Leadership Team

Ingrid Tighe is the President of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center). Joining the team at the beginning of 2023, Ingrid serves as the official representative of the MEP National Network in Michigan. She is responsible for The Center’s statewide network of five offices, its innovation and growth strategies, and for building and maintaining relationships with Michigan’s industry clients, partners and state and federal governmental stakeholders.

Previously, she served as Director of Economic Development for Oakland County where she led 200 staff members in four divisions focused on business development and international business attraction; community development and planning; and the county’s workforce development and veteran services.

Prior to working at Oakland County, Ingrid was the Executive Director of Birmingham (Mich.) Shopping District where she planned, organized, coordinated and directed programs and activities designed to promote and foster downtown Birmingham as a center for business, social, cultural and community activity. She also worked for the State of Michigan in economic development promoting business investment and job growth in Michigan working with the private sector, local economic developers, and government organizations and in workforce development implementing programs, policy and statewide initiatives to improve veteran employment.

Ingrid attended Vanderbilt University on a four-year R.O.T.C. scholarship and was commissioned as a U.S. Army Signal Corps officer upon graduation. She served from 1998 to 2005 with the 1st Infantry Division in Germany participating in NATO peacekeeping operations in Macedonia and Kosovo and later with the 1st Cavalry Division leading troops from 2004 to 2005 in the combat zone of Baghdad, Iraq. After honorably separating from the Army, Ingrid used the post 9/11 G.I. Bill to obtain her Master of Public Administration from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.