Theresa Rich
Faculty areas of expertise
After a 30+ year career at General Motors, I retired to start a law firm and teach part-time at MISB. During my 32 years at GM, I worked as an attorney in the tax department, in Organization & Development, as the leader of GM Learning, in Human Resources providing services to over 10,000 engineering professionals, in strategy, and as an executive coach. My specialty was helping global executives transition to new roles. During my time there, I was sent to over a dozen different countries on five continents. I led the global employee engagement operations, developed a training curriculum for the global HR staff, and started a day-long new employee orientation program. As an internal consultant, I became the confidant and leader of change management for a number of senior executives, mostly in the engineering function.
Get in touch
Office
As my course(s) is taught online, I do not have an office on campus or posted office hours. However, I truly love to connect with students 1-on-1. Please email me to set up an in-person or Zoom meeting about class, your career, or any other professional topic.
Get to know Theresa Rich
Biography
Theresa Rich, PhD, is Mayor of the City of Farmington Hills. A suburb of Detroit, Michigan, with 84,000 residents that speak 67 languages in their homes, Farmington Hills is one of the most diverse cities of its size in the US. Dr. Rich is a probate attorney, small business owner, protector of senior citizens, defender of children, and advocate for families who teaches at Wayne State University. Following a three decade automotive corporate career where she did everything from tax law to strategy to leading seminars in a dozen countries, Dr. Rich’s attention has been primarily focused on public service.
In her first 14 months on the job as mayor, Mayor Rich is proud to share that she appointed nearly 40 residents to the city’s various boards and commissions. These appointees are people who had not previously been involved in Farmington Hills government. With these appointments, the city’s boards and commissions now reflect the demographics of the city and were done without displacing board members who wished to continue to serve. She also supported veterans by paving the way for the American Legion to relocated its hall to Farmington Hills, began studies to enhance two of the city’s corridors and more effectively use facilities, is sponsoring funding of public art, and brought together the local school board and nearest city to work together more collaboratively.
A big believer in the importance of being a life long learner, Mayor Rich holds a PhD and two law degrees. She recently completed a Public Leadership Certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School.
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Certificate of Completion: Senior Executives in State & Local Government - Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education
Certificate of Completion: Public Narrative: Leadership, Storytelling, and Action - Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education
PhD - Capella University - Organization & Management
Master of Legal Letters (LL.M.) in Taxation - Wayne State University Law School
Juris Doctor (J.D.) - Wayne State University Law School
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) - Grand Valley State University
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in Accounting - Grand Valley State University
Associate of Business Administration (A.B.A.) - Lake Michigan College
After a 30+ year career at General Motors, I retired to start a law firm and teach part-time at MISB. During my 32 years at GM, I worked as an attorney in the tax department, in Organization & Development, as the leader of GM Learning, in Human Resources providing services to over 10,000 engineering professionals, in strategy, and as an executive coach. My specialty was helping global executives transition to new roles. During my time there, I was sent to over a dozen different countries on five continents. I led the global employee engagement operations, developed a training curriculum for the global HR staff, and started a day-long new employee orientation program. As an internal consultant, I became the confidant and leader of change management for a number of senior executives, mostly in the engineering function.
My dissertation is on Followership and my teaching interests are in management, human resources, organizational development, and change management.