Contact:
Kristin Palm
(313) 483-1326
kpalm@wayne.edu

Date: July 10, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TechTown Detroit appoints Lori Wingerter and Charles Burke to board

TechTown Detroit has named two new members to its Board of Directors. Lori Wingerter and Charles Burke were approved at the Board’s June 4 meeting. TechTown’s board is comprised of 31 business and community leaders who oversee the city’s most established business incubator and accelerator.

Lori Wingerter is Chief Philanthropic Officer at General Motors. Wingerter manages the company’s efforts to move the world forward with social investments that change lives through meaningful charitable partnerships. Prior to her current role, Wingerter held various management positions at General Motors during her three decades with the company, including within the Public Policy, Environment and Energy, and Emerging Issues and Process Integration functions. She has been recognized for her professional and personal achievements receiving the GM Outstanding Women Award, GM Chairman’s Honors Award, and the GM Public Policy Center Star Award on three occasions, the GM Extraordinary Accomplishments Award, the Can-does Award from the Michigan Technology Council and the Outstanding Industrial Hygiene Student of the Year from the Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society.

Charles Burke is the President and CEO of The War Memorial. Under Burke’s leadership, The War Memorial annually welcomes more than 250,000 patrons with over 3,000 events, all while incubating more than 50 nonprofit organizations. Burke’s work has delivered significant growth in all aspects of the institution’s diverse array of sustainable business lines, including community engagement via arts and cultural events and classes; thought-provoking humanities programming; online and television broadcasts; strategic alignments with the nonprofit sector; premiere hospitality events and services; endowment and governance administration; and brand advancement with creative fund development. Prior to this position, Burke spent a significant portion of his career as both an executive and orchestral conductor for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. As the Sr. Director of Education for the DSO, he was responsible for the development of the Pincus Education Center in Midtown Detroit as well as initiatives such as the African American Fellowship, a graduate level training program tackling diversity in classical music.

“We are thrilled to have these talented professionals join the TechTown Board of Directors,” said M. Roy Wilson, Wayne State University president and chair of the TechTown Board. “Lori and Charles are both recognized for their community leadership and their professional experience adds additional depth to the organization, furthering our mission to help tech and neighborhood businesses develop, launch and grow.”

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TechTown is Detroit’s entrepreneurship hub, with a full suite of programs for both tech and neighborhood small businesses. TechTown works with businesses at all stages, helping startup, emerging and established companies develop, launch and grow. For more information, visit techtowndetroit.org.