The Detroit Regional Chamber congratulates Chamber Board of Directors member Ronald Hall, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bridgewater Interiors, LLC, on his selection for the Infrastructure and Place workgroup of the Growing Michigan Together Council.
View the full announcement from Aug. 9 below.
LANSING, Mich. — Today, the Growing Michigan Together Council, through its Chairs Ambassador John Rakolta, Jr. and WSU Governor Shirley Stancato, announced selections for the workgroups of the Growing Michigan Together Council. The Council will utilize four workgroups, each with a specific focus area: 1) Infrastructure, 2) Jobs, Talent, and Economy, 3) Pre K-12 Education, 4) Higher Education. Members of the workgroups were chosen based on a variety of criteria, including past and present professional experiences, volunteerism, and philanthropic involvement.
The workgroup members were selected among hundreds of extremely qualified candidates to broadly represent diversity among Michiganders and aims to encourage a bipartisan voice to make important recommendations for the future of the state.
In addition to the workgroups, this fall, the Growing Michigan Together team will launch an ambitious public engagement plan with events across the state. The tour will include regional forums designed to discuss local challenges and growth opportunities in communities across the state. Additionally, many events will focus on collecting additional input from young people—at work, on campus, and online. Events in community spaces, workplaces, and on digital platforms like Instagram and Twitch will seek to include a broad range of perspectives. The tour will also meet college students where they are—on campus—convening both traditional students and adult learners with stops at universities, colleges, and community colleges. Engagements include move-ins, on-campus listening events, homecomings, high schools, and other youth-focused events across the state.
Infrastructure & Place
Rachel Gray, Executive Director, Hello West Michigan
Ron Brenke, Executive Director, American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan
Herasanna Richards, Legislative Associate for State and Federal Affairs, Michigan Municipal League
Melvin Henley, Policy Manager, Community Economic Development Association of Michigan
Emily Thompson, Director of Economic and Community Development, Techtown Detroit/WSU
Candice Miller, Macomb County Public Works Commissioner
S. Evan Weiner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Edw. C. Levy Co.
John Proos, Chief Executive Officer, JP4 Government Solutions
Michael Alaimo, Director of Environmental and Energy Affairs, Michigan Chamber of Commerce
Larry Filson, Assistant Vice President for Design and Sustainability, Walbridge
Lottie Ferguson, Vice President of Development and Donor Services, Community Foundation of Greater Flint
Ron Hall, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bridgewater Interiors, LLC
James Hammill, Retired Wildlife Biologist, Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Kerry Duggan, Chief Executive Officer, SustainabiliD
Rian English Barnhill, Vice President of Government and Community Affairs, Olympia Development of Michigan
Aidan Sova, Product Solutions Consultant, Google
PK-12
Imani Harris, Communications Lead, 482 Forward
Kevin Polston, Superintendent, Kentwood Public Schools
Ja’Nel Jamerson, Vice President of Policy and P20 Partnerships and Executive Director of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence, Community Foundation of Greater Flint
Donna Lasinski, Vice President, Michigan Future, Inc.
Angelique Power, Chief Executive Officer, The Skillman Foundation
Dr. Tina Kerr, Executive Director, Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators
Patrick Anderson, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Anderson Economic Group, LLC
Nancy Danhof, Executive Director, Todd Martin Development Fund
Scott Koenigsknecht, Superintendent, Clinton County Regional Educational Service Agency
Andy Johnston, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Strategic Engagement, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce
Terrence Martin, Sr., President, American Federation of Teachers
Armen Hratchian, Executive Director, Teach for America
Amber Arellano, Executive Director, The Education Trust-Midwest
Beth Correa, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Flagstar Bank
Alice Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, BFDI Educational Services
Stephen Kircher, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boyne Resorts
Jobs, Talent & Economy
Monique Stanton, President and Chief Executive Officer, Michigan League for Public Policy
Jeannette Bradshaw, Recording Secretary, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 58
Guillermo Cisneros, President and Chief Executive Officer, West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Alaina Jackson, Managing Director, Global Detroit
Ahmad Nassar, Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director, Detroit 75 Kitchen
Ken Horn, Executive Vice President of Strategic Development, Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance
Randy Thelen, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Right Place, Inc.
Chad Bassett, Chief Operating Officer, BAMF Health
Stacie Bytwork, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce
John Van Fossen, Vice President of Government Affairs, Meijer
Ahmad Ezzeddine, Vice President of Academic Student Affairs and Global Engagement, Wayne State University
Kevin Prokop, Managing Partner, Rockbridge Growth Equity, LLC
Eva Garza Dewaelsche, President and Chief Executive Officer, SER Metro-Detroit
James Avery, Director of Talent Development, Flint and Genesee Group
Adam Finkel, Partner, Orfin Ventures
Abigail Baudry, Michigan’s Creative Coast Project Manager and Communications and Strategic Projects Coordinator, Traverse Connect
Higher Ed
Bryan Barnhill II, Board of Governors, Wayne State University
Kirsten Herold, President, U of M Lecturers Employee Organization and Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Teachers
Khary Turner, Executive Director, The Coleman A. Young Foundation
Doug Ross, Partner, Diploma Equity Project
Dr. Edward Montgomery, President, Western Michigan University
Carla Bailo, President and Chief Executive Officer, ECOS Consulting, LLC and Vice Chairman, Kettering University
David Nyberg, Executive Director of Business Engagement and Economic Development, Northern Michigan University
Dr. Jim Sawyer, President, Macomb Community College
Dr. Richard Koubek, President, Michigan Technological University
David Egner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
John Walsh, President and Chief Executive Officeer, Michigan Manufacturers Association
Ryan Fewins-Bliss, Executive Director, Michigan College Access Network
Kevin Stotts, President, TalentFirst
Fatima Salman, President, National Association of Social Workers
Emily Hoyumpa, President, Associated Students of Michigan State University
Alex Zhang, Partner, Zhang Financial
Workgroups will begin work immediately with the goal of submitting their reports to the Growing Michigan Together Council by mid-October.
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