Happy Holidays and Looking Ahead to the New Year

First and foremost, I want to wish everyone a very joyful and peaceful holiday season. I am grateful for the support of the citizens of Wayne County as we deal with tough times, and I am proud of my staff and all County employees for doing what it takes to serve our citizens with the dignity and honor that comes with public service.

Second, I want to thank the hard-working staff within our Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE), especially Turkia Awada Mullin for her hard work during her first year as EDGE’s Director. I know that she and everyone in EDGE is doing everything possible to diversify our economy, attract new investment, and create jobs for the citizens of our region. I also want to thank our leadership in Community Development, the Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program, the Nuisance Abatement Program, and the Wayne County Land Bank for going the extra mile to provide opportunity and hope for our communities in need.

I also want to thank our various partners for working with us to build a better economy for our region. I want to particularly thank Ann Arbor Spark and Washtenaw County, all the Aerotropolis partner governments, Business Leaders for Michigan and the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, and our partners at Techtown, the Small Business and Technology Development Center, and the Michigan Life Sciences and Innovation Center for supporting business growth and job creation in Wayne County. These challenging economic times have shown us that we are stronger if we work together on building a new economic future.

Our economy will continue to face economic challenges in 2010, which is why we must continue to work hard to bring new jobs to our region. Our own County faces a huge deficit as a result of the contraction of the auto industry, home foreclosures, and stiff national and international competition for jobs, even in our growth sectors. That is why it is important that we do everything we can to accelerate initiatives like the Detroit Region Aerotropolis. The Michigan House just passed legislation called the Next Michigan Development Act in support of the Aerotropolis, and the Aerotropolis Development Corporation should be up and running by the end of January.

We will also continue to help our suppliers and manufacturers identify new markets for their products and skills, and we will build upon our talented workforce and manufacturing heritage to compete for jobs in alternative energy, defense, film, and life sciences. From battery manufacturing to nanotechnology, Wayne County will do everything possible to compete for high-tech jobs.

We will continue to support small and medium-sized business growth. As a whole, these businesses have the most potential to create jobs and are critical to developing a home-grown economy. We will always look to attract investment from overseas including from China, but we must also do everything we can to create an economy where we produce and consume goods made here in Wayne County and in Michigan.

We have much more to look forward to in 2010 including the advancement of mass transit, the redevelopment of Cobo Convention Center, and the development of a greener economy. Whereas 2009 was a year of transition for our economy, I feel 2010 will be the year our economy takes a turn for the better. I again want to thank our employees and partners for their dedication, and I want to thank all our businesses for choosing to locate and stay in our economy. Together, we will build a brighter future for our citizens.

Robert A. Ficano is Wayne County’s Chief Executive