Michigan Municipal League

For those attending Convention next week, be sure to pick up an exclusive commemorative pin from Michigan Municipal League Foundation! #MMLConv

Last week, Senator-Elect Elissa Slotkin paid a visit to our Lansing office! While there, she gifted our team a Congressional Record honoring the 125th anniversary of the Michigan Municipal League. We are so grateful to her and the House of Representatives for acknowledging our organization's milestone. She stated, "This 125th anniversary is a perfect time to recognize the Michigan Municipal League for its dedication to improving local governance and fostering vibrant, equitable communities." You can read Senator-Elect Slotkin's record of remarks related to our 125th anniversary here: https://hubs.la/Q030pkg80

Do you dream of a bustling downtown in your community, with no storefront left vacant? You're in luck! The League and Alana Preuss, CEO of Recast City, are here to get you closer to achieving your goal. In our upcoming Webinar, "Why Storefronts Are Your Best Local Economic Development Strategy," we will discuss how storefronts are the window into what makes each of our communities unique. Yet, these places are struggling with vacancies, and non-retail uses are suffering because of a lack of foot traffic post-pandemic. Join us on January 8, 2025, at 1 p.m. ET, to learn about why storefronts are key to our local economic power and actions local leaders can take to make it all happen. Register here: https://hubs.la/Q030g4rS0

I’m a few days back from traveling to the Gulf Region. It was a fast-paced and fascinating exploration of subnational diplomacy. Four countries welcomed us along with their ambassadors, high ranking ministers, and royalty.   Our cross-sector delegation was led by Under Secretary Jose W. Fernandez and included state, county, and local government in addition to highly esteemed business leaders. We all walked away with a renewed commitment to Michigan, local government and partnership.   Local government will be increasingly important to our communities and our state. If you think local government stops at sidewalk cracks and firefighters, I urge you to reconsider. Michigan’s local governments can help shape the world—some are doing that right now—and help create communities where everyone thrives.   The MML Foundation is dedicated to creating and cultivating resources, partnerships, and opportunities that Michigan communities need to thrive. That’s what led to this delegation and that’s what will lead to new adventures in 2025.   As the philanthropic arm of the Michigan Municipal League, we are eager to work with collaborators and partners that are in our backyard or across the globe. Reach out and let’s talk about how we can work together.   Honored to have traveled with this impressive group. Thanks to everyone for their collegiality and camaraderie on this historic delegation. Jose W. Fernandez US Undersecretary of State Nelson Cunningham Cunningham, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of State Julie E. Egan, Senior Fellow and Director, Michigan Subnational Diplomacy Initiative, Michigan Municipal League Foundation Ahmad Chebbani, Chairman and Co-founder and Bilal Hammoud, Executive Director, the American Arab Chamber of Commerce Assad I. Turfe, Deputy Executive and Saif Alsenad, Government Relations Director, Wayne County Michigan Emilie LaGrow, Esq. Cassopolis, Village Manager, ICMA-CM Sean Carlson, Deputy County Executive and Michael J. Abdallah Economic Development, Business Attraction & FDI, Oakland County, Michigan Government Andrew DeLeeuw, Deputy County Administrator and Toni Kayumi, Executive Director of Community & Economic Development, Washtenaw County Ben Marchionna, Chief Innovation Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation Dug Song, Co-Founder & Chair, Song Foundation, Co-Founder & Chair Michigan Founders Fund Peter Meijer, Co-Founder and Head of Strategy, New Industrial Corporation CJ Johnson, Foreign Affairs Officer

Please join us in congratulating Mary on her #retirement! Mary has dedicated the past 29 years of her life to serving Michigan communities. During her time at the League, she has held a number of roles, most recently as the Research Coordinator of the MML Membership Engagement Team. Answering questions and digging for information has always been something Mary loves doing, and she claims she has never met a stranger. We hope retirement will allow Mary to spend more time doing the things she loves—quilting, knitting, and spending time with her family. We wish her the very best in this new chapter!

