2025 Spring Report Stories 

In business and in philanthropy, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Board of Trustees member Carla Walker-Miller has worked to expand equitable access to opportunities so all people in our region can thrive.  

Walker-Miller is the founder and CEO of Walker-Miller Energy Services, which Crain’s Detroit Business recently ranked as the 17th -largest woman-owned business in Michigan. The company also is among the largest woman- and Black-owned energy efficiency firms in the United States. During 2024, Walker-Miller Energy Services generated $68.7 million in revenue and employed 107 people in Michigan. 

“We have honed a special competency of successfully engaging marginalized communities that have not historically participated in energy efficiency programs,” Walker-Miller Energy Services’ website says. “These efforts help decrease the energy burdens on local families and businesses, create jobs, diversify the local energy workforce, and serve the needs of asset-limited, income-constrained families with compassion.” 

Walker-Miller says she is also excited to be working on the third annual Resilience and Equity in the Clean Energy Sector Summit (RECESS25). The national convening from Oct. 7-9 is expected to attract 700 people to downtown Detroit. It will provide an on-ramp to opportunities for people who are underrepresented in the clean energy industry, one of the fastest-growing sectors in the economy. 

Walker-Miller has a long history in Detroit’s small business ecosystem and previously served as board chair of Detroit Means Business, a coalition that fosters small business growth in the city. 

She joined the Community Foundation’s board in 2021 and says her superpower as a trustee is using her lived experience to represent people who otherwise would not have a voice at the table. Walker-Miller recently took the time to chat with the Community Foundation about why she believes philanthropy is important and her vision for southeast Michigan’s future. 

What motivates you to prioritize philanthropy and community service?  

When I was a child, my family and I received benefits that I did not realize were from philanthropy. Summer camps, after-school programs, and a college scholarship. Both of my parents worked multiple jobs, and, even with eleven kids, my mother gave some of her precious time to volunteer. So, I am a witness to the powerful impact of philanthropy and understand that these efforts, large and small, help move the needle for so many and can improve the trajectories of families and entire communities.  

What do you love about the Community Foundation? 

I love that this organization has had the vision and the resources to look far into the future and imagine “what if.” I love that, in collaboration with others, it has the heft to activate that vision for the common good. I love that the Community Foundation is increasingly seeking input from the very communities it serves. And, finally, I love that the Community Foundation has recognized Nicole Sherard-Freeman for her singular talent and entrusted her to lead the organization into the future.  

How can philanthropy address the needs of communities throughout southeast Michigan and, in turn, help our entire region to thrive? 

Philanthropy helps set agendas for communities. Whether it is population health, transit, clean energy, economic equity, arts and culture, or safety, much of the most critical work cannot be accomplished without philanthropic dollars. Numerous notable initiatives in Detroit, including the acclaimed riverfront, the Grow Detroit Young Talent workforce initiative, and the Joe Louis Greenway, have benefited from philanthropic support.  

To truly prioritize the needs of any community, philanthropy must listen to the organic voices within that community. I credit an energy industry colleague, Kristol Simms of Ameren Illinois Company, with coining a phrase that should be an accepted strategy in community engagement: “Do not speak for people you do not speak to.” If philanthropy wants to truly address community needs, it must start by listening to the community and valuing their insights. 

The Community Foundation funds engagements that reach and respect the realities of some of southeast Michigan’s most vulnerable communities. Much of the work starts family by family, block by block, but scales to impact a community and, eventually, an entire region.  

Can you talk about why you have supported the Community Foundation’s operating endowment, also known as our Now and Forever Fund? 

Many donors want to see tangible evidence of their investments in real time, so raising dollars for an actual program is much easier than raising funds to support administration. The fact is that proper stewardship of funding requires a top-tier administrative strategy and operational excellence. Investments in the Now and Forever Fund allow the Community Foundation to drive a culture of excellence by attracting and retaining top talent, investing in business innovation and pursuing continuous improvement.   

What is your hope for the Community Foundation and our region during the next 10 years? 

My most fervent hope is that through this season of national restructuring, the Community Foundation will remain steadfast in its longstanding commitment to ensure access to opportunities for all people. As we explore enduring solutions to some of our region’s most complex challenges, we require a fact-based understanding, not one driven by fears, ideologies or agendas. When in doubt, our default should be love, empathy and care. 

I also hope the Community Foundation and all leaders will acknowledge the urgency of making climate resilience core to their missions. Climate change will continue to ravage the most vulnerable communities disproportionately, negating much of the progress made by philanthropic investments. Ignoring it is the equivalent of the fable of the foolish person who built his house upon sand.  

Is there a mantra or quote that inspires you?  

I am a hypersensitive introvert determined to do things that require vision and boldness. As such, I do things that frighten me, and my anxiety is sometimes at 11. My foundational scripture is, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind.”  

Which brings me to my favorite mantra, which is by none other than me: “Courage is a renewable resource.” When, in my humanity, I fail to meet the moment, this mantra reminds me that there is no shortage of things worth fighting for, and every day offers another opportunity to be courageous. It inspires me to allow myself the same grace I so freely extend to others. And we all need grace.