On Apr. 20, Detroit Regional Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Sandy K. Baruah filled in for Paul W. Smith as a guest host of WJR 760 AM’s Focus With Paul W. Smith, interviewing several prominent business, community, and government leaders in the Detroit Region.
Hear what the interviewees had to say below.
Nancy Tellem, Co-Founder of BasBlue and Co-Chair of the 2027 Final Four, reflected on what she’s looking forward to next year after attending the 2026 Final Four in Indianapolis. Referencing the record-breaking turnout and economic benefits the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit generated, Tellem expressed optimism for what next year’s Final Four in the city could bring.
“It’s such a wonderful opportunity to kind of show what an extraordinary state and city, especially Detroit, is to all the fans that will be coming in for the Final Four,” Tellem said. “We also know that the city and everyone around the city will support it…the energy, the excitement, that the draft brought to the city, not to mention all the economic benefits it brought to the city was something that was incredibly exciting to us, and we can build off of that for the Final Four coming next year.”
Independent Gubernatorial Candidate for Michigan and former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan discussed how his campaign is going as he’s been meeting with residents of rural Michigan communities to discuss what they need. In conversation about how Michigan is faring compared to peers – and struggling in many categories – Duggan shared what Michiganders are feeling and what his intentions are for the state should he be elected governor.
“I’m spending my time in these rural communities, and I’m learning what’s working, what’s not working, and you can definitely feel the difference,” Duggan said. “People think the rest of the state is getting everything and they’ve been left out, no matter where I am. But the overall sense that we’re 40th in America in household income, which seems impossible, people have not digested that in this state. They think it’s just their area, but everybody else is doing well.”
President of Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, David Jurcak, joined Baruah on air to share his excitement as the hotel steps into tourist season, the preparation underway to host Mackinac Policy Conference this May, and Grand Hotel’s several-million-dollar renovation project that has been underway during the off-season.
“Now we’re taking a step back, and we’re looking at what our next 10 years are going to be. A lot of that is asset preservation. We’re just completing our year four of the restoration of the front porch, adding some elements back to it that were removed over the years,” Jurcak said. “We see ourselves as complete stewards of this national historic landmark and a jewel of Michigan.”
Carolyn Cassin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Michigan Women Forward, as well as Megan Spanitz, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at the Detroit Regional Chamber, joined Baruah on air to highlight the importance of diversity, equity, and leveling the playing field for those seeking success, especially women, in the Detroit Region. The pair also promoted the Woman Up and Celebrate event that Michigan Women Forward is hosting at the end of the month.
“One of the things we try to do is…articulating exactly why diversity matters. So having this event where we’re going to be honoring Catia, but also Joi Harris [of DTE], Laura Dickerson of the UAW, and Linda Hubbard of Carhartt. We want to make people aware that people don’t always know how many incredible leaders there are and that these people need to be in the C-suites everywhere.”
Spanitz spoke about one of the Chamber’s very own who will be honored at the Southeast Michigan Woman Up and Celebrate event hosted by Michigan Women Forward.
“Catia Sabak, our Director of Communications, has been recognized as a Woman to Watch honoree at the upcoming Woman Up and Celebrate that Michigan Women Forward is hosting,” Spanitz said. “She was nominated and seen as a rising star within her industry, and we view her as a rising star at the Chamber too.”
Bob Riney, Henry Ford Health’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference Chair, gave a preview of this year’s Conference theme, A Quest for Common Ground. He explained that the Conference is a timely reminder that progress doesn’t require unanimity — but it does require the willingness to debate issues honestly, listen to new information, and find workable agreements that move the Detroit Region and the state forward. Riney said he’s looking forward to putting leaders with sharply different viewpoints on stage to demonstrate how constructive dialogue and shared values can translate into action.
“I think what we have really lost as a society, not just the United States, but frankly, globally, is the ability to change our minds based on new or different information,” Riney said. “And that’s one of the reasons why I love the Conference so much, because people do walk in, for the most part, with a relatively open mind. They’re willing to listen to a new argument and have their own opinions or perceptions shifted somewhat.”
Jeff Donofrio, President and Chief Executive Officer of Business Leaders For Michigan, joined the conversation, commenting on the sentiment that Michigan’s house is on fire, as the economy, education outcomes, income growth, and population trends have been drifting in the wrong direction for years. He urged leaders across sectors to move beyond finger-pointing and commit to long-term, bipartisan solutions that can endure beyond a single election cycle. Donofrio emphasized that accelerating student achievement — starting with early literacy — must be job one, pointing to Mississippi and Maryland as evidence that meaningful gains are achievable, regardless of politics.
“We can’t point fingers at any one party, any one person, because this is a decline in the state of Michigan that reaches all across the state of Michigan that has transcended Democrats and Republicans in the governor’s chair [and] controlling our legislature in Lansing,” Donofrio said. “We have to think broader than that, and solutions have to outlast a term in office.”
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield joined the program to reflect on her first 100 days in office — an early stretch she described as busy and productive, shaped by the on-the-ground experience she gained during 12 years on the Detroit City Council. Sheffield highlighted a slate of quick-start initiatives designed to strengthen day-to-day stability for Detroit families, including launching Rx Kids Detroit, making the Detroit Department of Transportation fare-free for K–12 students, expanding the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and boosting support for out-of-school time programs. She underscored that continued momentum depends on productive collaboration with the City Council, discussing the city budget process as a clear, early example.
“[City Council] had their opportunity to do their due diligence and deliberate over the budget, but they saw that I was someone who came from the Council. A lot of the priorities that I put in the budget are things that align with them as well,” Sheffield said. “I do understand that we’re not going to always agree, but to have that partnership and those good conversations and collaboration is key to Detroit continuing to move forward.”