SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN

In Detroit and across Southeast Michigan, the William Davidson Foundation is working with our grantees and other partners to expand the number of good jobs and enhance our collection of great places. Together we see these as essential ingredients for a growing, connected community.

Good Jobs

Detroit once defined what it meant to have a good job and a middle-class life; it can do so again. Good jobs offer a sense of dignity, the promise of economic stability, and a path to prosperity for individuals and families. They can provide opportunities for people to grow into new roles or careers as markets and technologies inevitably evolve.

Great Places

The Detroit region is home to a beautiful public riverfront, boasts world-class museums and performing arts organizations, and offers easy access to a variety of sports and recreation activities. Upgrading our parks, museums, and other cultural and communal institutions is an investment in our future, as they factor into where new businesses open and play a role in both retaining residents and attracting new talent.

The William Davidson Foundation’s grantmaking and other activities in support of Southeast Michigan reflect themes that cut across our full portfolio.

Entrepreneurship and Creativity

In Southeast Michigan, we are investing in efforts to stimulate the creation, growth, and retention of new businesses in technology, innovation, and other high-potential market sectors and industries that will yield good jobs for future generations.

Gathering Spaces

In Southeast Michigan, we are enhancing and expanding access to longstanding cultural institutions, developing significant parks and plazas, and supporting family-oriented programming in neighborhood parks along the Woodward Avenue corridor.

Leaders Who Educate and
Promote Understanding

We are working with various partners to create and promote experiences that will instill a sense of pride and optimism among those already connected to our region and that will also help attract further investment, tourism, and new residents to the metropolitan Detroit area.
 

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Suzanne Perreault

Program Officer

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Suzanne Perreault is a Program Officer at the William Davidson Foundation and part of the Southeast Michigan Economic & Cultural Vitality team, leading the Foundation’s Good Jobs portfolio.  Suzanne is a highly accomplished leader in economic development with a distinguished career focused on fostering inclusive entrepreneurship across Michigan. She plays a key role in the development, refinement, and stewardship of grants and related strategies that support entrepreneurs and stimulates the creation, growth, and retention of new businesses in metropolitan Detroit. Suzanne excels in building collaborative partnerships and is committed to driving good jobs and promoting growth in vital industries to improve the livelihoods of individuals and families throughout the region.

Prior to joining the William Davidson Foundation, Suzanne served as the Director of Small Business Services at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, where she was instrumental in developing and managing innovative programming, overseeing an $80 million portfolio of small business support contracts, and leveraged data-driven insights to support the launch, stabilization, and growth of microenterprises, place-based and early-stage businesses statewide.  

Suzanne brings small business and community development experience to her role at WDF having held other key roles including Vice President at Mercantile Events & Marketing, an industry leader in retail and consumer-based events, where she led implementation of the business’s strategic plan – achieving growth and enhancing profitability.  She served as Executive Director of the Downtown Development Authority in both Lake Orion, MI and Holly, MI, and led downtown revitalization efforts, managing a variety of initiatives including capital improvements, real estate development, and placemaking projects.  Suzanne is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University.