Detroit Regional Chamber > Advocacy > Honoring Consul General Colin Bird on His Retirement

Honoring Consul General Colin Bird on His Retirement

August 13, 2026

On August 13, the Detroit Regional Chamber welcomed more than 100 business leaders, elected officials, and dignitaries including Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, former Governor Jim Blanchard, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, and several members of the Michigan legislature to recognize the retirement of Consul General Colin Bird. The event included remarks from Chamber leaders Sandy K. Baruah and Glenn Stevens Jr. as well as several other leaders present that evening, including Andrea Clements who succeeds Bird as the Consul General.

As Consul General, Bird oversaw the relationships with Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. Until 2019, Bird served as minister-counselor for trade and economic policy at the embassy in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for all aspects of the United States-Canada trade relationship, including the two countries’ cooperation in multilateral forums. He has also represented Canada before dispute settlement panels and the Appellate Body at the World Trade Organization.

Bird has been a friend and collaborator of the Chamber, speaking at the Chamber’s annual State of the Region event in 2025. He also previously appeared with Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Sandy K. Baruah, and Guy Gordon on a Michigan-Canada Economic Partnership panel in March 2025. The Chamber and MichAuto were pleased to host Bird and his team to celebrate his partnership and accomplishments.

MichAuto and the Detroit Regional Chamber shared the following statement honoring Bird:

“The Detroit Regional Chamber and MichAuto extend our sincere thanks to the Consul General of Canada, Colin Bird, for his extensive service to the Canadian people and for fostering healthy international relations and mutually beneficial trade across the globe, and especially in North America, as he retires from his post. Consul General Bird’s partnership and commitment to diplomacy have been invaluable as we enter a critical new era with many striving to create a stronger, more cohesive North American trade bloc. We thank him for his years of service and are grateful that he ends his tenure with the official opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Canada and the U.S.”

-Glenn Stevens Jr., Executive Director of MichAuto, Chief Automotive and Innovation Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber; Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber