GM FYI Blog

By Jodi Theut

Change from the Inside
I sometimes describe myself as a “tree-hugger” and used to work in the environmental NGO (non-governmental organization) community, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I fit in at GM. If you Googled me, you’d see that I’m an alumni of Beloit College and Tufts University, and you’d probably come across my last update in the Beloit Class Notes where I say about joining GM that, “I always thought I’d work toward environmental protection through non-governmental organizations, but have decided to give change from the inside a try.”

I’m now in my fifth year at GM. I am proud to tell my friends about the ways GM is supporting economic development around the globe, and about GM’s environment and energy leadership from fuel economy to vehicle recycling. It was easy for me to join GM because they have a solid environmental record and I have been able to work on programs that match with many of my values.

Not an engineer, but I love this stuff!
I think it’s really cool to be a member of a group that actually works on vehicles. As part of the Powertrain team, I’m involved daily in the distribution of GM-branded vehicles around the globe. I spend half of my time at the Milford Proving Grounds and the other half in the RenCen working on export emissions requirements. I really enjoy seeing the passion of my co-workers, and I’m glad to know that I’m making a difference in the success of the company. I started at GM in the Public Policy Center where I worked on sustainability projects and helped write the Corporate Social Responsibility report in 2003.

Knew I wanted to return to Detroit
I have been known to say that I love Detroit more than GM! If you visit a couple of my favorite Detroit web sites, like detroitblog and detroitfunk, you’ll get a taste of the challenges facing the city, but you can also see some of the development and revitalization going on. It’s an exciting time to be here — the city has a lot to offer — music, the arts, and the opportunity to make a difference in the community. I recently traded in my GMC Envoy for a Pontiac G6 — it’s much easier to parallel park and it saves me on gas, too! While I enjoyed the utility of my SUV (it was like having an extra closet!), I have to admit the G6 is really fun to drive.

Learning a Spanish ballad
A few months ago, I started taking classical guitar lessons — it seemed like a fun way to add a little music into my life; turns out it also provides ample opportunity for character development: patience, discipline, humility… Did I mention discipline? Thank goodness I have a good instructor.

One day, I hope to go on The Amazing Race with my co-worker Bob, play Bach on the guitar, live abroad, and learn how to drive a manual. I’m also a fan of the book Freakonomics. I think it’s interesting because it reminds us that things aren’t always what they seem; that the obvious answers aren’t always the best answers; that data analysis doesn’t have to be boring; and that asking the right the question is often as important as getting the right answer.