age of 19. She was also appointed to the Electricity Advisory Committee by Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm under the Biden Administration where she contributed to ways to modernize the U.S. electric delivery system.