2019 Blog

• 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference Executive Summary

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• Morning View: Mackinac Uncensored Engages State’s Hot-Button Issues

  For the third year, more than 20 statewide thought leaders offered their unbridled opinion on eight hot-button issues during Morning View: Mackinac Uncensored on Friday, May 31, closing the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference.

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• Detroit Regional Chamber Releases 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference To-Do List

  MACKINAC ISLAND, May 31, 2019 – Today, the Detroit Regional Chamber unveiled its 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference To-Do List following three days of discussions featuring top state, regional, and national thought leaders. Chamber President and CEO Sandy Baruah and 2019 Conference Chair Patti Poppe, president and CEO of Consumers Energy and CMS Energy, announced the list at the conclusion of the 39th annual Conference.

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• Continuing the Civility Conversation

  Announcing results from the Detroit Civility Project, The Detroit News’ Nolan Finley and Detroit Public Television’s Stephen Henderson hosted two interactive sessions on Thursday, May 30 at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference.

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• Growing Detroit’s Startup Ecosystem

  Support to local, small, and midsize businesses will help grow Southeast Michigan. That’s according to Dynamics of Detroit’s Startup Community, a session hosted by the William Davidson Foundation on Thursday, May 30 at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference.

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• Michigan’s Quad Leaders: ‘We’re Going to Work Together’

  Against the backdrop of Thursday morning’s signing of landmark auto insurance reform on the Grand Hotel’s front porch, Michigan’s legislative leaders gathered that evening to talk shop about the pressing issues still lingering as they move toward budget negotiations and reaching a deal on increased funding for the state’s declining roads.

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• Breaking Down The Digital Divide for Michigan’s Students

  More than 360,000 homes in Michigan and 27% of K-12 students lack access to broadband internet in their homes. This digital inclusion discrepancy is posing a serious risk for Michigan students as the state ventures into the information economy.

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• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Talks Compromise and Michigan’s Fundamental Issues

  Shortly after signing a historic auto insurance reform bill on the Grand Hotel porch, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took to Michigan’s Center Stage on Thursday, May 30 to deliver her first keynote as governor at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference.

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• Keeping Up with the Shifting Labor Market

  Filling the Skills Gap: An Open Dialogue on Workforce Realignment, hosted by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, examined obstacles to hiring skilled employees in a rapidly shifting labor market and steps employers and others can take to address skills needs.

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• Barfield, DeVos, Van Elslander: Remembering the Legacies of Philanthropic Leader’s

  Michigan’s preeminent business people leave a legacy in their communities. From the revitalization of downtown Grand Rapids, to the saving of a Ypsilanti neighborhood to securing the future of Detroit’s Thanksgiving Parade, the sons of the men who made those contributions met in the same place for the first time on Thursday, May 30 at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference.

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• Michigan’s Congressional Delegation Remains Unified on Critical Matters

  Michigan’s congressional leaders are working as a team to protect the Great Lakes, improve the Soo Locks, and maintain the state’s high-tech defense industries.

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• 2020 Census: A Crucial Opportunity to Rebuild Middle Class, Boost Workforce Training

  The city of Detroit, like communities across the state, will approach Census 2020 like one of the greatest door-to-door field campaigns it has ever seen.

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• Change Is Possible: Jeb Bush’s Lessons For Education Reform in Michigan

  Jeb Bush, former Florida governor, and founder, president, and chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, shared his experience in implementing education improvements in Florida and the approaches Michigan should consider.

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• Launch Michigan Partnership Brings Philanthropic, Education, and Business Leaders to the Table

  The Skillman Foundation’s Tonya Allen, Michigan Education Association’s Paula Herbart, and Business Leaders for Michigan’s Doug Rothwell explained their partnership through the Launch Michigan Coalition during The Education Crisis: Michigan’s Response session. This session was moderated by PNC Financial Services Group’s Richard L. DeVore.

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• Bill Pink on Michigan’s Education Problem

  “We have a problem; we have to go about fixing it,” said Bill Pink, president of Grand Rapids Community College on Thursday, May 30 at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference. Drawing on statewide and national data, Pink articulated Michigan’s current …

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• Mayor Mike Duggan Talks Detroit’s Progress

  “We are going to build a first-class city,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan during his keynote about the city’s progress and his goals for the next five year, on Thursday, May 30 at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference.

