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ESD FELLOW PROFILE Robert J. Buckler, PE, FESD, on His Retirement Robert J. Buckler accepts ESD’s Rackham Humanitarian Award, the most prestigious award given to a member of the Society for his/her humanitarian achievements. here’s something to be said for being with the same company for more than 30 years, and ESD Fellow, Past President and Rackham Humanitarian Award Recipient Robert J. Buckler’s career with DTE Energy as Detroit Edison’s President and Chief Operating Officer is no exception. Having just retired in December 2008, Mr. Buckler took a look back at his career and shared some of his hard-earned wisdom. A graduate of the University of Michigan with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Mr. Buckler’s first job was in Newport News, New Jersey, working on the U.S.S. Eisenhower and U.S.S. Nimitz. He came back a year later to the U of M to get his doctorate, but got a job offer from Detroit Edison that was too good to pass up. Mr. Buckler started out doing high-tech consulting to help upper management make decisions on projects involving new plants and making modifications to existing ones. From there, he went to the Monroe power plant and into the fuel supply arena to work on long-term planning and the procurement of fuel. That position led to another— more prestigious one—helping build the Fermi power plant on Lake Erie. Not only was he in charge of planning, but this was also his first supervisory job and he was leading a department of 125 people. Organization was key. “We had to build it on paper first and bring all of the elements together,” he said. His next position took him into customer service for a year, where he gained experience in credit and collections, among other things. Mr. Buckler said it was a huge storm in 1991 that led to a major call center development: Voice Response Units (VRUs). “Six hundred thousand people were without power and we did not have an automated system,” he said. “After that, we were more powerful because we went from being able to process 2,500 calls an hour to handling 50,000 an hour. We were better able to find out how many people were without power and where they were. It mobilized us.” Mr. Buckler also helped consolidate six small call centers into one centralized location in Southfield. In 1998 he became Group President of DTE Energy’s energy distribution line and in 2005 was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Detroit Edison, which at the time was 70% of DTE Energy. As a “side job,” as he called it, Mr. Buckler was asked to help integrate MichCon when DTE Energy acquired it in 2000. Robert Buckler with Roger Penske, the owner of the Penske Corporation Mr. Buckler greets Wayne County Executive and ESD Board member, Robert Ficano. Of course, being involved with DTE Energy means Mr. Buckler has a story from the 2003 blackout. “I had just given a speech in Livonia and had gotten in my car. Since I was in the habit of listening to books on tape and not the radio, I had no idea there was a blackout,” he said. “I got home, found out, and had to head downtown, which took me two hours.” After 32 hours and a few catnaps in the office, power was finally restored. Keeping things in perspective, Mr. Buckler explained that dealing with the blackout wasn’t as bad as other outage situations. “Regular storms are harder to get back on-line than the blackout was. There’s just so much damage and debris during storms and during the blackout, we just had to worry about getting everyone back on in an orderly fashion.” 14 | Technology Century | APRIL–MAY 2009
ESD Fellow PROFILE Having experienced most of the ins and outs of the energy business, Mr. Buckler has a full appreciation for the role of an engineer and the future of Michigan and the world. One issue facing engineers is a struggle for relevancy with the general population. “For example, if you ask people what the biggest development is of our time, they will say computers and they may not necessarily see the role of engineers in that,” he said. There are plenty of chances for Michigan’s engineers to step up and become relevant in all fields, but especially energy efficiency and the environment. “Engineers have a major contribution to give to Southeast Michigan,” he said. “And there is a major push on energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas. We are trying to maintain our lifestyles the cleanest way possible and must make prudent decisions. These problems are crying out for young engineers.” He sees ESD’s new Institute as yet another way Southeast Michigan can become relevant in the engineering field by offering more chances to come together and find solutions to today’s issues. Looking back on his successes so far, Mr. Buckler said he didn’t have grand plans for his career, but he gave equal credit to his own efforts and serendipity. “This just happened for me. I did a good job and would get another opportunity,” he said. Mr. Buckler also stressed the importance of variety. “It gave me the chance to do engineering, planning, marketing, and other business elements. That gave me a great skill set that prepared me for being president.” His advice for future engineers was to look at giving and creating value in all they do. “Whether it’s a small part in an automobile or part of a large project, use all of your smarts and push the envelope,” he said. “And young leaders must set high aspirations for whatever group they are leading. The best leaders have vision and can get things done. Execution is a critical skill that’s sometimes lost.” Despite his retirement, Mr. Buckler is still very involved in local and national engineering efforts. He has been working with U of M’s Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute. He’s also on a number of area boards and helped get Detroit ready for the 2007 Super Bowl and the 2009 NCAA Basketball Men’s Final Four Tournament. Get Your Career on Solid Ground. The ESD Job Bank should be your first stop. As the nation turns to advancing its infrastructure, now is the time to get your resumé posted on the ESD Job Bank. Since ESD is a part of the Engineering & Science Career Network, more hiring managers will see your resume, plus you’ll enjoy a wide selection of open positions in your industry. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to expand your job search. Visit the jobs.esd.org today! jobs.esd.org The ESCN is a strategic industry alliance formed by ESD and other top trade and professional associations that serve engineering and science professionals and companies searching for your unique skills. 20700 Civic Center Drive, Suite 450, Southfield, Mich. 40875 | Phone: 248-353-0735 | E-Mail: esd@esd.org www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 15
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