2016
Powering the Economy for Southeast Michigan The Detroit Regional Chamber is pleased to present its 2016 Year in Review, which highlights the Chamber’s initiatives and noteworthy achievements from the past year. Building on the region’s positive momentum, the Chamber continued to focus on its core mission to power the economy of Southeast Michigan — from serving as a key voice in support of connected regional transit, to convening thought leaders on issues impacting business growth, such as cybersecurity and next-generation mobility. As one of the largest and most respected chambers of commerce in the country, the Chamber plays a vital role in the city and region’s prosperous future and is committed to providing members with the resources they need to succeed, attracting premier talent, encouraging business investment and innovation, and showcasing the region as a top destination to live, work and play.
Economic Development Attract and retain talent and business investment in the Detroit region.
Regional Collaboration Act as a platform for problem-solving by uniting government and business leaders and regional stakeholders to share ideas to impact Michigan’s turnaround.
Education Reform Advance education reform to ensure businesses have the highly skilled workforce they need to adapt to the ever-changing global marketplace.
Membership Value Provide members, from the Fortune 500 company to the new startup venture, the resources to succeed while advocating for policies to create the best possible business climate.
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Positions Region for Long-Term Economic Growth Kicking off the year, the Chamber launched Forward Detroit, a regionally focused collaborative strategy to ensure metro Detroit retains its momentum and status as one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. The Forward Detroit economic development strategy leverages the Chamber’s leadership in program execution and its reputation in shaping pro-growth policy. Focused on the pillars of business, talent, people, community, global connectivity, and next-generation mobility, the five-year strategy partners with the business and philanthropic communities to drive economic development necessary for the region’s long-term prosperity. The initiative’s goal is to raise $20 million by 2021. At the close of 2016, more than 170 businesses invested in Forward Detroit and are committed to Southeast Michigan’s long-term success.
Next-Generation Mobility
Unemployment
Goal: 4.5% Current: 5.1%
Per Capita Income
Goal: $37, 577 Current: $28,966
Public Transit
Goal: 55,000,000 Ridership Current: 42,622,774
Population Growth
Goal: 1% annual growth Current: 0%
Third-Grade Reading Scores
Goal: 58% Current: 44%
Adults with Post-Secondary Degrees
Goal: 41% Current: 38.4%
Foreign Direct Investment
Goal: $12 billion Current: $5.6 billion
International Firms
Goal: 125 new foreign facilities Current: 98 foreign facilities
Mobile Testing Facilities/Projects
Goal: No. 1 in the world Current: Tied for No. 1
Mobility Investment
Goal: No. 1 in the nation
Regional Jobs
Goal: 1.5% above the national average Current Detroit: 2.4% Current National: 1.7%
Commercial Rental Rates
Goal: Industrial, $5.50 square foot; Office, $24 square foot Current: Industrial, $5.25; Office, $21.27
Forward Detroit
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A Chinese business delegation is shown a scale model of downtown Detroit development inside the Compuware Building as part of a tour of the city hosted by the Chamber’s Business Attraction team.
Economic Development Attracting Business and Investment from Around the World Along with its regional and statewide partners, the Chamber continues to serve as the go-to source for national and international companies looking to expand in the U.S. market. In an effort to better promote the region’s world-class mobility, manufacturing, IT assets and infrastructure, the Chamber doubled down on its marketing outreach, hosting or participating in 20 national trade shows. The Chamber also hosted 21 delegations from more than 12 countries including: China, France, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Mexico, Malaysia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Sweden and Turkey. Notable delegation visits included the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers, NATO TARDEC, and the Chicago International Trade Commissioners Association (CITCA). Partnering with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) and regional economic developers, the Chamber participated in four international trade missions, promoting Michigan as the epicenter of the automotive and next-generation mobility industry to key decision-makers. Additionally, the Chamber increased the number of site consultant trips, traveling to Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas and Greenville to keep Michigan on the map of investors. These efforts helped attract major projects to the region, most notably Fuyao North America’s $66 million investment in a 528,000 square foot facility in Plymouth, adding 533 new jobs; and ArcelorMittal’s $83.5 million investment in a 317,000 square foot facility in Detroit, adding 120 new jobs. In total during 2016, the Chamber directly helped attract $183.5 million in investments and 1,146 new jobs to the region.
