BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE

2 0 1 7 a n n u a l r e p o r t DECEMBER 5 , 2017

B U S I N E S S R O U N D TA B L E 2017 ANNUAL MEETING | DECEMBER 5, 2017

MEETING AGENDA

Welcome and Introduction L. Brooks Patterson Oakland County Executive

Host Welcome Pete Karsten, Ph.D.Campus President

Baker College of Auburn Hills

Business Roundtable Co-Chair Remarks Russ SheltonPresident & CEO | Shelton Buick GMC

Business Roundtable Historical Review Matthew GibbDeputy County Executive | Oakland County

Keynote Speaker Brigadier General John D. SlocumCommander, 127th Wing

Selfridge Air National Guard Base

Roundtable Forum

Economic Development Committee Mike CooperHarley Ellis Devereaux

Workforce & Education Committee Al SowersKelly Services, Inc.

Oakland Next Committee Susan KrugerSOAR Learning, Inc.

Transportation & Mobility Committee Alan Kiriluk Kirco Development Corporation

Quality of Life Committee Jennifer RadcliffPreservation Advantage

Adjournment L. Brooks PattersonOakland County Executive

L. Brooks PattersonOakland County Executive

Welcome to the 2017 Oakland County Business Roundtable Annual Meeting and breakfast and congratulations on our 25th year.

This valuable partnership between business, education and community leaders and government continues to pay dividends as we work together to improve the business climate and the quality of life in our county. Much has been accomplished since the Roundtable’s formation in 1993 and it would not have been possible without the interest and commitment by Roundtable members.

The Oakland County One Stop Shop Business Center, Main Street Oakland County® and what has come to be known as the One Stop ReadyTM program all came from committee recommendations.

Five members deserve special recognition – Terence Adderley, Herb Hipple, Linda Jolicoeur, Alan Kiriluk and Fredrick Seeley – all of whom have been Roundtable members since the beginning. Jean Chamberlain, a one-time member of my executive staff, was also there at the beginning and remains involved with the Roundtable as a businesswoman. Thank you all.

I’m grateful to co-chair Russ Shelton, president of Shelton Buick GMC, for his leadership. I also thank Stephanie Bergeron, who retired earlier this year as president of Walsh College, for her service as co-chair.

I hope you share my enthusiasm to hear from this year’s keynote speaker, Brigadier General John D. Slocum, commander of the 127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, as he discusses the importance of the base to our region.

It has been a good year for Oakland County. Our Emerging Sectors® program is on the cusp of $5 billion of total investment, the seventh class of our Elite 40 Under 40 will soon be chosen and we hope to integrate their energy and passion into many of our programs such as Medical Main Street® and Tech248®.

Thanks to Deputy County Executive Matthew Gibb and Economic Development Director Irene Spanos for overseeing the Roundtable and their fine work on behalf of the county.

I remain engaged and enthusiastic about our future. Your vision and commitment ensures Oakland County remains a premier place in the United States to live, work and raise a family.

I wish the best for you and your family in 2018.

O A K L A N D C O U N T YB U S I N E S S R O U N D TA B L E

The Oakland County Business Roundtable provides advice to the County Executive on business, economic development, education, quality of life, transportation and workforce development to ensure the county remains a premier destination to live, work, play and prosper.

The Economic Development Committee makes recommendations to promote business, industry and commerce within Oakland County. It is a strong promoter of business training, vibrant downtowns, improved communications about available county services and offering assistance to start-up businesses.

The Workforce & Education Committee examines and makes recommendations on issues that involve employers, workers, students, training providers and job seekers, including those who need retraining or who are preparing or seeking to enter the workforce.

The Transportation & Mobility Committee examines transportation issues and identifies actions Oakland County can take to resolve or mitigate them. They include supporting alternative funding sources for road repair, congestion relief and safety improvement.

The Quality of Life Committee focuses on intangible elements that make Oakland County a premier location for businesses and families. A recent focus has been on the creation of age friendly communities in the county.

Oakland Next was created to focus on the next generation of leaders in Oakland County through a branding campaign designed to highlight and retain the human capital so important to the county’s future. Giving a voice to "Oakland’s next ________” – the blank could include Oakland’s next leader, change-maker, professional or volunteer.

