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2013Year in Review 2013 Year in Review The 2013 Mackinac Policy Conference Chairman Joe Welch welcomes attendees for a discussion on creating a more globally competitive Michigan. A Relentless Commitment to Business The Detroit Regional Chamber is Focused on Four Strategic Priorities Renowned “urbanist” Richard Florida calls for cooperation between the city of Detroit and its surrounding suburbs at the Detroit Policy Conference. Larry Alexander, CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, addresses the media during a Chamber press conference on Detroit bankruptcy. 2013 Year in Review A Look Back at How the Detroit Regional Chamber Powered the Economy for Southeast Michigan The Detroit Regional Chamber had an impactful 2013, effectively strengthening Southeast Michigan’s business and economic climate. This year concluded with an all-time high in membership growth, driven by continued elite programming and events, the introduction of new business resources, and key national and international collaborative efforts. Building on more than a century of serving the business community, the Chamber continued to put the Detroit region’s best foot forward and provide tremendous value to its members. This year in review takes a look back at the most note-worthy Chamber stories from the past 12 months. A Relentless Commitment to Business The Detroit Regional Chamber is Focused on Four Strategic Priorities 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 start-up venture, the resources needed to succeed while advocating for policies to create the best possible business climate. With a relentless commitment to powering the economy for Southeast Michigan, the Detroit Regional Chamber is focused on four pillars: regional collaboration, economic development, education reform and membership value. Moving into 2014 will bring a greater concentration on improving the economy in the Detroit region and helping organizations of all sizes embrace the realities of globalization. The Chamber is committed to providing its members with the resources they need to succeed, attracting high-level talent to the region, encouraging continued investment and innovation, and showcasing the region as a great place to live and work. Chamber CEO Sandy Baruah joins Governor Rick Snyder in Beijing at a press conference to help Chinese media and investors understand Detroit’s bankruptcy. Hajime Amano, The Chamber hosts president of ITS Michigan’s automotive Japan, welcomes adviser, Nigel Francis visitors including (center), on his first Business Attraction official trip at the to the 2013 ITS World Frankfurt Auto Show. Congress in Toyko. Attracting Business from Around the World The business landscape in the Detroit region is as strong as ever for foreign investment, and the Chamber’s Business Attraction team attended several events abroad to spread the message. The goal of each trip was to communicate the opportunities for foreign companies to do business in the Michigan and Detroit markets and build relationships with key governments, companies and associations to attract talent and investment. In September, team members attended the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany – the world’s most comprehensive auto show – where it met with roughly 100 global companies and hosted new Michigan automotive adviser, Nigel Francis, on his first official trip. At the same time, Chamber representatives visited Asia as part of a 20-day trade mission, part of which coincided with Governor Rick Snyder’s Asian mission to communicate the realities of Detroit bankruptcy with Chinese investors and media. Business Attraction representatives also attended the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress in Tokyo, Japan, successfully educating auto, transport, infotainment, data and manufacturing companies on Michigan expansion opportunities. Additionally, the team coordinated regional participation at the China International Auto Parts Expo. Economic Development Thanks to a partnership with Jay Baron of the Inforum, Michigan Automotive Center for Automotive Summit attendees heard GM Research anticipates CEO Dan Akerson discuss 100,000 new high- workforce diversity and tech Michigan jobs inclusion. through 2025. Panelists discuss Michigan’s R & D advantages and what must be done to maintain the state’s elite position in the automotive industry. Automotive Summit Driving Michigan’s Automotive Success Starting with a keynote address from Governor Rick Snyder and concluding with a meet-and-greet with the state’s new automotive adviser, Nigel Francis, MICHauto’s inaugural Michigan Automotive Summit was a resounding success. The daylong event, held at the newly renovated COBO Center, marked the first event of its kind focused solely on Michigan’s entire automotive industry supply chain. More than 400 leaders from industry, academia and government, non-profits and professional service firms joined a host of automotive industry experts that included Dan Akerson, CEO of General Motors; Jay Baron, president and CEO of Center for Automotive Research; and Simon Nagata, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing N.A., Inc. The Summit cemented MICHauto’s role as the first automotive cluster organization dedicated to growing and advancing the auto industry in Michigan. In addition to impressive sponsorship support for an inaugural event, the Summit attracted regional and national media coverage, including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and generated strong web traffic. The Summit also generated strong web traffic, as it’s web stream tallied more than 200 views and its customized hashtag #MAS13 was tweeted more than 650 times. Education Reform Detroit Scholarship Fund Successful in First Year The Detroit Regional Chamber completed its first year of administering the Detroit Scholarship Fund (DSF), a program introduced by Governor Rick Snyder at the 2013 Mackinac Policy Conference and funded by the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation. Following the Chamber’s recruiting efforts, about 600 Detroit high school graduates from the class of 2013 enrolled as full-time community college students with the help of the new DSF, the largest scholarship program in Detroit. The DSF offers graduates of any Detroit high school a tuition-free path to an associate’s degree at any of the five community colleges located in metro Detroit. In addition to financial assistance, the DSF provides students with academic support, as each of the five participating community colleges – Oakland, Macomb, Henry Ford, Schoolcraft and Wayne County Community College District – have implemented student support programs, ensuring that students complete orientation, have an academic plan and have access to intervention programs. Detroit Scholarship Fund graduates are recognized at an Oakland Community College induction ceremony. At the 2013 Mackinac Policy Conference, Steve Hamp, chairman of the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation (MEEF), announces key education initiatives spearheaded The Chamber’s Greg Handel congratulates by MEEF, including the Detroit a DSF graduate, who entered Oakland Scholarship Fund. Community College in fall 2013. Regional Collaboration Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, discusses economic opportunities for minority businesses with CBS Detroit’s Carol Cain. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush highlights education and immigration reform. Michelle Rhee, founder of StudentsFirst, challenges Michigan leaders to make quality education available for all students. National Leaders Take Michigan’s Center Stage The 2013 Mackinac Policy Conference continued its tradition as Michigan’s center stage for driving statewide dialogue amongst top business leaders, government officials, innovative entrepreneurs and community advocates from all corners of the state. Led by Conference Chairman Joseph Welch of ITC Holdings, the Conference focused on education, cultural change and the 21st century global market. Thought-provoking national speakers such as Michelle Rhee, Jeb Bush and Robert L. Johnson challenged more than 1,600 political and business leaders to play a role in boosting Michigan as a more globally competitive, financially attractive business environment. In its continued efforts to increase the attendee experience, the Chamber unveiled a new Mackinac Policy Conference app, which provided full access to the Conference agenda, event updates and the ability to submit questions to speakers. Discussion from the Conference extended well beyond the island, as Detroit Public Television broadcasted and webcasted sessions throughout the week. More than 150 statewide media members from print, digital and broadcast outlets provided coverage of the Conference, which concluded with its annual To-Do List. Chamber PAC Efforts on Display in Election At such a critical juncture in Detroit’s history, the Detroit Regional Chamber took an unprecedented level of participation in city elections building on its reputation as one of the pre-eminent advocacy organizations in Michigan. As part of these efforts, the Chamber
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