Dot Harris

Dot Harris was nominated by President Obama to be the Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the United States Department of Energy. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 29, 2012. Ms. Harris brings nearly 30 years of management and leadership experience to this position, having served at some of the world’s largest firms and leading a successful energy, IT, and healthcare consulting firm.

As an Assistant Secretary at the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, Ms. Harris leads the Department of Energy’s efforts to ensure minorities and historically underrepresented communities are afforded an opportunity to participate fully in our energy programs. Ms. Harris oversees a corporate funding strategy for minority institutions, develops the current and future Departmental workforce, works closely to develop small business contracting opportunities at the Department, and protects the civil rights of Departmental employees and recipients of funding from the Department.

Ms. Harris brings a wealth of knowledge to this work, having been deeply engaged in the energy sector, small business innovation, and strategic partnerships. Previously, Ms. Harris was the President and CEO of Jabo Industries, LLC, a minority-woman owned management consulting firm concentrated primarily in the energy, information technology and healthcare industries.

Ms. Harris has also served as an executive at General Electric Company (GE) and held a number of leadership positions in GE's Energy and Industrial Systems businesses. After joining GE in
2000, as the E-Business Leader for Engineering Services, Ms. Harris was critical in expanding GE’s business operations and energy sector growth. GE tasked her with key operations roles, including responsibility for the North Region power services businesses, responsibility for the Central U.S./Canada’s integrated power generation, and, beginning in 2009, oversight over all marketing for GE’s industrial businesses as GE’s Global Marketing Leader.
Before joining GE, Ms. Harris was an officer and Vice President of Operations & Production for ABB Service, Inc. She also spent twelve years as Field Services Engineer and Services Manager
with Westinghouse Electric Company.

Ms. Harris holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina and a M.S. in Technology Management from Southern Polytechnic
State University in Marietta, Georgia.