ROUNDTABLE LEADERSHIP

Stephanie Bergeron, Co-Chair Walsh College (retired)

Russ Shelton, Co-Chair Shelton Buick GMC

Mike Cooper, Chair Harley Ellis Devereaux

Paul Marcus, Vice-Chair Marcus Consulting, LLC

Jeff Aronoff Miller Canfield

Bryan Barnett City of Rochester Hills

Doug Brown ASTI Environmental

Lenny Brucato Arthur J. Gallager

John Carlos GreeningDetroit.com

Dan Cherrin North Coast Strategies

James Clarke Robertson Brothers Company

Wanda Cook-Robinson Oakland Schools

Lena Epstein Vesco Oil Corporation

Matt Farrell Core Partners LLC

Gerald Fisher Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Violet Gintsis Mercantile Bank

Rick Hampson Citizens Bank

Laura Hirschhorn Henkel

Donald Kegley, Jr. Cunningham-Limp Company

Sean Kelley Mannik Smith Group

Stuart Lebenbom Lebenbom & Rothman PC

Chris Madynski Comcast Business Services

Rebecca McGovern Clarkston State Bank

Kris Pawlowski Signature Associates

Ann Peterson City of Rochester

James Ralph James Ralph & Assoc.

Frank Rewold Frank Rewold & Son, Inc.

Sid Rubin Innovative Vending Services

Fredrick Seeley Colliers International

Arthur Siegal Jaffe Raitt

Levi Smith Principal Associates - TCN

Tom Snyder Strategic Property Services

Andrey Tomkiw Tomkiw Enwright, PLC

Ara Topouzian Troy Chamber of Commerce

Madonna VanFossen SMART

JoAnn VanTassel Former Orion Twp. Supervisor

STAFF SUPPORT

Daniel Hunter Oakland County

John Wolf-Meyer Oakland County

Terence Adderley, Chair Kelly Services, Inc.

Al Sowers, Vice-Chair Kelly Services, Inc.

Greg Adams iLearn Systems

Paul Agosta Applied Technology Systems

Mary Kaye Aukee Oakland Schools

David Banchiu EdEn, Inc.

Beth Barnes Walsh College

Gregory Blass Blass Group of Companies

Donald R. Blum Blum & Associates, LLC

Tamela Brown-Williams Oakland Schools

Jackie Bracken

John Carlos GreeningDetroit.com

Joseph Cool Cool & Associates

Rebecca Davies Butzel Long

Ken Elkins Winning Futures

Elaina Farnsworth Mobile Comply

Samuel Flam i3 Executive Coaching

Larry Fobes Learning from Leaders

Catherine Francois GreeningDetroit.com

Karol Friedman Automation Alley

Milan Gandhi MedShare, Inc.

Shelley Goodman Taub Oakland County Board of Commissioners

John Hancock Butzel Long

Michael Holzschu Holzschu, Jordan, Schiff & Assoc.

Linda Jolicoeur One World Business Finance-MI

Peter Karsten Baker College of Auburn Hills

Yasser Khan IBM Miraclesoft

Jackie Kopp ATD Solutions, LLC

Susan Kruger SOAR Learning, Inc.

Lisa Renee Kujawa Lawrence Technological University

Thomas Landry Landry Consulting, LLC

Brandon Malson EAM Staffing & Recruiting

Tanya Markos-Vanno Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce

Holbert Maxey Maxey & Maxey

James Meenahan Environmental & Energy Consultants

Sharon Miller Consumers Energy

Victor Naidu Ramsoft Systems, Inc.

David O'Donnell DPM Consulting Services

Keyon Payton New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church

Hriday Prasad Cloudeeva, Inc.

F. Timothy Richards Consulting Services

Peter Rosenkrands A.B. Heller

David Shields Walsh College

Glen Shilling Detroit Country Day School

Douglas Smith Oakland Community College

Alice Swanger Alimar Ltd.

Wayne Thibodeau Oakland University

Richard Turner Metro Welding Supply

Michael Yocum Oakland Schools

STAFF SUPPORT

John Almstadt Oakland County

Jennifer Llewellyn Oakland County

Susan Kruger, Chair SOAR Learning, Inc.

