2018 Conference

• Morning View: Mackinac Uncensored Goes off the Cuff on Transit, Trump, Roads and Politics

  For the second year, more than 20 statewide thought leaders offered their unbridled opinion on eight hot-button issues on the minds of attendees during the fast-paced Morning View: Mackinac Uncensored session to close out the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference on …

  Continue Reading

• Gov. Snyder: Relentless Positive Action Will Keep Michigan on Upward Path

  As Rick Snyder nears the end of his term as Michigan’s 48th governor, he took Michigan’s Center Stage for the final time to deliver a keynote address on his vision for the state’s prosperity to close out the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference. Snyder was welcomed to the stage with a standing ovation in a session sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

  Continue Reading

• #MIGovDebate Candidates Go Head-to-Head on Road Funding, Education, Auto Insurance and Marijuana

  In Michigan’s first bipartisan gubernatorial debate hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Political Action Committee, the top six candidates for governor offered voters a glimpse of their leadership while trading barbs on a wide range of topics for Michigan’s future — from education reform and talent, to automotive insurance, tax incentives and recreational marijuana.

  Continue Reading

• What’s in It for Me? Regional Transit an Uphill Battle Among Suburbanites

  During the session, Making the Suburban Case for Regional Transit, The Kresge Foundation brought together three regional leaders to discuss the value of regional transit in suburban areas. Panelists included LeRoy Burcroff, mayor of Romulus; Andy Meisner, treasurer of Oakland County; and Barbara Rossmann, president and CEO of Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals.

  Continue Reading

• AARP: Seniors Can’t Be Left Behind in Age of Rapid Technology Deployment

  Technology is advancing at a rapid, unprecedented pace. Cell phones have as much capability as desktop computers. It’s not just people connecting on the internet anymore, household appliances are being integrated with smart technology, too. There are no flying cars …

  Continue Reading

• Employing Disadvantaged Groups Begins by Bringing Schools, Community Leaders and Businesses to the Table

  There is a strong disconnect between workforce training systems, educational systems, and business. How can organizations collaborate to fill positions and give chronically underemployed groups employment opportunities? This was the topic during W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s session, “The Future of Work in Michigan: Partnerships Pave the Way to Prosperity” at the Mackinac Policy Conference.

  Continue Reading

• People of Detroit Are Why City’s Small Businesses Are Thriving

  Confidence in Detroit’s overall economic rebound remains high, driven by a boom in small business and retail activity. Forty-one percent of Detroit entrepreneurs in 2017 said they were “very likely” to recommend opening a business in the city, according to …

  Continue Reading

• John B. King Jr.: ‘Teachers Saw Opportunity and Saved My Life’

  When he was 12 years old and had lost both parents to illness, teachers in New York City Public Schools saved John B. King Jr.’s life. The former U.S. Secretary of Education and president and CEO of The Education Trust told his life story in a keynote address to Mackinac Policy Conference attendees to illustrate the potential for Michigan’s education system.

  Continue Reading

• Detroit Education Panel: See Yourself in Detroit’s Schoolchildren

  A panel of leading voices in the effort to reform and improve Detroit’s public school system came together on Michigan’s Center Stage to give a holistic assessment of the school district’s most pressing needs, and the opportunities to create further buy-in and participation from the larger business and civic community.

  Continue Reading