Birgit M. Klohs

Birgit Klohs is President & CEO of The Right Place, Inc., a position she has held since 1987. The Right Place, Inc. is the regional economic development organization for the retention, expansion and attraction of businesses in the West Michigan Area. Ms. Klohs, a native of Germany, came to The Right Place, Inc. from Grand Valley State University (GVSU), where she served as Assistant Director of the Office for Economic Expansion.
Prior to her association with GVSU, Ms. Klohs was affiliated with Prince Corporation in Holland, Michigan. Her economic development career began in 1977 as an Industrial Consultant with the Economic Development Corporation of Berrien County, Michigan. Following her experience in Berrien County, she joined the Michigan Department of Commerce as an Account Executive for the West Michigan region. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University, where she earned her B.A. degree in Corporate Finance. She is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma; and completed the professional economic development finance program through the National Development Council. She also attended executive training programs at Harvard University.
During her 29 year career at The Right Place she has organized numerous trade missions to Europe, the Far East and Israel. She is also a frequent speaker at national and international economic development conferences and seminars, having lectured in France, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, China, Australia and Israel. She has also been a speaker at the Clinton Global Initiative on Manufacturing.
She is involved in many local and state-wide activities. In 2014 she was appointed by Governor Snyder to serve on the International Crossing Authority. A joint authority between the State of Michigan and the Country of Canada for the construction of the North American International Trade Crossing (Gordie Howe Bridge).