Birgit M. Klohs has spent more than four decades working to enhance economic development in West Michigan.
Under her leadership as president and CEO, The Right Place Inc., West Michigan’s regional economic development organization, created or retained more than 50,000 jobs and stimulated over $5 billion in new investments. Among the projects she worked on were the opening of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine and the creation of the Manufacturers Council.
Since stepping down from The Right Place in 2021, where she has worked since 1987, Klohs has served as a director for the New Community Transformation Fund, a venture fund she co-founded for entrepreneurs of color. She also serves on the International Crossing Authority, Gerald R. Ford Airport Authority, and Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority, and on the boards of Macatawa Bank, ADAC Automotive, and Priority Health.
Klohs, a native of Germany, graduated from Western Michigan University and the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. She also completed the National Development Council’s economic development finance program and attended Harvard University’s executive management program. She has an honorary doctorate in business from Davenport University.
