Detroit Regional Partnership Hires Christine Roeder to Lead Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM) Initiative
Top economic developer to help region maintain global mobility leadership
DETROIT (January 12, 2023) – Today, the Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP) announced it has hired Christine Roeder as Executive Vice President of the Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM) as the Detroit Region works to retain and expand its global mobility and automotive leadership through a world-class advanced mobility industry sector.
“No region is better positioned to lead the world in advanced mobility than Detroit and GEM has a critical role to play to ensure we maximize this opportunity,” said Maureen Donohue Krauss, president and CEO of the DRP. “We could not be more excited to add someone with Christine’s expertise and experience. She’s worked with businesses and economic developers across Michigan for more than 20 years and will help our companies and workers thrive as the automotive industry shifts to electric vehicles and next-generation mobility.”
GEM is designed to create a smart, secure advanced mobility industry cluster that drives equitable and inclusive economic growth in Southeast Michigan. It is comprised of six associated projects to help workers, companies, startups and economic development agencies adapt to the rapidly changing mobility industry. GEM is funded by a $52-million Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded to a DRP-lead regional coalition in September 2022.
“It’s a time of historic change for the automotive industry, which is exciting because our region and state are already at the forefront of advanced mobility innovation,” said Roeder. “Maintaining that leadership requires us all working together and rallying around our mobility assets to continue to grow and adapt. I look forward to working with our partners through GEM to build out the most innovative advanced mobility industry in the world.”
As the lead coordinator of GEM, Roeder is responsible for executing the GEM vision to accelerate economic growth by building on the region’s unrivaled mobility assets while overseeing grant strategy, compliance, and execution. She will serve as GEM’s central convener, ensuring alignment and coordinated activity across funded project partners, GEM’s advisory councils, mobility industry stakeholders, and GEM’s extensive network of coalition partners.
During a nearly 21-year tenure at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Roeder held various senior leadership roles, including Vice President and Senior Vice President in Business Development, and led business attraction and retention efforts. In these roles, she managed relationships with businesses and automotive suppliers and OEMs across the state leading to business expansion and global attraction opportunities – most notably Stellantis’ expansions, which included the announcement of the first new assembly plant in the city of Detroit in 30 years in 2019. In addition to leading her team, Roeder was also responsible for maintaining strong relationships with economic developers appointed to the MEDC Collaborative Development Council, a group of statewide economic development leaders.
About the Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM)
The Global Epicenter of Mobility is a regional initiative led by the Detroit Regional Partnership that is designed to create a smart, secure, sustainable, and inclusive advanced-mobility industry in Southeast Michigan. Comprised of six related projects, GEM helps workers, companies, startups, and economic development agencies adapt to the rapidly changing mobility industry. GEM is funded by a $52.2-million Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded in September 2022. The six co-recipients of the grant are the Detroit Regional Partnership, State of Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, Southeast Michigan Community Alliance, TechTown, and University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute.
About the Detroit Regional Partnership
The Detroit Regional Partnership is a public-private economic development partnership focused on marketing and business attraction for the 11-county Detroit Region. It serves as a convenient single point of contact to all regional resources and works with companies and site selectors to help manage their projects and support their transition into the region. It specializes in helping companies understand and access the competitive advantages of our region – from workforce data to state and local incentives. To learn more, visit: DetroitRegionalPartnership.com.
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Media Contact:
Jim Martinez
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