Our biennial conference, held this year at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, brought more than 300 legislators and leaders together to take the next steps in moving Michigan forward. Our focus was reimagining Michigan’s failing K-12 education system and making Michigan a top 10 state in business. 

Three global speakers came in to share their expertise and insights on how Michigan can improve. Christopher D. Lloyd, Senior Vice President at McGuireWoods Consulting LLC, on Site Selectors Top Ten – The business climate impact on attraction and retention, Dr. Stan Veuger, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, on Michigan’s Best and Worst of National Site Selection – What’s keeping Michigan from Being a Top Ten State, and Donald P. Nielsen, Senior Fellow & Chairman at the American Center for Transforming Education at Discovery Institute, on A Game Plan for K-12 Transformation in Michigan – Next steps for Education Transformation in Michigan.

Doug DeVos moderated a compelling panel with Matthew Haworth of Haworth Inc., Chelsea Keeton of Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, and Randy Thelen of The Right Place about how we attract businesses to West Michigan. Haworth led the charge opposing incentives for businesses, encouraging us to look at broader investments that make Michigan a better place to own a business. Thelen recognized that incentives are just part of the total package that attracts businesses to locate here. Keeton shared her perspective on the talent and culture that lead her company’s expansion in West Michigan.

A second reaction panel, moderated by Jase Bolger, included thoughts and experiences from Michigan State Representative Pamela Hornberger, John Kennedy of Autocam Medical, and Kelley Williams-Bolar, a School of Choice Advocate. Williams-Bolar connected with conference attendees by sharing her story of being sent to jail for using her father’s address in Ohio to enroll her children in a better school. 

We heard successful feedback on the panels and conference and will continue our work on these priorities.

See the full conference recap on our blog here.

Christopher D. Lloyd, Senior Vice President at McGuireWoods Consulting LLC

Dr. Stan Veuger, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

Donald P. Nielsen, Senior Fellow & Chairman at the American Center for Transforming Education at Discovery Institute

Download the full presentation here.

Join us at future regional events! We will add them to our calendar here as they are announced.