Nadja Koehler, Vice-Chair ABB Robotics

Roland Alix Hubbell, Roth & Clark

Jeanette Brown Dutton Farms

Lloyd Crews Oakland Community College

Clarence Dass The Dass Law Firm

Amber Delind The Center for Michigan

David Delind DTE Energy

Kelly Dobner Samaritas

Nirav Doshi Complete Data Products

Elaina Farnsworth Mobile Comply

Hajj Flemings Brand Camp University

Lisa Forzley Detroit Zoo

Greggory Garrett CGS Advisors, LLC

Lindsay Gauthier Student

Emma Gibb Student

Bryce Goulah Fleece & Thank You

Jane Harper HFHS

Cooper Hazel Student

DJ Ikeler Center for Success Network

Ryan Ikeler Center for Success Network

Matt Junkin Student

Kait Kluz Complete Data Products

Nicholas Kristock Fleece & Thank You

Jennifer Llewellyn Oakland County

Andy Magnus Bright Side Markets

Megan Mahoney BASF

Nancy Mauer Leadership Oakland

Talisa Norton All Pro Color

Alison Orlans Orlans Group

Andrew Raupp STEM.org

Molly Reeser Camp Casey

Daniel Russell DEM Group

Kimberly Russell Multi-Media Journalist

Alex Scharg Visioned Media

Jessie Smude SOAR Learning, Inc.

David Tindall Oakland University

Marc Verhoeven Student

Abbie Wise Student

Alison Woerner Take Root

Brian Woodcock SOAR Learning, Inc.

STAFF SUPPORT

Matthew Gibb Oakland County

Stephen Huber Oakland County

Kristie Everett Zamora Oakland County

Alan Kiriluk, Chair KIRCO

Doug Smith, Vice-Chair Oakland Community College

Tom Bruff SEMCOG

Jean Chamberlain JNC Consulting

Adam Cheslin Merrill Lynch

Robert Cramer SMART

Brian Downs Fifth Third Bank

Ron Fowkes Road Commission for Oakland County

Jacques Haddad T-Tech Solutions

Robert E. Hagedorn Cadillac Presentation Solutions

Herb Hipple Cordell Metals

Greg Jamian AmeriCare Medical

Sean Kelley Mannik Smith Group

Dennis Kolar Road Commission for Oakland County

Kirk Merametdjian Booz Allen Hamilton

Joe Mercurio General Motors

Sandy Montes MDOT-Oakland TSC

Chuck Moss

Fred Nader Oakland County Connected Vehicle Task Force

James Page Retired

Anthony Ptasznik The Auto Club Group

Dennis Richardson Acrisure

Alan Roeder Couzens Lansky

Daniel Saad DJS Communications

Jim Santilli Transportation Improvement Assoc.

Jim Schultz MDOT Metro Region

Jay Shah Jay Shah Associates

Barry Stulberg Stulberg Development Consultants

Gene Szkilnyk Integra Realty Resources

Madonna Van Fossen SMART

J. David VanderVeen Oakland County

Eric Wilson Wilson & Wilson, PC

Ted Wilson CORE Partners

STAFF SUPPORT

Craig Bryson Road Commission for Oakland County

David Evancoe Road Commission for Oakland County

Matthew Galbraith Oakland County

Kristen Wiltfang Oakland County

Jennifer Radcliff, Chair Preservation Advantage

Jerry Dettloff, Vice-Chair Downtown Mgmt Strategies

Greg Blass Blass Group of Companies

Brandy Boyd Oakland County Parks & Recreation

Robin Danto Michigan State University Ext.

Susan Emery Justice Emery Benefit Solutions

Susan Harding OLSHA

Joan Horton City of Clawson

Kathleen Klein Waste Management

Ken Krajewski The Private Bank

Ann Langford Area Agency on Aging 1-B

Suzanne Levine Greater West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce

Michael MacDonald Northwestern Mutual

James Meenahan Environmental & Energy Consultant

Peggy Miller The Dragun Corporation

Bill Newman Save-On-Drugs

Melissa Prowse Oakland County Parks & Recreation

Kent Roberts National Civility Center

Jackie Smiertka Quality of Life Center

Gary Warner Excel Technologies

Jeff Welsh Right at Home Tri-County

Donna Zalewski ITC Holdings

STAFF SUPPORT

Dan Hunter Oakland County

Dan Riley Oakland County

Brigadier General John D. SlocumSelfridge Air National Guard Base

Brigadier General John D. Slocum is the Commander, 127th Wing, Selfridge ANGB, Michigan. The 127th Wing is home to 1,700 citizen-Airmen operating both the A-10 and KC-135 aircraft, as well the host to 44 tenant organizations from all branches of the military and numerous DHS organizations. Nearly 4500 Active, Guard, and Reserve military and civilian personnel call Selfridge ANGB home.

