People

Dennis Arouca is a senior leader of award-winning business initiatives for a variety of diverse organizations- private and public-including Fortune 500 companies. His experience includes executive and Board leadership in a number of industries, with international experience, complemented by 16 years as a practicing attorney. His experience includes membership on the board of directors of a municipally-owned natural gas utility, economic development and investment corporations, education non-profits, and a regional sports congress. Dennis’ industry experience includes industrial manufacturing, steel, transportation, agriculture, mining and government.

Dennis currently serves as a member of a number of boards of directors, as an investor, and in advisory capacities for business development, workforce development, and education. He recently finished a 6 year year term as a member of the Board of Directors for the Grand Traverse Economic Development Corporation. Dennis served as a board member for Northern Michigan Angels investor group, and the Grand Traverse Area Manufacturing Council. He has been a member of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law’s Board of Visitors since 1999.

Dennis was appointed by Peninsula Township to the Selection Committee for the Township’s $60 million Purchase of Development Rights program, to preserve farmland, and served as a Senior Advisor to ACRE—the Michigan state-wide Agriculture Technology accelerator. Dennis is a member of the Michigan Wine Collaborative.

Previously, Dennis served in executive roles at Cliffs Natural Resources, and ArcelorMittal where he led development of the innovative Steelworker for the Future partnership with community colleges, high schools, employers and community groups, and which has been recognized for leadership by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiatives – Americas. www.steelworkerforthefuture.com. Dennis was lead business representative for Cliffs and ArcelorMittal to the Alliance for American Manufacturing. He also led development of the first Global Joint Health & Safety Committee effort with Trade Unions across 4 continents. Early in his career Dennis served as both an attorney and an executive in Conrail’s historic transformation of the NE and Midwest rail systems in the USA, from bankruptcy through consolidation and reorganization, including the then-largest IPO in U.S business history.

Dennis holds a J.D. from Temple University School of Law, and is a member of several state and federal bars. He received a B.A from the University of Massachusetts, Phi Beta Kappa. Dennis also graduated from the Advanced Management Program of the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Dennis, born in Boston, MA, is also a citizen of Portugal, and a member of the Portuguese-American Leadership Conference of the United States (palcus.org).