Detroit Regional Workforce Partnership joins forces with Detroit Regional Partnership to strengthen economic opportunity in southeast Michigan
DETROIT, Mich. – The Detroit Regional Workforce Partnership (DRWP), founded as an initiative of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM), has moved its home base to the Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP). This transition was approved by the DRP Board of Directors effective March 10, 2026, and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s Board of Trustees effective March 11, 2026. The consolidation will position DRWP to have an even greater impact on advancing economic opportunity in southeast Michigan.
The DRP and DRWP were established in 2019 and 2023, respectively, by the Detroit Regional CEO Group to better align economic development solutions for the business community, as well as support economic growth in the region.
Nicole Sherard-Freeman, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, worked with members of the Regional CEO Group to establish DRWP when she joined CFSEM in 2023. The Community Foundation served not only as a funder and thought partner for DRWP, but also as an incubator, providing the resources and governing structure to help get the work off to a strong start.
“When Dave Meador, Gerry Anderson, Dave Egner and I began conversations about launching DRWP, our long-term vision was to incubate and grow this initiative to ensure the work would be well-positioned to ultimately be housed within an economic development agency,” said Sherard-Freeman. “Southeast Michigan is fortunate to have a group of seasoned leaders who believe in the multiplier effect of connecting workforce development and economic development systems.”
The Community Foundation has been an incubator for more than 80+ initiatives over the last four decades, moving projects from the infancy stage to development, strategy, and execution. Over the past two years since its launch, DRWP has worked to simplify how employers engage with the workforce system — aligning education, training and support services with real-time labor market demands. DRWP developed several research-to-action assets including the Breaking Down Barriers to Employment series and the Jobs that Mobilize report. Both can be viewed in the 2025 DRWP Impact Report.
Strengthening the region’s talent ecosystem
Workforce development initiatives have been a key pillar of the Detroit Regional Partnership’s work since its inception in 2019. In addition to its successful business development, site readiness, and research and analytics work, the DRP’s talent solutions team has played a significant role in driving the organization’s more than 42,000 jobs and $3B in created payroll over the past six years.
The integration of this new line of work will complement the existing efforts of the DRP and allow for a unified economic development and workforce platform that strengthens corporate engagement, fundraising, and service delivery.
“We are thrilled to welcome the former DRWP team members into the Detroit Regional Partnership family,” said Maureen Krauss, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership. “We are now a singular, unified team, focused on enabling our region’s employers to attract and retain the skilled workforce they need, while providing individuals, families, and communities access to great career opportunities.”
Economic opportunity is a pillar of both the Community Foundation’s work and the Detroit Regional Partnership. Bob Riney, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health and DRP chairman added, “We know the best way to provide business-focused solutions that benefit our residents and families is to align programs that result in more career opportunities in the Detroit region. This transition is an important step in ensuring that alignment will happen.”
Click to learn more about the about the Detroit Regional Partnership and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.