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• Closing the Skills Gap Requires More Than Talk

  Michigan communities have been trying to fix school systems and boost talent pipelines for years without having all the proper parts and tools they need. But this sort of “MacGyvering” won’t be enough to fill the nearly 600,000 job openings coming to the state by 2026.

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• Mackinac Moment: Ari Weinzweig Talks Shifting Perceptions

  “Reality is what we take to be true…What we take to be true determines our reality,” said Ari Weinzweig, co-founding partner for Zingerman’s Community of Businesses.

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• Wayne State University Uses Data to Address Detroit’s Health Challenges

  “We have to look at distributing data as a shared responsibility. We have to ask, ‘how do we share collective information to collaborate and solve problems?’” said Phillip D. Levy, professor and associate chair for emergency medicine for Wayne State University (WSU),

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• Mackinac Moment: Alisyn Malek’s Vision for Michigan Mobility

  Alisyn Malek, chief operating officer and co-founder of May Mobility, shared her vision for mobility in Michigan on Thursday, May 30 at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference. With a background in automotive engineering, Malek caught the mobility bug early in her career, committing herself to developing robust, multi-modal transportation systems that provide more accessible options for consumers.

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• John Kasich: Change from the Bottom Up, Not Top Down

  “Time is running. The clocking is winding down,” said John Kasich, former governor of Ohio and senior political commentator for CNN. “The question is, can we seize the moment to leave a legacy to live a life a little bigger than ourselves?”

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• Gehl and Porter: The American Political System Needs Competition

  Katherine M. Gehl, former CEO of Gehl Foods, and Michael E. Porter, the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor at Harvard Business School, partnered to present their theory on competition in politics and its impact on the American public. Among their assertions was the fact that candidates’ core customers are primary voters and special interests rather than average Americans.

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• Dingell, Upton, and Baruah: Restoring Civility in Politics

  A trio of Washington, D.C. veterans commiserated Wednesday, May 29 at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss the state of civility in national politics.

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• Pundits Talk 2020 Elections, Trump’s Presidency, and Changing Politics

  Harold Ford Jr., managing partner of HFJ Advisors, moderated a lively conversation between Donna Brazile, a contributor for Fox News, and Matthew Dowd, chief political analyst for ABC News at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference. In between conversation about the Mueller Report, bipartisanship, and more, they discussed the importance of reinvigorating trust in political leadership.

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• Watch: Stacey Abrams Talks Civility in Leadership

  Stacey Abrams, founder and chair of Fair Fight Action, took to Michigan’s center stage on Wednesday, May 29 to deliver a powerful keynote address on civility. An experienced politician, Abrams was the first female African American gubernatorial nominee for a major party in any state, receiving more votes than any other Democrat in Georgia’s history. She was also selected to deliver the Democratic party’s response to President Trump’s State of the Union address in February.

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• Corporate Sustainability and Stewardship: What Are Business Leaders Doing to Protect Michigan’s Future?

  At the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference, a panel of business leaders discussed how Michigan businesses can be a force for good. Amazon’s Alicia Boler Davis, Dow’s Jim Fitterling, and Cascade Engineering Family of Companies’ Christina L. Keller joined the Love Michigan: Corporate Sustainability and Stewardship panel, moderated by Consumers Energy’s Patti Poppe. Specifically, each panelist touched on key issues critical to sustainability and stewardship, including the environment, talent attraction, and diversity and inclusion. Read more.

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• Cities Are Key to Michigan’s Growth, Helping Them Thrive Is Vital

  The future of Michigan’s economic growth rests, in large part, in the health of its cities. For Michigan to retain and attract talent and help those communities reach their potential, it will have to reverse the trends that have plagued its communities over the past several decades.

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• Mackinac Moment: Steven Kiefer’s Call To Stop Distracted Driving For Good

  Steven Kiefer, senior vice president of global purchasing and supply chain at General Motors Co. and chairman of The Kiefer Foundation, took the stage Wednesday, May 29 with an impactful call to end distracted driving. Following the death of his teenage son, Mitchel, in a traffic accident caused by a distracted driver, Kiefer became an advocate for hands-free vehicle technology, safer driving behaviors, and stricter policies to eliminate distracted driving.

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• Leaders: Learning Doesn’t Stop After School

  Decades ago, afterschool programs and youth development opportunities were both plentiful and accessible to Michigan’s children.Those programs and opportunities were available because the state’s leaders knew they were important to children’s development, said Tonya Allen, president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation.

