Photo: Andrew Mullin ~ 760 WJR
DETROIT, Jan. 11, 2024 ~ Thousands of Detroit residents, business leaders, and community leaders gathered Thursday for the 2024 Detroit Policy Conference, centered around how to reverse Michigan‘s declining population.
The conference, put on by the Detroit Regional Chamber, took place at the MotorCity Casino Hotel to facilitate discussions on mass public transit, equitable education, and ways to attract young workers to the Detroit area. Notable panelists and speakers included Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Integral CEO Ashok Sivanand, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Jaohn Rakolta Jr., Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, and Henry Ford Health Executive Vice President and CEO of Care Delivery System Operations Denise Brooks -Williams.
PODCASTS:
Jan. 11, 2024 ~ Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel guest host “Focus” live from the Detroit Policy Conference.
Jan. 11, 2024 ~ Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, talks to Kevin Dietz and Tom Jordan live from the Detroit Policy Conference.
Jan. 11, 2024 ~ John Rakolta Jr., the former U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and chair of the 2024 Detroit Policy Conference, talks to Kevin Dietz and Tom Jordan live from the Detroit Policy Conference.
Jan. 11, 2024 ~ Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, talks to Kevin Dietz and Tom Jordan live from the Detroit Policy Conference about how to improving preK-12 educational outcomes.
(CONTINUED) WJR‘s “All Talk with Tom Jordan and Kevin Dietz” and “Focus with Paul W. Smith” aired live during the conference, with the latter show guest hosted by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. They discussed some of the challenges and progress their counties have seen in reversing the region’s population decline.
“We’ve done extremely well financially in the last eight or nine years,” Evans said. “That’s the heartbeat of it. We haven’t raised taxes in eight or nine years, (and) we don’t plan to hopefully. That foundation makes the whole region more significant.“
Coulter added that Michigan leaders need to share what is great about the Mitten State to bring in new residents.
“Michigan has a lot to be proud of,” Coulter said. “I heard other people say this and I think it’s true: We don’t brag about ourselves enough, and there’s plenty to brag about here! This is still the water/winter wonderland, from our natural resources, to our incredible higher institutions of learning – we have amazing universities and colleges here, – we have amazing cities, and a nice quality of life. Yet all we talk about is the snow…
“Policy conferences like this give us an opportunity to look in the mirror and say, ‘Yeah, but where can we do better? How can we collaborate better? How can we work together better?“
PODCASTS:
Jan. 11, 2024 ~ Mark Hackel, Macomb County executive, talks to Kevin Dietz and Tom Jordan live from the Detroit Policy Conference.
Jan. 11, 2024 ~ Claude Molinari, president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, talks to Kevin Dietz and Tom Jordan live from the Detroit Policy Conference about the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit.
Jan. 11, 2024 ~ John Ezzo, CEO of New Image Building Services, talks to Kevin Dietz and Tom Jordan live from the Detroit Policy Conference.
Jan. 11, 2024 ~ Oakland County Executive David Coulter talks to Kevin Dietz and Tom Jordan live from the Detroit Policy Conference.
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