Maureen Donohue Krauss

Employer: Detroit Regional Chamber

Graduation Year: 1984

Current Position: Vice President of Economic Development, Business Attraction

Biography:

 Maureen Donohue Krauss was hired in November, 2011, as the Vice President of Economic Development, Business Attraction for the Detroit Regional Chamber.  In this role she will be responsible for developing a branding/marketing strategy for business development for the Detroit region as well as the implementation of this strategy.  This strategy includes coordinating with state and local partners as well as coordinating national and international trade shows and missions.  Maureen's goal is an important one for the Detroit region: attract new jobs and investments.

Maureen joined the Detroit Regional Chamber after 13 years of work for Oakland County, most recently as the Director of the Department of Economic Development & Community Affairs.  Her experience includes overseeing Oakland County's Emerging Sectors Program, an initiative to diversify Oakland County's tax base by attracting and retaining industries of the future. Previously she served as a Senior Business Development Representative. She was responsible for business attraction and expansion, and worked on over $500 million in new investment projects from both domestic and European partners.  Maureen also worked on economic development projects in Arizona and was named the state's Economic Developer of the Year in 1994.

In 2003, Maureen served as the President of the Michigan Economic Developers Association, a 400 member organization that serves economic development professionals throughout the state. She is an active member of the German American and French American Chambers of Commerce, and is on the Board of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce of Detroit.  She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Rochester Community Schools Foundation.

There were many highlights during Maureen's time in the Ford Institute, but the one that stands out was meeting President Gerald Ford, an individual she identifies as a "dedicated public servant and a nice man."  Through her experiences like her internship on a Congressional campaign, different speakers that were brought to campus, and programs such as traveling to DC, Maureen loved and valued the exposure to different types of government and policy.

Maureen has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Albion College, a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan, and is a graduate of the Detroit Regional Chamber's Leadership Detroit Class of 2009. She lives in Rochester Hills with her husband, Dean, and her two children, John and Natalie.

"The liberal arts education was a great overview of learning; the Ford Institute was wonderful exposure to the world of government and public policy."