Chris Holman talks with the President & CEO of The Right Place, Birgit Klohs, about her impending retirement and highlights from the past three decades. Birgit discusses how the decision to retire has been the second hardest decision, outside of originally moving from Germany. She also shares her story that lead her to The Right Place in Grand Rapids, MI.
Watch the full interview with Chris and Birgit now!
More About Birgit
Birgit Klohs is President & CEO of The Right Place, Inc., a position she has held since 1987. The Right Place, Inc. is the regional economic development organization in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Under her 33 year leadership, The Right Place has created over 47,000 new and retained jobs and spurred over $5.1 billion in new investment. She is a leading economic development strategist, collaborating with local, State and national organizations on critical issues related to economic development.
A native of Germany, and leading authority in international business and economic development, Klohs also leads the Right Place’s international business development strategy. She conducts numerous foreign direct investment missions to Europe, Asia and the Middle East each year, both independently and in collaboration with the State of Michigan and the Governor’s office. She is a frequent speaker on national and international economic development issues, having addressed audiences in France, England, Germany, Sweden, China, Australia and Israel.
She is involved in many local and state-wide boards because she is a strong believer that a community’s quality of life is as important as its quality of commerce. In 2014 she was appointed by Governor Snyder to serve on the International Crossing Authority. A joint authority between the State of Michigan and the Country of Canada for the construction of the North American International Trade Crossing (Gordie Howe Bridge).
Klohs’ economic development career began as an industrial consultant with the Berrien County Economic Development Corporation of Berrien County, Michigan. She later served with the Michigan Department of Commerce and then Grand Valley State University, where she was Assistant Director of the Office of Economic Development. Prior to her position with GVSU, she was affiliated with Prince Corporation.
She is a graduate of Western Michigan University, as well as a graduate of the Economic Development Institute; and completed the economic development finance program through the National Development Council. She also attended Harvard executive management programs. - https://www.rightplace.org/about-us/b...
