Terri Weems

Director of Workforce for the City of Detroit

Terri Weems is the Director of Workforce for the City of Detroit and leads the Mayor’s Workforce Development Board. She is responsible for coordinating workforce development activities with economic development strategies, as well as the planning and oversight of talent development programs and strategies.

Before serving in this capacity, she served as President and CFO of Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC), the Michigan Works! Agency for the City of Detroit. In this role, she managed more than $100 million in funding and focused on developing metrics and leveraging data to inform the organization’s decision-making. She led DESC’s process optimization and continuous improvement efforts and is an accomplished leader who has successfully managed several major initiatives.

She is a multi-disciplined Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with 20 years of experience spanning accounting, financial reporting, and auditing in both the U.S. and abroad. She leverages this experience to resolve complex business and accounting issues, advise on internal control systems, and support operational and strategic planning.

Prior to joining DESC, Terri audited and advised Fortune 500 companies at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). She also directed firm-wide innovation and transformational change efforts for PwC that led to improved organizational performance and increased profitability. She was responsible for designing, delivering, and implementing new workforce models, talent brands, performance management processes, and several new technologies and procedures across 50,000 staff. These initiatives were aimed at improving efficiencies, reducing the potential for compliance issues, and managing organizational interdependencies.

Terri has been recognized and awarded locally and statewide for her work in finance, revenue cycle management, and education. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and her master’s degree in accounting from Ohio University. She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Michigan Association of CPAs, and the National Association of Black Accountants.

She is heavily involved in mentoring youth throughout Detroit Public Schools and the metro Detroit area. Terri is also active in her community and has served on the Farmington Public Schools Board since 2015, including roles as President and Treasurer, and as Chair of the Policy and Finance Committees. She also serves as treasurer of her homeowner’s association and sits on the advisory board for Detroit Public Schools Community District at Martin Luther King Jr. High School.

Terri and her husband are the proud parents of three beautiful daughters.