Leaders in philanthropy, business, education and government are traveling to Mackinac Island to gather in person next week for the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2022 Mackinac Policy Conference.

The 2022 conference will focus on the business community’s changing civic role in polarizing times. 

Conference programming will focus on the areas in which Michigan’s business community can set an example through:

•    Advancing diversity as a strength.

•    Utilizing civility and facts in public discourse.

•    Building a culture of empathy.

•    Advocating for the fundamental tenets of American democracy.

“The past two years have been unimaginably difficult for many communities across our state,” La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) and member of CMF’s Statewide Equity Fund Strategic Support Working Group said. “The theme of this year’s conference, ‘The Business Community’s Changing Civic Role in Polarizing Times,’ provides us an opportunity to reflect on how we have responded to the multi-layered pandemic and recommit to working in new ways, across geographies, sectors and aisles, to build a robust educational pipeline, widen economic opportunity for all and advance racial equity in our great state. How we come together now will determine what kind of future we can create for Michigan’s children, families and communities. Let’s not allow ourselves to be polarized; let’s be motivated to do better.”  

Tabron and WKKF are among several CMF members hosting sessions on topics relevant to their programmatic areas. They will share insights and information on education, creating economic opportunities, youth voice, supporting Michigan’s working families and children and more.

If you can’t make it to the island, the majority of conference sessions will also be available for viewing on the Detroit Regional Chamber’s website and Detroit Public Television the week of the conference.  

•    June 1 at 9 a.m.: Divided We Fall: Confronting the Perils of Polarization. Rip Rapson, president and CEO of The Kresge Foundation will moderate a conversation with Van Jones, host of CNN and founder of Dream Corps, U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin and Morela Hernandez, Ligia Ramirez de Reynolds Collegiate Professor of Public Policy and University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

•    June 1 at 10:30 a.m.: Advancing Equitable Workplace Strategies for Michigan’s Success. Hosted by WKKF, Tabron will join Shana Lewis, vice president of Talent Acquisition and Workforce Programs at Trinity Health, Cheryl Bergman, executive director of Michigan Women’s Commission in conversation. This session will be moderated by Candice Fortman, executive director of Outlier Media Detroit. 

•    June 1 at 10:30 a.m.: The Vision of Youth: Engaging Gen Z in Future Building. Angelique Power, president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation will moderate a conversation with several members of the Skillman Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council. 

•    June 2 at 10:55 a.m.: A Discussion with Steve Ballmer and Arm Tellem. In a keynote conversation sponsored by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Steve Ballmer, co-founder of Ballmer Group will join Arn Tellem, vice chair of Pistons Sports and Entertainment and chair of the 2022 Mackinac Policy Conference. 

•    June 2 at 12:10 p.m.: Community College and the Path to a More Equitable Economy. Dave Egner, president and CEO of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and CMF trustee will join panelists Kylee Mitchell Wells, executive director of Ballmer Group Southeast Michigan, Dante Boutell, vice president of Powertrain Design Division and Toyota North America, Curtis Ivery, chancellor of Wayne County Community College District and Kim Trent, deputy director of prosperity at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.  

•    June 2 at 1:50 p.m.: Making Michigan More Competitive. Leaders in finance, business and government will join in a two-part conversation. Dug Song, CSO of Cisco Security, co-founder of Duo Security and founder of the Song Foundation, a new CMF member, will take part in the discussion. 

Government officials will lead sessions and keynote addresses including Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell, Bill Huizenga and Elissa Slotkin will join U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow in conversation.

A key focus of this year’s conference will be around supporting Michigan’s working families and children. 

“We have arrived at the moment where our collective imagination needs to become the blueprint for a more prosperous shared fate for all who call Michigan home,” Tabron said. “When I use the word ‘future,’ I think of Michigan’s children and what they need to thrive in the years ahead. For example, we must expand the Earned Income Tax Credit so that Michigan’s working families can better support our children. We must also ensure that American Rescue Plan Act dollars are equitably distributed in our communities, guaranteeing our most vulnerable populations get the support they deserve. We need to also increase the number of available seats for our youngest learners through the Great Start to Readiness Program, because when children show up to kindergarten ready to learn, they have a higher chance of succeeding in school, in work and in life. Our children and our families need our support now more than ever.”

Several conversations at the MPC will be centered on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a bipartisan, refundable tax break for working families offered at the federal and state level.

Michigan has one of the lowest percentages based on the federal credit at 6%. It was once 20% but was lowered in 2011. 

As CMF reported, CMF is partnering with Michigan Future and the Michigan League for Public Policy among others in supporting the increase of the state EITC to 30%. Earlier this year, CMF signed on to an EITC support statement.

If you are heading to the Island next week, be sure to join us this afternoon for a virtual preview of key topics at the MPC including how philanthropy can engage in collaborative efforts to support expanding Michigan’s EITC for working families to advance economic security. 

Want more?

View the full agenda. 

CMF will be hosting a brief reception during the conference with CMF members. More details will be shared soon. 

CMF will be sharing the latest from the conference on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Follow the Detroit Chamber on Twitter for up-to-date information from the conference.