Michael P. Gilroy is the Vice President for Workforce Development at the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC), where he leads workforce and talent development work at the intersection of economic development and defense-affiliated advanced manufacturing. He currently supports the Department of War (DoW) Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program, helping regions align industry demand, education capacity, and funding into workable talent strategies for advanced manufacturing. Before joining CREC, he worked on Education and Workforce Development strategy for the ManTech Program, synchronizing efforts across nine DoW-affiliated Manufacturing Innovation Institutes. That work continues to inform the program’s education and workforce development investments.
From 2009 to 2022, Mr. Gilroy served as Program Director for Industry Resilience at the DoD Office of Economic Adjustment, where he rebuilt a dormant manufacturing community recovery program into the foundation for $227 million in federal investment, designed the congressionally directed $50 million Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program, and led more than 60 direct engagements with defense manufacturing communities. Earlier, at the U.S. Department of Labor, he directed the national workforce response to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round, created the Employment and Training Administration’s rapid-response Strategic Action Team model, and served as the Assistant Secretary’s point person in Louisiana, handling workforce recovery issues after Hurricane Katrina. A U.S. Army combat veteran, he holds a Master of Arts in Strategy, with distinction, from the United States Naval War College, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Providence College.