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A global brand synonymous with innovation and diverse perspectives, General Motors offers career opportunities that can take employees on unexpected paths. For Gerald Johnson, Eric Cunningham and Charles Muse, these paths led to all three engineers winning awards during the Becoming Everything You Are (BEYA) STEM Conference.
These prestigious awards are given to engineers who demonstrate achievement, leadership and impact on their companies and industries.
Gerald Johnson, Winner of the BEYA Black Engineer of the Year Award
Johnson first set foot on a plant floor as a student at General Motors Institute (GMI) in Flint, Michigan — now known as Kettering University. As part of the co-op, Johnson studied manufacturing operations while working on assignment at GM’s Fisher Body plant in Euclid, Ohio. Since those years as an 18-year-old co-op student, Johnson has risen through the ranks to become Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing at GM.
Eric Cunningham, Winner of the BEYA Technical Sales and Marketing Award
Cunningham also began his career at GM as a co-op student in Flint, Michigan. He has held positions in brand management, advertising, and sales, service and marketing. Cunningham spent the last five years as GM’s Executive Director of Customer Care and Aftersales in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. He was recently promoted to help drive an electric future as GM’s Vice President of Electric Vehicles Center of Expertise.
Charles Muse, Recognized With the BEYA Most Promising Engineer Award
Muse is an engineer and pilot originally from Chicago. A fascination with how airplanes fly led a young Muse to take flight lessons at a local airport. That, combined with his enthusiasm for math and science classes, led him to pursue a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Today, Muse serves as the assistant program engineering manager for the Cruise Origin, a purpose-built, all-electric and shared self-driving vehicle.
Johnson, Cunningham and Muse received BEYA Awards at the Virtual BEYA STEM conference in February 2021.
Supporting the Next Generation
Johnson, Cunningham and Muse understand the importance of mentoring young, diverse talent and building a pipeline of strong talent as GM works to become the most inclusive company in the world.
Johnson mentors other employees through the GM African Ancestry Network, teaches second graders how to read at a critical point in their educational development, and helps his alma mater — Kettering University — continue to create opportunities and attract people of color to STEM fields of study. “We need to continue to build the ranks of those who advocate for children of color to get opportunities in STEM based-curriculum,” Johnson explained.
Cunningham founded numerous mentorship programs throughout his career with GM, was the executive chair for all of CCA’s early career talent and growth and is a senior leader for the General Motors African Ancestry Network. As Cunningham explained, “My experiences solidified my goal to mentor and elevate those around me.”
Similarly, Muse is an advocate for Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other communities of color in STEM. He has dedicated himself to paying it forward, supporting mentorship work with young aspiring journalists in Chevrolet’s Discover the Unexpected Program, in collaboration with the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Last summer, Muse guided one of GM’s Electrifying Engineering STEM online learning activities targeted toward kids at home during the pandemic.
“We need to continue to build the ranks of those who advocate for children of color to get opportunities in STEM-based curriculum.”
- Gerald Johnson // Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing