“The degree I received from WMU changed my life. It was the key to my career today. I would not be where I am it if were not for my education at Western.”
Klohs has spent her career in economic development and working to make the west Michigan region an economic leader in the Midwest. Since 1987, she has served as the CEO of The Right Place, Inc., the regional economic development organization for Grand Rapids and West Michigan. Under her leadership, more than $4 billion in capital investments have been made and more than 40,000 jobs have been created in the region. In addition, The Right Place has developed international partnerships and collaborations with local and regional government and business to create innovative opportunities. As a result of her efforts, Klohs was appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to the International Crossing Authority to oversee construction of the North American International Trade Crossing.
Klohs served on the WMU Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2004, acting as chair in her final year. In 2010, she presented “Positioning West Michigan for the Global Economy” for the Haworth College of Business Distinguished Speaker series, and was honored in 2012 by the Haworth College of Business with an Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award. She worked with WMU Staff on the Downtown WMU Grand Rapids Campus and continues to do so. She also enjoys finding ways to work with various WMU departments to bring their resources to West Michigan companies.