Dr. Thomas joins a handful of African American women who head major energy program implementation companies
Today, Louis E. James, founder of SEEL, LLC officially announced the appointment of E’Lois Thomas, Ph.D., as the new President of the company. Formerly the Chief Administrative Officer, Thomas will now continue the vision and growth trajectory of the organization. In her new role, Dr. Thomas joins a handful of African American women who will lead a major energy program implementation company.
“E’Lois has worked closely with me since the inception of SEEL,” said Mr. James, now Chairman & CEO of the company. “She deserves and more importantly she has earned the position of president. I credit her for initiating and implementing many ideas, programs and initiatives that were instrumental in growing SEEL into a leading energy program implementation company. I have every confidence in her commitment and abilities and am excited to see the company continue to flourish under her leadership.”
Thomas has worked with James for the past 20 years. She was a part of SEEL when he founded the company in 2009. In 2011, she officially joined SEEL as a Program Manager to learn the business and ensure that we had diverse representation in all aspects of leadership. Working in lock step with Mr. James over the years, she quickly ascended to Senior Manager and Director of Administration to Chief Administrative Officer and now she heads the company.
“I am grateful for the confidence Mr. James has placed in me and I am ready for the challenge,” said Dr. Thomas. “These are exciting times in the industry, and I look forward to steering SEEL to the next level of service. As an African American woman in a leadership role in the energy industry I will work hard for energy equity, and I will continue to advocate for diversity and inclusion. I have enjoyed serving as chief administrative officer and look forward to executing my duties as president. I am excited to start this next phase of my career and service to the community and I thank Mr. James for the opportunity.”
Dr. Thomas has not only served her company well, but she has also been an active participant in the industry. She is the vice chair of the board of directors of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA), board member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) Michigan Chapter, board member and treasurer of Advancing Women in Energy (AWE) and a mentor with the Council of Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership (CWEEL). She is also a board member of RESULTS Mentoring and an advisory board member with the MBA Program of Siena Heights University.
An Adjunct Faculty Member with Siena Heights University and Northwood University, Dr. Thomas was honored by Crain’s Detroit as a Notable Women in Finance. She is a Michigan Chronicle Women of Excellence Honoree and was named Who’s Who in Black Detroit by Real Times Media.
Graduating Summa Cum Laude, Dr. Thomas received a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Accounting from the University of Detroit Mercy, a Master of Business Administration from Walsh College and a Doctor of Philosophy from Northcentral University. She recently completed the Executive Education Women's Leadership Program at Yale School of Management, holds a Leading Teams Certification from the University of Michigan, a Teaching Certification from the Educational Technology Organization of Michigan (ETOM) and is a Six Sigma Black Belt Professional.
Dr. Thomas is married to Charles Thomas, Jr. and has two sons, Charles III and Isaiah.
About SEEL, LLC
SEEL, LLC is a nationally certified minority business enterprise (MBE), service-disabled, veteran-owned energy program implementer. SEEL offers a suite of energy management services, including energy audits, recycling and incentive programs, in-house weatherization, contact center management and workforce development. SEEL is also a national BPI Test Center. SEEL has received more than 20 awards over the years for outstanding performance. It was named the 2020 Supplier of the Year by the NMSDC and MMSDC. Most recently SEEL received the 2021 Regional Supplier of the Year from NMSDC and the 2021 Business Diversity Award from EEI. For more information about SEEL, visit www.seelllc.com, or call 313-841-5000.