SEAS alumnus Joe Tate (MS/MBA '17) is the representative-elect for District 2 in Detroit, after receiving 73% of the vote over Republican John Palffy in the November 2018 mid-term elections.

Tate joined SEAS as a dual degree student in the Erb Institute after spending four years as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. During his service in the Marine Corps, he managed several economic development projects with local farmers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Tate is interested in the intersection of government and business, specifically how municipal public policy implementation affects its intended stakeholders.

In 2017, Tate collaborated with fellow Erb Institute student Elana Fox to develop the Detroit Youth Impact Project, a partnership with the Erb Institute, Sustainable Brands, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice and EcoWorks. The project brought 20 students who work with the Youth Energy Squad (YES) to the Sustainable Brands conference where they received on-site mentorship opportunities with sustainability professionals.

"While they (the students from YES) are our green leaders of tomorrow, they are already thinking, making and doing work that is at the forefront of creating a more sustainable world," said Tate.

As an economic development professional and Marine Corps veteran, Tate ran for state representative to continue his service to community – a value that was taught to him by his father, a Detroit Fire Fighter and his mother, a public school teacher.

"For us to improve the quality of life for our Michigan residents, we must invest in our people and places. This includes everything from our infrastructure systems that provide our drinking water to the school buildings that educate our children. I look forward to taking the value of service to Lansing. I know our challenges are many, but they are far outweighed by the opportunities that are ahead."