Director of Marketing

Background information on Cheryl Graham Solomon

Cheryl Graham Solomon is responsible for the promotion, advertising and public information activities for the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority (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.

Her accomplishments during her ten year tenure as Marketing Director include bringing the American Association of Port Authorities’ (AAPA) National Convention to Detroit in 2012.  An event that will host port authorities from Canada, United States, the Caribbean and South America.  In 2009, she was awarded the coveted J. Lee Bartlett Award from the Detroit Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau for successfully leading the bid that won the convention. She coordinated 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 served on the 2001 Transition Team for the Mayor of Detroit 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.  From 2004-2006 she initiated and coordinated a special annual fund raising gala event that raised thousands of dollars for the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. 

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 and she was the Mayor’s liaison to 33 consulate offices covering Detroit.  She successfully coordinated 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.  She was appointed by Mayor Coleman Young and re-appointed by Mayor Dennis Archer to serve as the first woman on the Board of Directors of the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority and the Greater Detroit Foreign Trade Zone Board.  Also Ms. Solomon was appointed by Governor James Blanchard to serve on his Michigan Task Force on International Trade. She was Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors for the International Exchange Council, Inc., a non-profit organization that conducted 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 a national pilot program, the Minority Business Export Trade Assistance Program (MBETAP) 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.