Opening Remarks: Baruah and Whitmer on Common Ground

The Detroit Regional Chamber’s Sandy K. Baruah and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer opened the second day of the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference by setting a clear expectation for attendees on the Island: use the time together to identify shared priorities and reduce division. Baruah explained that the Conference theme, “A Quest for Common Ground,” is a practical approach to engagement on and off the Island. Gov. Whitmer followed with a brief look at recent developments in Michigan and a message focused on prioritizing people and progress.

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A Quest for Common Ground must serve as a guide for how leaders engage with one another beyond the event. Baruah cautioned against treating the theme as branding and underscored its practical intent and the need to act on it, adding, “It’s how we want each and every one of you to approach your time on the Island.”

Baruah also encouraged people to seek out conversations with those who may hold different views or represent different interests. He framed that outreach as worthwhile and likely to produce shared priorities, stating, “Seek out fellow attendees who might work for an organization to represent an interest that might be contrary or different from your own and talk.” He continued, “My guess is that you will find common ground.”

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Baruah also acknowledged the sudden passing of J. Michael Bernard, Chamber Board Member and long-time General Counsel, earlier this year. His loss has been felt across the Chamber and the broader business community in the Detroit Region. Baruah touched on Bernard’s long service and the breadth of his relationships and contributions before inviting attendees to observe a moment of silence.

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Returning to the Conference for her final time as Michigan’s governor, Whitmer outlined developments since the last Conference, which included a major, bipartisan roads agreement, a balanced budget that included tax-related changes, and the upcoming opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. She also referenced work to upgrade Selfridge Air National Guard base and noted statewide trends she said were moving Michigan in a positive direction. Whitmer described economic pressure, elevated costs, and political division, and framed the moment as a choice about priorities and how leaders engage.

“Regardless of the choice that we make on our ballots, we must choose to make one another our priority,” she said. “We must choose Michigan and show the world how we can work together to get things done.”