Business Leaders for Michigan in Detroit announced that Ryan Tarrant has joined the organization as COO, succeeding Sabrina Keeley, who is retiring after 16 years.
Tarrant comes from the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, where he has served five years as president and CEO. Under his leadership, the chamber added hundreds of new memberships and secured more than $1 million in funding for a talent attraction and retention initiative.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ryan to our team,” says Jeff Donofrio, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan. “Ryan’s an experienced leader in helping solve problems for small and large businesses and working to build strong communities across our state. His experience will help us and our members as we work to make Michigan a top 10 state for jobs, education, widely shared prosperity, and a healthy economy.”
Keeley was integral to the transformation from the regional Detroit Renaissance to the statewide Business Leaders for Michigan in 2009. Previously, she was the president and CEO of the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce and served for more than a decade as the COO and interim CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and its predecessor organization, the Michigan Jobs Commission.
“Sabrina has been the heart and soul of Business Leaders for Michigan and a warrior for Michigan. We are going to miss her passion and her skills,” says Donofrio. “We wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.”
