Chris Holman recently spoke with Patti Poppe, president and CEO of CMS Energy, about completing her first year as CEO of Consumers Energy & CMS Energy July 1st and being the first female CEO in the 130-year history of the company; one of 32 Fortune 500 female CEOs in U.S.

Patti then explains to Chris that Consumers Energy only grows when Michigan grows through economic and community development. Their secret is out as Consumers Energy has been ranked the #1 Michigan company to work for in the 2017 Forbes U.S. Best Major Employers Survey.

This interview comes on the heels of the announcement by the Flint Promise on August 23rd that Consumers Energy Foundation is giving that Promise group $1,000,000. Poppe is proud to note that 25% of the hires last year were veterans, and that they are the #3 energy company in the U.S. for Gender Diversity in 2016 (Ranked by Ernst and Young).