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• Annual Automotive Gathering Addresses The Industry’s Digital Supply Chain Evolution

  Nearly 150 automotive professionals from every facet of the industry gathered on Wednesday, May 29 for MICHauto’s annual Automotive Roundtable discussion. The lineup of speakers included presentations from IHS Markit Automotive’s Michael Robinet, KPMG LLP’s Brian Higgins, and General Motor Co.’s Steven Kiefer, as well as a panel moderated by Autoline’s John McElroy and featuring KPMG LLP’s Brian Higgins, Toyota North America’s Jeff Makarewicz, May Mobility’s Alisyn Malek, and Ford Motor Co.’s Robert Transou.

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• Bill Emerson and Dennis W. Archer Jr.: Building Detroit for Detroiters

  “We have been very intentional to make sure that the folks participating in the Rocket Mortgage Classic are a great representation across the spectrum of vendors and suppliers because it matters, it matters to the people of Detroit,” said Bill Emerson, vice chairman of Rock Holdings Inc. and CEO of Bedrock Detroit.

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• The Kresge Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and PNC Announce $2.5M in Grants to Improve Detroit Childcare Facilities at #MPC19

  How can children receive the education they deserve? It begins with investing early and with intentionality. On Wednesday, May 29 at the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference, the Kresge Foundation hosted An Equitable Start: Aligning Early Childhood and K-12 Systems to Maximize Impact.

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• Making the Business Case For Prioritizing Talent Development

  “Historically, it was very easy to earn an above average income nationally without a degree. Those days have come and gone,” said Butzel Long’s Richard Rassel. “It has left us far behind in our efforts to further upscale home-grown talent in Michigan and that is the challenge that we’re facing.”

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• Topics Announced For Morning View: Mackinac Uncensored

  As the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference concludes, be sure to check out the always candid, sometimes controversial Morning View: Mackinac Uncensored on Friday, May 31 during breakfast in the Grand Hotel Parlor. A new attendee favorite, Morning View: Mackinac Uncensored …

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• Now Available: 2019 Kroger Conference App

  The Kroger Conference App is now available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play. Exclusive for registered attendees, users can view the attendee list, personalize their profile, and be the first to learn about late-breaking news or new …

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• Announcing the 2019 Mackinac Future Leaders, Powered by Bank of America

  The Detroit Regional Chamber is pleased to announce the 2019 Mackinac Future Leaders, powered by Bank of America. The program provides a select group of forward-thinking individuals representing a diverse set of business and community organizations across Southeast Michigan an …

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• Three Dynamic Speakers to Deliver Mackinac Moments at #MPC19

  Steven Kiefer, senior vice president of global purchasing and supply chain for General Motors Co. will deliver a Mackinac Moment during the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference. His session falls under the Conference pillar of “Grow Michigan.” Mackinac Moments are sponsored by PNC Bank.

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• Michael Porter and Katherine Gehl to Discuss How Competition in Politics Is Failing America

  Michael Porter of Harvard Business School is returning to the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference, joined by the co-author of his most recent report, Katherine Gehl. The two will speak on how competition is failing the American political system.

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• 2019 Conference Pillars Announced

  The Conference will focus on uniting the state as One Michigan under the following pillars: Prepare, Grow and Love.

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• Detroit Regional Chamber Releases 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference To-Do List and Announces 2019 Conference Dates

  MACKINAC ISLAND, June 1, 2018 – Today, the Detroit Regional Chamber unveiled its 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference To-Do List following three days of discussions featuring top state, regional and national thought leaders. Conference Chair Ray Telang, Greater Michigan Market Managing Partner and U.S. Automotive Leader and Chamber President and CEO Sandy Baruah announced the list at the conclusion of the annual Conference.

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• Detroit Regional Chamber Announces Patti Poppe as the 2019 Mackinac Policy Conference Chair

  “Patti’s leadership is invaluable to the Chamber, her perspective as the chief executive of a Fortune 500 company and Michigan’s largest energy provider with more than 7,500 employees will ensure the Conference tackles issues critical to Michigan’s competitiveness and growth,” said Chamber President and CEO Sandy Baruah. “Patti’s insight will offer a fresh approach to convening a statewide discussion focused on Michigan’s long-term prosperity.”

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• 31 Things Every Mackinac Policy Conference Attendee Should Know

  The Mackinac Policy Conference is Michigan’s premier public policy event, held every year for four days at Mackinac Island’s prestigious Grand Hotel. The agenda is packed with sessions, receptions, networking opportunities and more. For the first-time attendee, the week can …

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