Terrence M. Hicks
Leadership
Terrence’s career began in the corporate world, leading the Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company North America. For Ford, he co-managed a $5m budget, and managed more than 20 non-profit organizations with an emphasis on community relations and public policy. But with record-breaking investments pouring into Detroit, workforce development remains the key to Detroit’s comeback. And workforce development is Terrence’s passion.
For Metro Strategies, Terrence brings over 15 years of experience in workforce development to our clients. He focuses his work on developing new paradigms that enable local, small and minority businesses to participate in large infrastructure/development projects.
As a gubernatorial appointee, Terrence headed the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Office of Business Development where he developed and implemented some of Michigan’s most creative and innovative policies to ensure the inclusion of small, local-based businesses in the state’s billion-dollar infrastructure spending.
He also served as a Federal Highway Administration approved Independent Compliance Monitor. Hicks has employed a personal approach to creating awareness and breaking down bureaucratic barriers to success for residents and vendors alike on projects such as The Ann Arbor Transportation’s Blake Transit Center project, PAL/Tiger Stadium Youth Sports Facility, Dodge the Lodge M-10 highway project, and the M-39 Southfield Freeway restoration project.
Speaking Engagements
- COMTO 45TH Annual Meeting and Training National Conference, Dallas, Texas July 8th-12th, 2016: “The Value of Compliance Monitoring”
- COMTO 44th Annual Meeting and Training National Conference, Boston, Massachusetts July 11th-14th : “COMTO & American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Partnership”
- Michigan Department of Transportation Annual Small Business Conferences
Provided subject matter expert presentation on how DBE’s and small and disadvantaged businesses can competitively bid on federally-funded transportation projects including; bid preparation, capacity building and diversifying job categories to make companies more attractive to prime contractors and municipalities.
DiversityTrng. for Genesee County Road Commission, (2014)
Former Workforce Agent for Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, Blake Transit Center, (2012)
Former State director for MDOT, Office of Business Development (2007-2012)
Former president, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) Michigan Chapter, (2010-2012), COMTO Michigan selected as “Emerging Chapter of the Year” (2011)
National Chair, Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Sub-Committee for COMTO
Former board member, Motor City Blight Busters
Former board member, Real Life 101 Scholarship Program
Conference Of Minority Transportation Officials
Developed “African American contribution to Ford Motor Company during the first 100 years” exhibit for the Ford Motor Company Centennial – 2003