The Detroit Regional Workforce Partnership (DRWP), founded as an initiative of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, has moved its home base to the Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP). The consolidation positions DRWP to make 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.
Community Foundation President and CEO Nicole Sherard-Freeman worked with members of the Detroit Regional CEO Group to establish DRWP when she joined the Community Foundation 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,” Sherard-Freeman says. “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 incubated more than 80 initiatives over the past four decades, moving projects from their infancy to development, strategy and execution.
Since its launch two years ago, 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.
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, adds: “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.”
Economic opportunity is a pillar of both the Community Foundation’s work and the Detroit Regional Partnership.
“We are thrilled to welcome the former DRWP team members into the Detroit Regional Partnership family,” says 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.”
This story first appeared in the Spring 2026 REPORT Newsletter