Board Member, Detroit RiverFront Conservancy

Group Executive-Planning
City of Detroit

Al Fields is the Group Executive of Planning for the City of Detroit. Appointed by Mayor Dave Bing in 2010. In this capacity, Mr. Fields will consolidate and monitor planning operations, oversee citywide planning initiatives and develop a plan and coordinate public and private efforts to re-image Detroit through smart growth alignment. The following departments are under his direction: Office of Targeted Business Development, Office of Grant's and Stimulus Funding, and Planning and Development. He also coordinates efforts between the City and the Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative as well as works with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.

This is Fields' second mayoral appointment to the City of Detroit's executive staff. In 2002, he was named Deputy COO for the City of Detroit, where he managed daily operations of several frontline departments, including: Public Works, Building, Transportation and Utility Services. He also led Detroit's Film office, where he had an integral role in supporting legislation to provide incentives to grow Michigan's film industry. Named in 2006 Operational Executive for the City of Detroit, Fields continued managing daily operations for the city's frontline, service and cultural departments, while adding the responsibilities to coordinate Detroit's Super Bowl XL and serving as Executive Director for the Detroit Transportation Corporation. At DTC, Fields increased People Mover ridership and oversaw a $15 million system upgrade.

Preceding the appointment by Mayor Bing, Fields was manager of Economic Development for DTE Energy, one of the largest diversified energy companies in the nation. Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, DTE is involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. DTE's largest operating units are Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, and MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. Operating in more than 550 communities throughout the state, the DTE portfolio also includes non-utility energy businesses operating in 29 states that focus on power and industrial projects, coal and gas midstream, unconventional gas production and energy trading.

In his capacity, Fields supported economic growth and development in the region, provided leadership in electric and gas utility direction and bridged the gap between quality service, technical expertise, project management and process improvement. In helping DTE maintain affordable and reliable supplies of electricity for Michigan's families and businesses, Fields and the DTE Economic Development team focused on supporting job creation for skilled workers in the areas of alternative energy, electric vehicle production and energy optimization.

Fields' early career began with the Automobile Club of Michigan and Comerica/Manufacturer's Bank. (If you want, you can offer the area of service, such as economic development, customer service, etc. you may have performed with these companies respectively).