Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center begins presidential transition

Mike Coast and Ingrid Tighe

The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, Plymouth, Mich., has announced that Mike Coast, who has served as president for 21 years, is retiring after a 27-year career with the organization. Under his leadership, The Center has become a valuable resource for small to medium-sized manufacturers in Michigan.

Coast co-founded and served as the first chairman of the board of the American Small Manufacturers Coalition, which advocates for legislative and programmatic resources to allow small manufacturers to compete globally. In 2017, he received the MEPeople Award for his dedication to manufacturing and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Coast is transitioning the president’s role to Ingrid Tighe. Previously, she served as director of economic development for Oakland County and as executive director of Birmingham (Mich.) Shopping District. She also worked for the state of Michigan in economic development, promoting business investment and job growth in Michigan.

Tighe attended Vanderbilt University on a four-year R.O.T.C. scholarship and was commissioned as a U.S. Army Signal Corps officer upon graduation. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.