The League's State and Federal Affairs team is working overtime to get our members the crucial lame duck updates they need. With all of the activity in Lansing, we're adding an additional Live with the League show to our 2024 roster! Tune in this upcoming Monday, December 16, at 12 p.m. to hear critical updates and actions to take. You can watch on FB Live or via Zoom here: https://hubs.la/Q02_BZdf0 In the meantime, be sure to read our latest Inside 208 blog post. In the post, our Director of State and Federal Affairs, John LaMacchia, details what bills you should have on your radar in the Michigan House and Senate. Read it here: https://hubs.la/Q02_C96p0

Today, we celebrated the final session of the 2024 Women’s Municipal Leadership Program - and we are so proud of this stellar group of leaders. Since launching WMLP in 2018 as part of the 16/50 Project, our mission has been clear: to create more opportunities for women in local government leadership. We hear a lot about the underrepresentation of women as Fortune 500 CEOs, but less attention is given to the public sector—where city and local government managers are, in many ways, the CEOs of our communities. That’s the gap we set out to address, and six cohorts later, the results speak volumes. When we started, 16% of Michigan’s local government managers were women. Now that number is nearly 23% What’s most heartening is getting to know and follow these incredible program participants—leaders so deeply dedicated to public service and the prosperity of their communities. Each cohort is a reminder that our communities are in great hands, led by individuals who truly care about creating thriving places for everyone. This milestone belongs to everyone who’s been part of the process—mentors, participants, advocates. Thank you for being our champions! I am so grateful for the expertise and guidance of volunteers, speakers, and colleagues this year like Karen Lancaster, Heidi Frye, Deborah Stuart, Adam Smith, Victor Cardenas, Bridgette Gransden, Melissa Marsh, Katie Beemer, Rebecca Fleury, Chris Johnson, Joyce A. Parker, Steven Schwartz, Mark Wollenweber, Liz Vogel, ICMA-CM, Christian Wuerth, ICMA-CM, Mariah Walton, Dr. Sheryl Mitchell Theriot, ICMA-CM, Torrie Lee, Keith Van Beek, Sarah Moyer-Cale, Curtis Holt, Mark L. Heydlauff, Robert Belleman, Dana Muscott, Shea Charles, Rachel Smolinski, Marcus Peccia. There are so many others I could list here - we could not do it without you. I also want to acknowledge my brilliant colleagues at the Michigan Municipal League who directly (big shoutout to Heather E. & Lance Lovett) and indirectly support this programming. Their support in this mission makes milestones like this possible. Here’s to another remarkable year!

🌎Exciting News🌍 For the first time in nearly 20 years, Michigan's government, business, and nonprofit leaders are part of a historic delegation visiting Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Led by U.S. Department of State E Under Secretariat, Jose W. Fernandez, and the American Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC), this trip is in collaboration with the MML Foundation. Communities like Romulus, Wayne County, Oakland County, Cassopolis, and Washtenaw County are proudly represented, alongside influential Michigan business leaders, MML Foundation President Helen Johnson, and Senior Fellow Julie Egan. Together, they are showcasing Michigan’s commitment to global trade, partnerships, and innovation. This delegation is part of the MML Foundation’s ongoing efforts to promote subnational diplomacy through the Michigan City and State Diplomacy Initiative. Earlier this year, the Foundation and the U.S. Department of State signed a Letter of Cooperation supporting this important work, led by Julie Egan, a former U.S. diplomat. The inclusion of representatives from local, county, state, and federal governments and government agencies makes this an unprecedented effort and exemplifies what global partnerships in Michigan can look like in the future. Stay tuned as Michigan strengthens its global connections! 💪 #MMLFoundation #MMLeague #GlobalPartnerships #SubnationalDiplomacy

Reminder! The Empowering Well-Being for Women in Local Government webinar is this Friday, December 13, at 10 a.m. EST. Are you registered yet? You don't want to miss out on helpful tips for navigating public service while prioritizing your mental health. Our keynote speaker for this webinar is Dana Lasenby, M.B.A., M.A., L.L.P. She is a Behavioral Health Care Executive and Limited Licensed Psychologist with more than 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors of the behavioral healthcare industry. Most recently, Dana was named as one of the Top 20 Dynamic CEOs of 2023 by The CEO Publication and was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to serve on the Michigan Autism Council, representing Pre-paid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHP) and local Community Mental Health Service Programs (CMHSP). This is sure to be a powerful and inspiring event. See you Friday! Register here: https://hubs.la/Q02_0xr-0 #WomenLead #WomeninGov #FemaleEmpowerment

Lame duck is here! It's critical for local leaders to stay informed on legislative updates during this frenzy of activity. Don't worry, our State and Federal Affairs team has got your back. Tune in to the League's Facebook Live this upcoming Monday, December 9, at 12 p.m. to hear all of the latest updates from Lansing including the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, short-term rentals, housing, and more! Learn more about Monday's Live with the League show in our latest Inside 208 blog post here: https://hubs.la/Q02-NXr-0 #MiLeg #Government #Michigan #LocalGov #StateGov #LameDuck