THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS GRAND VALLEY CHAPTER EXPLORES HOW ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES ARE AFFECTING OUR REGION

CHAPTER HOSTS BIRGIT KLOHS AND GREG NORTHRUP AS PART OF REGULAR PROGRAM SERIES FEBRUARY 16 IN GRAND RAPIDS

As part of its monthly program series to bring awareness to issues impacting the quality of life in West Michigan, The Grand Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Grand Valley) will present ”The State of the Region“ on Thursday, February 16, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences in Grand Rapids.  Special guest speakers for the event will be Birgit Klohs, president of The Right Place, Inc., and Greg Northrup, president of the West Michigan Strategic Alliance. The public is invited.

Birgit Klohs is president of The Right Place, Inc., a non-profit, regional economic development organization that has retained and attracted firms to Greater Grand Rapids for over two decades. Ms. Klohs will present a brief overview of The Right Place, and how its strategic priorities are designed to enhance the region’s economic health and industry competitiveness. Ms. Klohs also will discuss specific projects, collaborative initiatives, and economic trends that illustrate the direction of our regional development, the evolving nature of our industrial base, and its impact on our region’s competitive position in the global marketplace.

Greg Northrup is interim president of the West Michigan Strategic Alliance, a regional public policy organization that conducts data gathering, analysis and strategic planning across ten essential activities: Environment, Economy, Education & Research, Health & Human Services, Tourism, Arts & Culture, Land Use, Infrastructure, Transportation/Logistics and Governance.  Greg will talk about the Alliance’s recent work and discuss how the evolution and development of the West Michigan region’s economic base impacts our quality of life.