Ann Arbor Introduces First Executive Director of Sustainable Energy Utility

The City of Ann Arbor is announcing the hiring of Shoshannah Lenski as the first executive director of the Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), effective Aug. 25, 2025.

Lenski brings a wealth of experience and leadership in sustainability, strategy and utility operations. She most recently served as associate director of the University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems and previously held several executive roles at DTE Energy, including director of gas strategy, director of enterprise performance management, and director of infrastructure renewal operations. Additionally, she has served as a consultant for the globally recognized Boston Consulting Group.

Lenski holds degrees from Cornell University and the University of Michigan and is deeply familiar with the Ann Arbor community. She spent six years serving on the Ann Arbor Energy Commission, including a term as chairperson.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shoshannah Lenski as the inaugural executive director of our SEU,” said Ann Arbor City Administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. “Shoshannah’s background and proven leadership make her uniquely qualified to lead this transformative initiative. Just as importantly, she has a deep passion for Ann Arbor and a strong desire to be part of our community’s future. In her, we have found both the expertise, and the passion to bring Ann Arbor’s SEU to fruition.”

The Ann Arbor SEU is a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to create a resilient, renewable-powered local energy system, one of the city’s most ambitious climate and equity goals supported by voters.

“The hiring of Shoshannah marks a milestone in our collective efforts to reimagine how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed in our community,” said Dr. Missy Stults, director of the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations. “This moment would not be possible without the voters’ support — and it’s worth noting that this journey started with a bold idea, a lot of community input, and a vision for a better energy future. I’m incredibly grateful to all who helped shape the path to this moment and beyond excited to see Shoshannah step into this critical leadership role.”

Lenski will report to the city administrator and work closely with the office of sustainability and innovations and other city service areas to launch the SEU.

Learn more about the Ann Arbor SEU. 

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Media Contact: 

Lisa Wondrash, Communications Director, lwondrash@a2gov.org