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Putting Southeast Michigan on the Map of Global Investors To better showcase the region to international and domestic companies looking to relocate or expand operations in North America, the Chamber unveiled a collaborative brand, Destination Detroit, in April. The brand is a direct outcome of the Detroit Regional Business Attraction Strategy and Action Plan, funded by JPMorgan Chase in 2014, which recommended the development of a regional brand and message specifically for business attraction purposes. When meeting with national site selectors, the Chamber uses Destination Detroit’s branded print and digital collateral to promote Southeast Michigan’s world-class talent and assets with a unified voice. The brand places greater emphasis on information sharing with national and international audiences and provides a simple, assertive, and memorable message to potential investors.
Strategy Positions Detroit as Premier Innovation Hub Building on more than 50 years of health care expertise, the Chamber’s HealthForward initiative rolled out a new strategy to position Detroit as a global destination for health care innovation. As part of that strategy, the Chamber will convene C-suite leaders from the business and health care sectors in 2017 to provide insight on and help craft the region’s story that will be used to attract new investment. Additionally, the Chamber is collaborating with leaders on a placemaking strategy to identify areas where the business community can impact healthy communities and policies in an effort to increase competitiveness and the health and wellbeing of the region’s workforce. The Chamber partnered with Crain’s Detroit Business to host a Health Care Leaders Dinner in November, bringing together 40 professionals who shared their insight on collaborative opportunities between business, public health and community-based organizations, with a specific focus on maintaining a healthy workforce.
Economic Development
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Ford Motor Co.’s Ken Washington (left) talks with MICHauto’s Glenn Stevens at an automotive industry stakeholder roundtable during the 2016 Mackinac Policy Conference.
MICHauto Strengthening, Protecting and Growing Michigan’s Automotive and Mobility Industry With more than 100 investors, MICHauto champions Michigan as the global epicenter of the automotive industry and provides a platform for collaboration on advocacy, awareness, business attraction and talent attraction. Serving as the unified voice of Michigan’s automotive cluster, MICHauto, together with Business Leaders for Michigan, Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and University Research Corridor (URC), works to strengthen, protect and promote the state’s global leadership in automotive and nextgeneration mobility development through the Michigan Mobility Initiative. This year this coalition focused its efforts in four strategic areas: projects, people, policy and positioning. In support of those pillars, MICHauto launched a new quarterly Investors’ Mobility Meeting. The focus this past year centered on statewide marketing and communication efforts to better tell the story of Michigan’s world-class assets through the MEDC’s “Planet M” campaign. Investors also
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provided analysis of a four-bill package governing autonomous vehicle testing and strategized on how to best raise awareness on the importance of the legislation. Testifying in Lansing, MICHauto and the Chamber joined the business community in educating lawmakers on the statewide economic impact of next-generation mobility research and development. The bills’ passage cleared the way for the construction of mobility testing centers in Michigan and the testing of autonomous vehicles on state roads. It is a key step in attracting global technology and manufacturing investment and retaining talent. As part of this year’s Mackinac Policy Conference, MICHauto hosted 80 attendees for an industry stakeholder roundtable discussion. Conversation focused on “winners and losers” in the mobility race and the steps Michigan automakers must take to remain ahead of the curve as the industry rapidly evolves. With the convergence of auto and tech, the state’s legacy industry cannot take anything for granted, attendees said.
