Courtney Thraen, Community Contributor

I am passionate about civic engagement and action-oriented planning. Leading Downtown Framingham, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is a phenomenal challenge that renders great rewards. Luckily, I've spent my entire life preparing for this position. As an officer in the U.S. Navy, I lead divisions in administration, navigation, medical, and auxiliary engineering through two overseas deployments. I was fortunate to spend three years instructing Naval Science courses and training midshipmen at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. After nearly four years of processing VA disability claims for homeless Veterans and severely injured Veterans, I knew it was time to make a real community impact right in my own city. I really love learning, and I've completed my Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth and Master of City Planning degree from Boston University. At heart, I got my start at THEE Ohio State University - GO BUCKEYES!!! Please join me in building business, community, and culture.