2015 Conference

Investing in transportation infrastructure is crucial to the state’s comeback and economic development strategy. How that happens will require compromise and new tax revenue, as discussed in a panel on how to fix Michigan’s roads.

Michigan and Detroit have a responsibility to expand participation and grow opportunity for people of all backgrounds in order to move the state forward. That was the key message a panel of civic, government and business leaders, moderated by Stephen Henderson, editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press, laid out in the session titled “Race, Opportunity and the Art of Cohesion” on Friday.

First-rate political analysis took center stage as former Representative Harold Ford Jr. of MSNBC and Republican foreign affairs expert Dan Senor discussed electoral politics in advance of a primary season that may include radically different races for each party.

Ethics and innovation are important factors that affect a company’s reputation and success, according to Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. During a one-on-one conversation with Detroit Regional Chamber President Sandy Baruah, Ford said he takes pride in leading a company where “making lives better” drives the automaker’s overarching ethos — a fit with the Conference’s pillar of cohesion.

Engaged conversations about race and culture among business, philanthropic, and education leaders can positively impact the ways race, health, education and culture intersect and lead to solutions driven by intentional and purposeful investment.

Creating an inclusive city and ensuring a united Detroit emerges in the post-bankruptcy era will take collaboration from a wide variety of community, business, political and philanthropic groups working together.

Putting Michigan on a path to long-term success requires cohesiveness between state and local leaders Gov. Rick Snyder said — honing in on one of the 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference pillars. A key component of that work involves coming together on sustainable economic development programs for transportation infrastructure funding, talent development and fiscally responsible energy policies.