Donald Field is the first of his family to earn a college degree. He is a 1971 University of Illinois graduate with a BS in General Engineering. In 1989 he received an MBA from the University of Chicago. Mr. Field is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois.
Mr. Field had a 33-year career with The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company and its affiliates. He began as a junior engineer and rose through the ranks, finishing as President and COO before his 2004 retirement. He held 20 distinct assignments in both engineering and non-engineering capacities.
In parallel with his business career, Mr. Field cultivated a volunteer life. He began as a member of the Chicago Jaycees, Junior Achievement of Chicago and the United Way of Chicago. He had the good fortune to serve as a board member for a wide array of not-for-profit organizations. He has 31 collective years of experience on energy association boards. In addition, he served for 34 collective years on educational and social service boards. He led six of those boards as chairman.
Mr. Field enjoys sharing his expertise. He advised US Departments of Energy and Homeland Security on energy infrastructure security and natural gas research. He also assisted social service organizations with outcome measurement, business operations and strategic planning.
In retirement, Mr. Field invests his time, talent and treasure with value-added institutions. He is proud to support the College of Engineering’s Department of Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering. He has the privilege of participating as an alumni speaker in the ISE Undergraduate Seminar. He appreciates the opportunity to interact with the next generation of Illinois engineers.
