Director of Marketing

Background information on Cheryl Graham Solomon

Cheryl Graham Solomon is responsible for promotion, advertising and public information activities for the DWCPA.  She is the liaison to various units of governments, business and community groups and the international community. She designs and produces new and improved Annual Reports and she publishes “The Mariner Times” newsletter, a special edition publication of the DWCPA. She raises funds for the Dossin Great Lakes Museum from a special event fundraising that she coordinates annually as part of her community outreach efforts.

Her accomplishments during her tenure include coordinating the “Sail Detroit and Ford Parade of Historic Ships” event for Detroit’s 300th Birthday Celebration.   The event, a phenomenal success, brought 24 Tall Ships from around the world to both waterfronts in the city of Detroit and its neighboring city, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Over a three-day period, five million people came to the waterfronts to view the Tall Ships. Also, Solomon, has served on the 2001 Transition Team for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick where she participated on the Transportation Committee in strategic planning for the Port of Detroit and border security.   In 2004, she established a Sister Port relationship between the DWCPA and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority when she participated on a trade mission to Ghana, West Africa.

Ms. Solomon has formerly served as Assistant to the Mayor of the City of Detroit, responsible for international affairs and trade activities.  She designed and implemented the international trade program for the Mayor’s Office where she conducted research and implemented seminars on “Doing Business in Africa” and “Exporting to Canada.”  She was also the Mayor’s liaison to 33 consulate offices covering Detroit.  She   successfully coordinated a seminar which provided executive training to the directors, deputy directors and administrators of the City’s departments and the Mayor’s executives and appointees.

She has earned a Masters of Arts degree in International Politics and Economics from the University of Detroit Mercy and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia.  She is a certified International Trade Specialist from the American Graduate School of International Management Thunderbird Management Center, Glendale, Arizona.

In 2006, Solomon was appointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm to the Michigan Board of Medicine for a 3 year term ending in 2009.  She was appointed by Mayor Coleman Young to serve a the first woman on the Board of Directors of the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority for 5 years and the Foreign Trade Zone Board for eight years.  She was Founder and is currently Chair of the Board of Directors for the International Exchange Council, Inc., a non-profit organization that conducts programs for the development of global business and educational opportunities for Michigan residents and entrepreneurs.  She led the organization in implementing its International Visitor’s Program and a Student International Career Training and Development Program for the City of Detroit.  Also, she was awarded a federal grant to initiate the Minority Business Export Trade Assistance Program for the City of Detroit.  Additionally, she has directed trade missions to the countries of Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Senegal and The Gambia, West Africa.  Ms. Solomon was appointed by Governor James Blanchard to serve on his Michigan Task Force on International Trade in 1990.

Her professional affiliations include: Public Relations Committee-American Association of Port Authorities, The Propellor Club of the United States-Port of Detroit (Former Board Member), American Marketing Association-Detroit Chapter, Communications Committee-Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Booker T. Washington Business Association (Former First Vice President, Board Member), Leadership Detroit XXIV, Michigan Political Leadership Program-Fellow, Leadership America-Fellow, Rotary Club of Detroit, and the Organization of Women In International Trade.