One Detroit to Host Future of Work Town Hall on Michigan Auto Industry with Detroit Regional Chamber, MICHauto

More than a century ago, Detroit’s entrepreneurial spirit put the Michigan auto industry on the map as the Motor City — the car capital of the world, but how will the state that has led the automotive industry for several decades stay competitive in the everchanging automotive environment of the 21st century? 

Gear up for an exciting One Detroit Future of Work Virtual Town Hall from 12-1 p.m. May 11, 2022. Contributors Stephen Henderson, host of American Black Journal, and Nolan Finley, senior page editor of the Detroit News, will talk with guest panelists Sandy Baruah, the president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, and Glenn Stevens, Jr., the executive director of MICHauto, about Detroit’s historically strong automotive foundation, the state of the Michigan auto industry today, and what we’ll need to accomplish to keep the top spot. 

Henderson, Finley and the panelists will discuss the new wave of electric vehicles (EVs) and the Motor City’s place in the blossoming industry. Plus, they’ll discuss the migration of automotive factories and battery plants out of Michigan, what facilities the state should invest in to secure a strong economic future and how we can secure them.

 

Watch Now:

Future of Work Town Hall Participants:

Stephen Henderson is the current host of American Black Journal, WDET’s Detroit Today and former Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial page editor of The Detroit Free Press. A Detroit native, Henderson is a graduate of University of Detroit Jesuit High School and the University of Michigan. He has worked previously as a reporter, editorial writer and editor at the Baltimore Sun, the Chicago Tribune and the Knight Ridder Washington bureau, where he covered the Supreme Court from 2003-2007.

Henderson’s work has been honored with more than a dozen national awards, including for work that is published in the book, “Best Newspaper Writing 2001.” Henderson connects to readers and viewers with perspective and passionate opinion. Follow Stephen on Twitter @SHDetroit.

Nolan Finley is Editorial Page Editor of The Detroit News, a position he’s held since May 1, 2000. He directs the expression of the newspaper’s editorial position on various national and local issues and also writes a column in the Thursday and Sunday newspapers. Prior to that, Finley was the newspaper’s Deputy Managing Editor, directing the newsroom. Previously, he served as Business Editor, and in various editing positions on the city, state and metro desks. He was also a reporter, covering Detroit City Hall during the Coleman Young administration.

Finley has been with the newspaper since 1976, starting as a copy boy in the newsroom while a student at Wayne State University. Nolan also co-hosts One Detroit show on Detroit Public Television and often appears on Flashpoint on WDIV. He is a graduate of both Schoolcraft College in Livonia and Wayne State, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in journalism. Follow Nolan on Twitter @NolanFinleyDN.

Sandy K. Baruah is president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, the third largest chamber of commerce in the nation. The Chamber represents the business interests of a region comprising 5.4 million residents and 11 Fortune 500 companies. Baruah joined the Chamber in 2010 after a distinguished career in Washington, D.C. He previously served President George W. Bush as an administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Baruah was one of the senior officials shaping the federal government’s response to the 2008 credit crisis and assistance to the U.S. automotive industry. In 2016, Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Baruah as chair of Michigan’s 21st Century Economy Commission. He is a frequent commentator on local and national media regarding political developments, automotive industry matters, and Detroit and Michigan issues. Follow Sandy on Twitter @Baruah_DRC_CEO.

Glenn Stevens is the executive director of MICHauto and serves as the Detroit Regional Chamber’s vice president of automotive and mobility initiatives. In this role, Stevens provides strategic direction and leadership to the MICHauto program in its efforts to promote, grow and retain Michigan’s automotive and next-generation mobility industries.

Stevens has more than 25 years of management, strategy and operations experience across the automotive, steel, and capital equipment industries. Prior to joining the Chamber, Stevens served as senior vice president of membership and sales with the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, as well as other leadership roles with Blue Water Automotive Systems, Kolene Corp., and National Steel Corp. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and an executive MBA from Michigan State University. Follow Glenn on Twitter @glennrstevens.

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