Dr. Rouse is director of Workforce & Continuing Education for the Engineering and Advanced Technology department at Macomb Community College. His area is focused on helping individuals train, re-train or upskill to connect with jobs that are in demand, and in positioning local employers with the right talent to sustain and grow their businesses. Annually, this translates into working with more than 400 businesses and 3,200 students. He has more than 20 years of operations leadership experience that includes international experience and spans industry sectors, including higher education, manufacturing, media, and business solutions. Dr. Rouse holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration – international business with a minor in international relations, a Master of Education in higher education leadership degree, a Doctor of Education – higher education leadership degree from Liberty University. Dr. Rouse serves on a number of committees focused on economic development including being Macomb’s representative to the Cornerstone (OTA), a Department of Defense initiative to re-shore the supply-chain, serving on the Macomb County Aerospace & Defense Committee, the National Defense Industry Association – Michigan Chapter Board of Directors and Chair of the STEM Committee, the Leadership Macomb Education Committee, and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments’ (SEMCOG) Economic Development Strategy Task Force that published their “Increasing shared prosperity for a resilient economy” strategy in 2020 (link).