Wayne County Community Partners’ Forum Event Recap
Turkia Awada Mullin, Chief Development Officer and Assistant Wayne County CEO, hosted the Wayne County Community Partners’ Forum on April 28th. Over 40 professionals from 22 local, state, and federal governments, as well as private economic development agencies attended the Forum held in a conference room on the 32nd floor of the Guardian Building in Detroit.
(How do you clear a room of dedicated and enthusiastic economic development professionals and practitioners after a 2 hour meeting? The answer, and more, later.)
Turkia Awada Mullin, Chief Development Officer and Assistant Wayne County CEO, hosted
the Wayne County Community Partners’ Forum on April 28th. Invitations for the event were sent to all Wayne County local community chief elected officials and their respective economic development professionals. Over 40 professionals from 22 local, state, and federal governments, as well as private economic development agencies attended the Forum held in a conference room on the 32nd floor of the Guardian Building in Detroit.
The focus of the Forum was partnership and collaboration, and the agenda modeled the typical “Hot Prospects” meeting EDGE convenes monthly with the MEDC and DTE. Speakers and presenters highlighted communication strategies, local and regional marketing programs, shared resources, and Wayne County’s economic development tools and assets. Development Officers from Turkia’s EDGE staff put together a session that provided Wayne County’s guests with key economic development contacts and resources.
Presenters included:
- Dave Tyler, Deputy Director Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE)
- Jeff Bryant, Scott Turner, Joan Brophy and Bryce Kelley, Development Officers with EDGE
- Larry Gormezano, Regional Manager, MEDC SE Michigan
- Jeff Sand, Aaron Young, MEDC Account Managers
- Jacqueline C Young, DTE Energy
- Sara Coulter, Jennifer Mull and John O’Grady of the U.S. Small Business Administration – U.S. Export Assistance Center-Detroit
- Tammy Thompson, Amy Jones and Richard King of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC) at Schoolcraft College and Eastern Michigan University
- Lawrence Jackson – MI-SBTDC Counselor.
The reaction of the professionals in the room was clearly positive. A majority of the audience made a very good case that these meetings be convened at least once a quarter, and they will be. In addition, and for nearly 2 hours after the close of the Forum, these professionals continued discussions and networking.
Question: How do you clear a room of room of dedicated and enthusiastic economic development professionals and practitioners after a 2 hour meeting?
Answer: Why would you even think of doing such a thing?
Bryce Kelley is a Development Officer for Wayne County EDGE.
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