Electrifying Leadership: Virginia Tech engineering alumna leads the charge for a bright future

Tennessee is home to many incomparable women: the quintessential Dolly Parton; rock n’ roll queen Tina Turner; and Baltimore’s daughter, Jeannette Mills '88.

Mills, invested in electricity and community utilities since she was a little girl, received her B.S. in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1988, and her MBA from Loyola University Maryland in 2006.

After a quarter-century with Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE), her hometown electrical company, Mills ’88 traveled more than 500 miles to become the executive vice president and chief external relations officer at the Tennessee Valley Authority, where she manages relationships with 153 local power companies to distribute energy to 10 million people.

Over the last four years, Mills has utilized her engineering skills to solve problems and remain objective when leading her team. We sat down with her to learn more about how Virginia Tech prepped her for her roles; the dynamic needs of our current electric grid; and being a Black woman engineer in the 1980s.

Why engineering, and why Virginia Tech?

Back when I was in junior high school, I scored very well on a Maryland state test. My guidance counselor encouraged me to explore that, so I went to a citywide school called Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. We were kind of the “nerd school” in the city, and it’s the first time I really heard the word "engineers" used routinely. 

At Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, we had two levels – A course and B course. I went through A course, which ultimately led me to decide to become an engineer. The school had a relationship with Virginia Tech, so I looked into going there. When my mom and I visited, she loved it; she thought there wasn’t anything I could get into trouble with there. I did apply to several universities, and decided to attend Virginia Tech.

Going to Virginia Tech and getting that engineering degree was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life. The coursework was rigorous; I was up many days and many nights studying. But I can be very hardworking and determined, even when presented with a situation that most people would think, “there's no way you'll ever be able to do that.” I think it through, put in the work, put in the time, and do it.

What did it mean to you - to your family - to be a Black woman engineer at Baltimore Gas & Electric in the 1980s?  

When I graduated from Virginia Tech, I was actually planning to work for Virginia Power. Then, BGE called; they flew me up – that was my very first flight, too – and I stayed at my mother’s house. When I told her where I was interviewing, she got emotional because BGE is a staple in our community; they were our gas and electric company. They even had retail stores where everyone bought appliances and TVs from them.

My mother said to me, “Jeannette, do you know most Black people only get jobs using a shovel, or cleaning the bathroom? You’re going to get that job. You’re coming home.”

It was a huge deal to her that I was being considered for a professional job. So when I got offered the job, I couldn’t say no! 

When I first started, there were people who thought I was the new administrative assistant. I remember getting introduced to a group of ladies and someone asked me, “How many words do you type?” The message to me at the time was they had never seen an African American female or Black female as an engineer; and it wasn't rude or mean, it was just more curious. I learned to introduce myself as an engineer right away, and explain what I was doing.

How did your engineering experience prep you for your leadership roles, especially your current position at Tennessee Valley Authority?

I think once an engineer, always an engineer. Whenever people ask me what I do, I say, “engineer.” I just am one. I may have my MBA, but I'm an engineer at heart. 

Fundamentally, engineering teaches you how to solve problems. Whether your discipline’s electric, mechanical, or environmental, really the fundamentals are about problems, and solving them in an objective manner. It’s served me well in my career; people will bring me problems or questions and I’m able to synthesize all the information and bring it together.

At Tennessee Valley Authority, I engage with people as the external relations officer, and when you work for a utility, you have to be able to explain very technical things to the average person. As an engineer, I understand the technical issue, but I also understand how to explain it in a way the public can understand.

What’s it been like to not only see the changes of power needs, but also be a part of the process, whether in a city like Baltimore, or your current role in Tennessee?

It’s been something I would have never imagined when I started work. The analogy I often use is, power used to be like beige wallpaper – no one really sees it. But overtime, technology has changed, with one of the biggest being the rise of personal devices like cell phones, tablets, and computers. Industry’s use of electricity has also really shifted.

We’ve had this evolution from a customer service perspective, too, going from no one really caring about power companies to “Ohh, I don't care about that sewage pumping station, I just want my power back!” We have to have sewage; we can’t turn off the hospitals – these things are necessary.

Customer expectations have changed, and electric loads have changed, too. In addition, there have been a lot of policy changes; we’ve gone from decades of flat loads, with utilities just trying to be more efficient, to a growth production that’s two to three times the size of our grid today. It’s a national issue, and honestly, it’s been pretty amazing.

What’s your best advice for Hokie engineering students?

When you're selecting what type of engineering you want to study, think about what you love, what you enjoy doing, or being around. I think that's important. Finding fun, doing what you love – it does matter. Even though, during my years, no one said that to me – they just said I needed to get a good job and education – but I did happen to find what I loved. 

Secondly, engineering can be intense, and there's so much pressure and stress, but you've got to make sure you're taking time for yourself and to build strong relationships. Relationships are really what will serve you throughout your career. I tell my kids this all the time – we didn’t have LinkedIn back in the day – but you may have a classmate now you’ll work with. You need to hit each other up! You need to maintain contact with them because you don’t know where each other will end up. You may be able to help each other. 

And then, as engineering students, being able to write is essential. It’s what I do every day. It’s gotten even more important than when I started because of texting and emails. You need to hone your writing until you can exude warmth through technology. Technical issues matter, but you need to write to create connectivity and build relationships. That’s how I got to Tennessee. Someone I built a relationship with called me and said, “Hey, I think you’d be good at this.”