Unveiled at Mackinac, Positions State as Mobility Leader In the race for connected and autonomous vehicle development, Michigan has a new tool in its arsenal designed to attract investment from around the world. Unveiled at the 2016 Mackinac Policy Conference, “Planet M,” a marketing campaign led by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), is designed to promote Michigan as an international hub of innovation, drawing on the state’s proud manufacturing and entrepreneurial legacy. MICHauto and the Michigan Mobility Initiative were highly engaged in the development of the campaign, which highlights the state’s current and proposed legislation, university research, testing facilities, infrastructure and talent. Through an informative website and messaging, “Planet M” outlines a vision on how to transform the automotive and transportation industries over the next decade.
Descends on Detroit to Tackle Pressing Societal Challenges at Forum The World Mobility Leadership Forum brought together more than 300 automotive, mobility, technology and government leaders from 12 countries to discuss how mobility can be leveraged to solve some of the most pressing societal challenges. Hosted by Business Leaders for Michigan, Michigan Economic Development Corp. and MICHauto, the forum, held in metro Detroit, featured keynote speakers and panelists including: General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra, Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Lyft Director ofTransportation Policy Emily Castor, Tesla Vice President of Product Development Diarmuid O’Connell, Volvo Car Group President and CEO Håkan Samuelsson, Gov. Rick Snyder, and transportation leaders from Canada, Dubai, Finland and Spain. Main stage topics ranged from reliable access to transportation, to cybersecurity, public and private collaboration and alleviating traffic congestion on roadways. Discussion also centered on Michigan’s leadership as the epicenter of the new mobility industry. The forum also featured a dynamic display of emerging technologies from more than 20 companies as part of a hands-on Immersion Experience. The exhibit included demonstrations of in-car sensor technology, cockpit electronics, autonomous vehicles, mobile connectivity apps and electrification innovation. In addition, the Forum garnered 52 instances of worldwide media coverage from outlets including Automotive News, Bloomberg, Forbes, USA Today and Yahoo Finance.
Economic Development
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(From left) Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, and Charles Stewart (C.S.) Mott Foundation President Ridgway White discuss recovery efforts and economic growth for Flint on Michigan’s Center Stage.
Regional Collaboration Supporting Flint’s Water Recovery Effort Leveraging the Mackinac Policy Conference’s status as a premier statewide policy event, the Chamber helped elevate the Flint water crisis and the ongoing effort to alleviate long-term health effects on the city’s children. The Chamber rallied the business community to support the city’s recovery efforts through an interactive crowdfunding campaign. With help from Conference attendees and a matching donation from the Charles Stewart (C.S.) Mott Foundation, more than $250,000 was raised for the Flint Child Health and Development Fund. The Conference also brought key voices in the Flint recovery effort to Mackinac, including Mona HannaAttisha, director of the Pediatric Residency Program at Hurley Medical Center, who delivered a powerful Mackinac Moment presentation to spur action in Flint. In addition, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley joined C.S. Mott Foundation President Ridgway White on a panel discussion about government and philanthropic collaboration in the city’s recovery.
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Building on the Flint discussions from the island, the Chamber and the business community engaged in numerous activities throughout the year. The Chamber partnered with Deloitte, the Flint and Genesee Chamber, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and Michigan Chamber of Commerce for the Moving Flint Forward Leadership Summit. Twenty community, business and government leaders came together to collaborate on ways to position Flint as a viable place to live, work and play. Additionally, the Chamber partnered with Deloitte to recruit 15 regional businesses to participate in the Flint Sprint. The event challenged businesses to provide “on the ground” pro-bono services to community organizations over the course of 60 days. Chamber employees also spent two days in Flint, distributing food and water filters and assisting in door-to-door relief efforts alongside the American Red Cross. Staff also assisted the Greater Holy Temple Church by sorting water, nonperishable items and meals for Flint residents.
Protecting and Growing Michigan’s Arsenal of Innovation In an effort to protect and raise awareness of Michigan’s defense industry, Mackinac Policy Conference programming highlighted the importance of maintaining the state’s “Arsenal of Innovation” and the jobs it creates. Tying back to the Conference’s pillar of investing in the future, discussions emphasized the need for access to capital, talent acquisition, protecting infrastructure and increasing awareness of the defense industry’s economic impact at the federal level. At the Conference, the state held a press conference to launch its “Protect and Grow” strategic plan, which includes 17 recommendations to preserve defense assets, missions and jobs, and to also foster innovation. Led by the Michigan Defense Center, the plan was created through a collaborative effort by Michigan’s defense industry, military, economic development and academic sectors. The Chamber’s Chief Operating Officer, Tammy Carnrike, also sits on the governance board for Protect and Grow and provided a key business voice in the plan’s adoption.
Connecting Michigan Suppliers to Global Customers with Pure Michigan Business Connect The Chamber continued to leverage its strategic partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC) program by partnering on matchmaking summits across the state tailored to the automotive, aerospace, agriculture, health sciences, information technology and data industries. With more than 4,000 suppliers attending events this year, the partnership connected Michigan companies to myriad of state and national companies, including Boeing, Consumers Energy, Deutz, DTE Energy, Meijer, and Walmart. As part of the 2016 Pure Michigan Automotive Summit held in Detroit, the largest matchmaking summit hosted by PMBC, the Chamber convened more than 1,200 representatives from automotive suppliers across the state. The summit was designed to connect suppliers with procurement opportunities with OEMs, including FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Toyota Motor Corp., along with Tier 1 companies.
Regional Collaboration
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Starfish Media Group’s Soledad O’Brien delivers a powerful presentation on race and inclusion during the Mackinac Policy Conference.
Mackinac Policy Conference Michigan’s Center Stage Draws Record-Breaking Attendance This year’s Mackinac Policy Conference had record-breaking attendance, with more than 1,700 Conference attendees, reaffirming its status as one of the country’s premier policy events. Led by Conference Chair Dennis Archer Jr., president of Archer Corporate Services and CEO of Ignition Media Group, the Conference centered around the pillars of entrepreneurship, urban education and investing in the future. Michigan’s Center Stage welcomed 13 diverse national speakers who provided impactful discussion. This year’s lineup brought thought-provoking dialogue, including keynote speeches by: General Motors President Dan Ammann; former National Journal columnist Ron Fournier; Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures chairman Dan Gilbert; FUBU founder and “Shark Tank” co-host Daymond John and Starfish Media Group CEO Soledad O’Brien. In response to the Flint crisis, Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of the Pediatric Residency Program at Hurley Medical Center and assistant professor of pediatrics and human development at Michigan State University, spoke about the need for regulation and attention to the water of Flint and other cities across America that have caused harm due to high lead levels in water. In addition to mainstage programming, sponsored sessions featured important topics like early childhood development, Detroit Public Schools and regional transit. The compelling content garnered more than 750 instances of media coverage, including 140 national placements. The Chamber also partnered with the Detroit Historical Society on its “Detroit 67: Looking Back to Move Forward” project to bring discussion to the stage regarding the opportunity for inclusion and economic prosperity in Detroit, as the 50th anniversary of the 1967 civil unrest approaches.
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Highlighting Michigan’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Reinforcing the pillar of entrepreneurship, conversation and activities at the Mackinac Policy Conference aimed to build support for a progressive and robust entrepreneurial economy in Michigan. With help from “Shark Tank” co-host and FUBU founder Daymond John, the Conference hosted its first-ever “Pitch Mackinac” competition, naming Grand Rapids-based Fathom the winner of a $5,000 cash prize and professional services from several Chamber members. The underwater drone-maker is creating an affordable consumeraccessible drone to explore waterways up to 150 feet below the surface. Also during the week, Quicken Loans’ Dan Gilbert joined the stage for a one-on-one conversation with Conference Chair Dennis Archer Jr. about Detroit’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Gilbert encouraged Michigan startups to think big and take risks in the face of obstacles Archer, a Detroit entrepreneur, helped shape the Conference programming to better shine a light on the city’s startup ecosystem. The Chamber also invited Slow Roll Detroit’s co-founder, Jason Hall, who leads the world’s largest community bike ride program, to the island for a special “Mackinac Slow Roll” ride with 50 Conference attendees. Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert talks oneon-one with 2016 Conference Chair Dennis Archer Jr. on Michigan’s Center Stage.
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TO - DO LIST Support the establishment of the American Center for Mobility at Willow Run. Help the state of Michigan develop and execute a strategy to protect and grow our valuable defense assets. Continue to support an economically inclusive Detroit by promoting education access, options, and attainment as well as to continue to promote financial literacy. Advocate for robust infrastructure investment in our basic utilities and assets
Regional Collaboration
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(From left) Chamber President Sandy Baruah, Wayne County Community College District Assistant Chancellor Patrick McNally, and Gov. Rick Snyder listen as student Malik Stroughter (center) talks about the importance of the Detroit Promise program.
Education Reform DETROIT
PROMISE
Solidifies Tuition-Free Path to Higher Education for Students
To strengthen and grow the region’s talent pipeline, the Chamber joined Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to launch the Detroit Promise scholarship program in March. The program guarantees students in Detroit a tuition-free path to a two-year associate degree at one of five participating community colleges. The Detroit Promise builds on the work that began with Gov. Snyder, the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation (MEEF) and the Chamber’s Detroit Scholarship Fund initiative, by providing a dedicated funding source and access to higher education no matter a student’s economic status. At the close of 2016, an estimated 754 students are currently enrolled in community college for the 2016-2017 academic year. In the fall, the Chamber and Mayor Duggan announced a pilot four-year bachelor’s degree program, partnering with 14 state universities. To date, 263 students are enrolled at a university for the 2016-2017 academic year. Addressing students at risk of dropping out of college, the Chamber also expanded its Detroit Promise Path program. The program builds on a pilot program that kicked off in 2015 at Wayne County Community College District and offers students access to a suite of support services ranging from counseling to advice on exam prep. The more highly structured Promise Path includes four additional community colleges — Henry Ford College, Oakland Community College, Macomb Community College, and Schoolcraft College, giving students the opportunity to work with a campus coach, who can advise them on registration, financial aid, buying books, and other important topics.
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Making the Case for Education Reform As one of the most vocal advocates for education reform in Detroit and across the state, a top priority for the Chamber from the start of the year was to continue to advocate for legislation to reform Detroit Public Schools (DPS) and alleviate the district’s debt. In February, Government Relations Vice President Brad Williams and President and CEO Sandy Baruah testified in front of the Michigan House Appropriations Committee. Williams outlined the business case for returning control of DPS to a locally controlled school board and voiced the Chamber’s support for the creation of a Detroit Education Commission. Williams also testified in favor of legislation to split DPS into two districts. Following the passage of a controversial package of reform bills in the House of Representatives in May, education took center stage at the Mackinac Policy Conference, with state leaders urging action on the Senate’s DPS plan. Those conversations helped catalyze the eventual passage of a $617 million rescue plan. During the November election, the Chamber again took the lead as the only business organization to endorse a cohort of seven candidates for Detroit School Board. The Chamber identified candidates with a representative set of backgrounds who were aligned with the business community. Three of the seven candidates who won election were endorsed by the Chamber. With proposals to replace the M-Step student assessment in 2017 under consideration, the Chamber, together with Business Leaders for Michigan, is working with lawmakers to ensure the state maintains a rigorous assessment in order for Michigan to better prepare students to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Catalyzing Higher Education Attainment Building on its goal of increasing the number of students with postsecondary degrees in Detroit by 2025, the Chamber launched Detroit Drives Degrees one year ago. The initiative, implementing a collective impact model of collaboration, mobilizes regional experts in business, education, government and the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors to collaborate on strategies and best practices to improve higher education attainment among Detroit youth. Detroit Drives Degrees focuses on three pillars: increasing access to higher education, improving college success and attracting and retaining graduate talent in the region. In June, the initiative established its Leadership Council, led by Butzel Long’s Richard Rassel and University of Michigan’s Daniel Little, to provide guidance and support programs in these pillars. This summer, Detroit Drives Degrees kicked off its “Race to the FAFSA Line” challenge, which aims to increase the region’s completion rate for the Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) to 60 percent. At the close of 2016, nearly 85 schools in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties are participating.
Education Reform
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(From left) TechTown’s Ned Staebler, Oakland Community College student Samantha Perkin, Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce’s Ken Harris, Proper Group’s Mark Rusch and Chamber President Sandy Baruah kick off the Vote Yes for Regional Transit campaign.
Member Value Serving as a Champion for Business and Regional Transit in the Election The Chamber continued its support for transportation infrastructure, aggressively working to achieve a “yes” vote on the millage proposal to fund the Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA) Master Plan. Prior to the millage being approved for the November ballot, the Chamber Foundation partnered with The Kresge Foundation on an awareness campaign that focused on the need for rapid, reliable and safe regional transit to connect the communities within Southeast Michigan. During the ballot campaign for the November election, the Chamber was a lead partner in Citizens for Connecting our Communities, a coalition of more than 200 businesses, labor organizations and government leaders. The Chamber also launched a “Know Before You Vote: Yes for Regional Transit” campaign leading up to election day that included ongoing communications and an informational toolkit for businesses designed to educate voters on transit’s role in growing the economy. Though the RTA’s millage proposal did not pass, the Chamber has continued to seek alternative solutions to connect the region with safe, reliable infrastructure. Also in the November election, the Chamber’s Political Action Committee (PAC) continued its record of successfully endorsing strong, pro-business candidates at the local, state and federal level. More than 92 percent of endorsed candidates won their respective races, including nine candidates for U.S. Congress and 51 of 53 candidates for the Michigan House of Representatives. Stand-alone endorsements for Candice Miller for Macomb County Public Works Commissioner and Janeé Ayers for Detroit City Council were also successful.
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Failure of Proposal A Essential for Detroit’s Forward Progression To protect the development that is moving Detroit forward, the Chamber was a vocal opponent of Community Benefits Agreement Proposal A, a burdensome regulation that would have halted growth and innovation in the city. In order to educate voters on this harmful proposal to business, the Chamber created a Detroit Voter’s Guide during the November election that educated Detroiters on the facts of the proposal, as well as other candidates and issues on the ballot needed to make Detroit a great place to live and work. The failure of Proposal A in the electorate was substantial to continue to bring businesses downtown and put Detroiters to work. Archer Corporate Services President Dennis Archer Jr. testifies in front of the Detroit City Council regarding community benefit agreements.
TIF/Brownfields Legislation Positions Michigan for Development Growth The Chamber remains actively engaged in a coalition effort, along with chambers of commerce and economic developers across Michigan, to support the passage of a proposed tax incentive for the redevelopment of underutilized brownfield sites. This vital economic development legislation will help catalyze large development projects by permitting the capture of sales and use tax, and will position Michigan to compete for new jobs and investment. While the House of Representatives chose not to take up the package prior to the end of the 2016 legislative year, it will continue to be a key priority for the Chamber in 2017.
Member Value
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Operation HOPE CEO John Hope Bryant delivers an empowering keynote on why Detroit must make smart “sexy” again at the 2016 Detroit Policy Conference.
Connecting Members with Resources Examines Inclusion Through the Lens of Detroit’s Neighborhoods In its fifth year, the Detroit Policy Conference brought more than 700 business, civic and community leaders from across the city and region to the MotorCity Casino Hotel, focusing on how to support and strengthen Detroit’s neighborhoods. In taking a lead from Mayor Mike Duggan’s relentless leadership, more than 50 of the region’s most dynamic thought leaders provided insight into education, revitalization, transportation, public safety and blight. Picking up from his keynote address at the 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference, Operation HOPE founder John Hope Bryant discussed efforts to increase financial literacy, while Washington Post Associate Editor David Maraniss highlighted how Michigan’s iconic city will not be truly successful until prosperity is widespread in the neighborhoods. Additionally, the Conference brought dynamic speakers to the stage, including: former Mayor Dave Bing; Michigan’s Women’s Foundation President Carolyn Cassin; Live6 Alliance-Detroit Acting Director Lauren Hood; and Faye Nelson, vice president of public affairs at DTE Energy and DTE Energy Foundation president. The Chamber also partnered with Michigan Women’s Foundation to host its first-ever pitch competition to highlight Detroit’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than 70 startups representing a broad range of backgrounds applied for the competition. Four finalists were represented on the Conference stage. Edible insect company Detroit Ento won the competition, earning a prize package of over $7,500 including cash, professional business services and an all-expense paid trip to the 2016 Mackinac Policy Conference to pitch for a grand prize.
