Dr. Maree Forbes Gaughan, who leads each project that Community Economic Partners/National Travel Center is engaged in, is CEO of the nationally recognized organization dedicated to helping small cities and towns, and rural communities thrive. Through her leadership, communities across the country have strengthened their economies, enhanced their sense of place, and built sustainable futures rooted in their unique assets.
With a Doctorate in Planning, Master of Arts in Architectural History and Historic Preservation, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and an MBA, Maree brings a rare blend of academic insight and real-world experience to her work. Maree’s professional journey began in architecture, where she spent 12 years developing a strong foundation in design and the built environment, concentrated in historic preservation projects. Recruited right out of graduate school by the World Bank, the Development Bank in Washington, D.C., provided the opportunity to learn economic development firsthand. A career change to tourism decades ago further expanded her expertise.
Today, she draws on that multidisciplinary background to guide communities through strategic planning, economic development, community engagement, destination development, tourism, placemaking, and townscaping, helping them turn visions into lasting impact. Even though Dr. Forbes Gaughan now has a comprehensive and award-winning command of several fields, she has never wavered from the concept that strategies, actions, and recommendations must be grounded in reality, and both able and appropriate to be implemented within the
unique fabric of any community.
Education
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Art, Summa Cum Laude, University of Wisconsin
- Master of Arts, Art and Architectural History/Historic Preservation Summa Cum Laude, University of Wisconsin
- MBA, Taft University
- Doctor of Philosophy, Planning, The Union
Updated Expertise and Certificates
- Development Economics, Columbia University
- Narrative Economics, Yale University
- Strategic Planning for Public and Non-Profit Organizations, Wiley
- Sustainable Cities: Planning, Neighborhoods, and Transportation, Johns Hopkins University
- Sustainable Cities and Communities, Lund University
- Leading Sustainable Community Transformation, University of Colorado-Boulder
- Public Policy, University of Michigan
- Arts and Heritage Management, University of Bocconi
- Management of Successful Arts and Cultural Organizations, University of Maryland
- Sustainable Farming, University of Western Australia
- US Food System, Johns Hopkins University
- Overview of the US Healthcare Industry, Northeastern University
- Introduction to American Law, University of Pennsylvania
- Introduction to Non-Profit Law, University of Pennsylvania
- Marketing in a Digital, University of Illinois
- Sustainable Tourism, University of Copenhagen
- Responses to Climate Change, University of Colorado-Boulder
- Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Memberships, Certifications, Recognition, Credentials
- Professor of Destination Management and Marketing, Temple University Masters in Travel and Tourism
- Certified Sustainable Tourism Professional
- Member, International Economic Development Council
- Lifetime Certified Professional Member: Buildings Owners and Managers Association International
- Former Fellow: International Facility Management Association
- Former Associate Member: American Institute of Architects
- Former Member: Intelligent Buildings Institute
- Former Professionally Certified Member: Construction Specifications Institute
- Former Board Member: Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International
- Certified Sustainable Tourism Professional: Global Sustainable Tourism Council
- Former Federal Highway Administration Scenic Byway Expert Consultant
- Certified Online Teaching Professional, Temple University
- Adjunct Faculty, University of Tennessee, Aesthetics for Engineers
- Chester County Pennsylvania Commissioners, Historic Preservation Award
Publications
- Business Owners and Managers Certification Coursework, 5 Volumes, 1,500 pages
- Masterspec Interiors, American Institute of Architects, 5 Volumes, 1,000 pages
- Johnson Controls/Pan Am World Services Training Manual
- Creating Customers: Marketing to Today’s Transforming Travelers, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International
- Travel. Tourism. Hospitality: Resources for the New Millennium, 404-page manual illustrating the past, present and future of each industry segment
- Tourism: Economic Development for Any Size Community, 490-page road map to develop tourism