Good Day! Dr. Forbes Gaughan (Maree) here! I’m sure you’re wondering how I could possibly have gained the experience and expertise about economic development, community engagement, destination development/tourism and townscaping/placemaking over the course of one career. Truth is, I’ve had a long and interesting career.
After graduating from University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master’s in Art and Architectural History and Historic Preservation, during which I could take some architecture classes, I spent a decade working for architecture firms doing everything from an alternative plan for Interstate-35 through Duluth, MN to preserve some very special historic buildings and working with the firm that was the consultant to the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, DC.
After I completed a PhD in Environmental Planning, I was contracted by The World Bank, the Development Bank in Washington, DC right out of graduate school. In order to do what I was hired to do, I had to learn what they did and received the best education in Economic Development possible.
As a Fellow of the International Facility Managers Association at that time, I was engaged to create the original Buildings Owners and Managers Association International Certification Coursework and original Interiors Masterspec for the American Institute of Architects.
When the time came to curtail international travel, I turned to the travel and tourism industry since I had traveled since age 7. The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International commissioned me to write two publications, the first Creating Customers: Marketing to Today’s Transforming Travelers. A second, a Resource Guide to the New Millennium, a 404-page summary of every segment of the industry focusing on the past, present and future. That work enabled me to learn the tourism industry thoroughly.
Subsequently, I managed an inbound tour operation for nine years, served as a DMO for three years, and concurrently served as the Destination Management and Marketing Professor in the Master of Travel and Tourism Program at Temple University for eight years. In addition, I consulted on strategic planning for tourism and created tourism offerings for local communities across the nation.
Community Economic Partners enables me to turn back to my original roots and help communities to become more economically successful within the entire scope of economic development, not just confined to tourism. It also enables me to team up with some really special people to help communities as a team with deep expertise and a caring mentality.
In order to update my knowledge of economic development, community engagement and more, for the past three years, I have been engaged in an intensive individually-propelled learning program, gaining certificates in the following areas:
- Sustainable Development, Columbia University
- Local Economic Development, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Economic Theories, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Narrative Economics, Yale, University
- Sustainable Farming for 2025, Western Australia University
- The US Food System, Johns Hopkins University
- Exploring Our Responses to Climate Change University of Colorado-Boulder
- What is Climate Change?
- How to Manage Climate Change?
- Planning With Climate Change in Mind
- Sustainable Cities and Communities Lund University Sweden
- Greening the Economy in Sustainable Cities
- Urban Nature: Connecting Cities, Sustainability and Innovation
- Cities and Consumption: Urban Sustainability and the Sharing Economy
- Act on Climate University of Michigan
- Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy University of North Carolina Law School
- Sustainable Tourism University of Copenhagen Denmark
- Certification as a Sustainable Tourism Professional Global Sustainable Tourism Council
- Economic Development 101 International Economic Development Council
- Leading Sustainable Community Transformation University of Colorado-Boulder
- Developing a Systems Mindset
- Strategies for Effective Engagement
- Transforming Communities
- Become a Change Maker HEC Business School Paris
- Removing Barriers to Change University of Pennsylvania Wharton
- Using Public Policy for Social Change University of Michigan
- Introduction to American Law University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Introduction to Non-Profit Law University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Arts and Heritage Management Bocconi University School of Business Italy
- Management of Successful Arts and Cultural Organizations University of Maryland
- Strategic Management University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Leading Teams: Developing as a Leader
- Leading Teams: Building Effective Team Cultures
- Designing the Organization
- Managing the Organization
- Business Strategy
- Corporate Strategy
- Grow to Greatness University of Virginia
- MBA Essentials for Sustainability University of Glasgow Scotland
- Introduction to Digital Advertising University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Marketing in a Digital World University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Digital Advertising: Programmatic Advertising University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- What is Social? Northwestern University
- Strategic Thinking for Everyone Arizona State University
- Communicating to Everyone Arizona State University
- Management Consulting Emory University
- Introduction to Management Consulting
- Consulting Approach to Problem Solving
- Consulting Presentations and Storytelling
- Consulting Tools
Memberships, Certifications, Recognition
- Member: International Economic Development Council
- Lifetime Member: Buildings Owners and Managers Association International
- Former Fellow: International Facility Management Association
- Former Associate Member: American Institute of Architects
- Former Professionally Certified Member: Institute of Business Designers
- Former Member: Intelligent Buildings Institute
- Former Professionally Certified Member: Construction Specifications Institute
- Former Board Member: Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International
- Certified Sustainable Tourism Professional: Global Sustainable Tourism Council
- Former Highway Administration Scenic Byway Expert Consultant
- Certified Online Teaching Professional, Temple University
- Adjunct Faculty, University of Tennessee, Aesthetics for Engineers
- Former Board Member, Tennessee Association of Professional Business Designers
- Contract Design Magazine, Nationwide Emerging Designer Award
- Former Board Member, National Scenic Byway Foundation
- Chester County Pennsylvania Commissioners, Historic Preservation Award
- Former International Air Transport Association Certified Travel Agent
Publications
- Business Owners and Managers Certification Coursework, 5 Volumes, 1,500 pages
- Masterspec Interiors, American Institute of Architects, 5 Volumes, 1,000 pages
- Johnson Controls/Pan Am World Services Training Manual
- Creating Customers: Marketing to Today’s Transforming Travelers, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International
- Travel.Tourism.Hospitality: Resources for the New Millennium, 404-page manual illustrating the past, present and future of each industry segment
- Tourism: Economic Development for Any Size Community, 490-page road map