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Cybersecurity Conference Sheds Light on Business Vulnerability, Evolving Threats In collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber held its first Cybersecurity Conference in March to educate the business community on how to protect their business from cyber threats. The Conference brought together more than 150 regional leaders to discuss issues such as the automotive industry’s role in fighting cybercrime, the importance of public and private collaboration, and raising awareness of cybersecurity among the C-suite. Keynote speakers included: Kelvin Coleman, director of government engagement for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Christian Kopacsi, chief security officer for the state of Michigan; and Mike Rogers, former chairman of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. As a follow up to the Conference, the Chamber’s October issue of the Detroiter magazine featured Rogers and highlighted efforts across the state to promote Michigan as a leader in cyber defense.
Former U.S. House Intelligence Chair Mike Rogers gives a keynote address during the 2016 Cybersecurity Conference.
Networking with the Big Four In its third year, more than 300 Chamber members attended exclusive networking receptions with Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel in May, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson in April, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans in September, and Mayor Mike Duggan in November. These receptions offer members a chance to meet with the Big Four regional leaders from Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, and the city of Detroit, along with their key staff, and are part of ongoing efforts to promote regional collaboration among businesses and political leaders. Mayor Mike Duggan gives brief remarks to Chamber members at a quarterly networking reception at Ford Field.
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans speaks at a quarterly networking reception at TPC Michigan in Dearborn.
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel connects with business and community leaders in the region at The Rattlesnake Club in Detroit.
Member Value
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(From left) Deloitte’s Mark Davidoff and Bank of America’s Matt Elliott kick off the Chamber’s Middle Market CEO Summit at MotorCity Casino Hotel.
Middle Market CEO Summit Tackles Tough Issues for Business Success Building on the launch of its Middle Market Council in 2015, the Chamber partnered with Bank of America and Deloitte to host a one-day Middle Market CEO Summit focused on key issues impacting business growth across the region. The Summit brought together more than 60 leaders for a day of solutions-based discussions on topics such as how to spark innovation in an organization, the national water infrastructure crisis, the impact of the 2016 presidential election, cybersecurity awareness, and the importance of a strong CEO and CFO relationship. Keynote speakers and panelists included: University of Michigan’s Jeff DeGraff, Quicken Loans’ John Fikany, Crain’s Detroit Business’ Ron Fournier, DC Water’s George Hawkins, Henry Ford Health System’s Wright Lassiter III, Michigan State University’s Joan Rose, and Kelly Rossman-McKinney and John Truscott of Truscott Rossman.
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Serving as a Trusted Business Source for Media Over the years, the Chamber has become a trusted and widely sought after source for media in regards to regional and statewide business issues. Through the first three quarters of 2016, the Chamber earned 1,035 total media placements, 176 of which were national outlets including: CCTV America, CNBC, CNN Money, Education Week, Fortune and Yahoo News. Additionally, the Chamber’s annual State of the Region has become a valuable resource for the most up-to-date regional economic data and has been referenced in numerous local media outlets including Crain’s Detroit Business, The Detroit News and WWJ Newsradio 950.
DPTV’s Christy McDonald wraps up the Mackinac Policy Conference on “MiWeek” with Chamber President Sandy Baruah and 2016 Conference Chair Dennis Archer Jr.
Thank you to Major Investors Your leadership and contributions make our impact stronger.
Member Value
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