General Slocum received his Air Force commission through East Carolina University’s ROTC, Det. 600, in 1984, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. During his eight years of active duty service, he served as an F-4E pilot at Moody AFB, Georgia.

General Slocum joined the Arizona Air National Guard in 1992 and served in a variety of Operations Group and headquarters-staff positions. In 2003, he led the Operations Group F-16E/F Block 60 F-16 conversion, airworthiness certification, and academic development for the 162nd Fighter Wing, Tucson, AZ. He was in the initial pilot cadre for standing up F-16E/F Block 60 pilot training for the United Arab Emirates and has written more than 150 flight training and safety academic lessons and textbooks.

In 2005, General Slocum was assigned as the 162FW Chief of Safety and also served as the Wing Headquarters Squadron Commander. While serving as Chief of Safety for the 162nd Fighter

Wing, he authored the ANG’s indigenous human factors for maintenance training curriculum (Maintenance Resource Management), and presented the curriculum to more than 40,000 Airmen. General Slocum was also the program manager for the ‘Wingman Project” suicide prevention and resiliency initiative leveraging internet, social media, and app technology to champion caring for people outreach, training, and marketing. He conceived of and launched the “Ready 54” resiliency campaign and the “Wingman Day” resource for the ANG. He also initiated the DOD-wide mid-air collision avoidance program, known as SeeandAvoid.org, now a national asset hosted by the FAA. In 2013, General Slocum was inducted into the U.S. Air Force Safety Hall of Fame.

Prior to assuming command of the 127th Wing, General Slocum served as The Inspector General, Air National Guard, responsible for assessing and auditing the readiness, discipline, efficiency, and economy of the organization – including the Complaints Resolution Program, and Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) Programs. He has logged more than 4000 hours as an F-4 and F-16 Instructor Pilot.

Keynote Speaker

Co-ChairRuss SheltonPresident & CEOShelton Buick GMC, Inc.

In my new role as the co-chair of this august group of business, education and community leaders I have had the opportunity to reflect on the Oakland County Business Roundtable, both its past and its future. What a run!

Over the years I have witnessed our business community remain steadfast in its commitment to the betterment of Oakland County. From tackling tough of issues like regional transportation to brainstorming the wild of idea a One Stop Shop, the work of the roundtable has been instrumental in supporting the vision County Executive L. Brooks Patterson inspires for a vibrant and healthy economy. The county has had a banner year: nearly $1 Billion of investment in Emerging Sectors® companies and an unemployment rate hovering around 3 percent is proof that the business environment is strong.

As the roundtable moves toward the future, we face challenges common to any established yet growing community: talent, diversification, growth and sustainability. Attracting and retaining talent is a top priority for Oakland County. By creating and sustaining cool places, attracting advanced technologies, and building a recession resistant economy, Oakland County can offer a quality of life that young talent not only desires but seeks. The roundtable plays a key role in molding that vision.

We must stay ahead of the pack and open our arms to that new economy. We must invite, offer and listen to new companies, professionals, those going to and those returning from college, entrepreneurs, and all who would guide our work in the needs and ideas of the next generation of business and community leaders in the county. With their voices we can make the next 25 years of the Oakland County Business Roundtable as great as first 25.

Through my many years on the economic development committee I know firsthand the commitment of time and talent that each member of the roundtable extends, yet how each of us stand resolute to the purpose that we can and will make a difference in the lives of those that call Oakland County home. As I look at all the recommendations and the significance of ideas from Automation Alley to Main Street Oakland County, I can only say, “WOW!”

Thanks to each of you for all you do. Let’s keep it rolling.

B U S I N E S S R O U N D TA B L E J O I N T R E C O M M E N D AT I O N

The chairs of the five Business Roundtable Committees met earlier this year to discuss key issues raised by their members and potential year-end recommendations. During those discussions, a common theme emerged from all five committees; the need for a comprehensive countywide communications & public relations campaign.

COMPREHENSIVE COUNTYWIDE COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN

The Business Roundtable recommends that Oakland County develop and implement a comprehensive, countywide communications and public relations campaign. Such a campaign will embrace the strength of our region, and Oakland County’s position as a regional leader. It will emphasize that we are not competing with the city of Detroit, but that Detroit’s ability to function as a true urban center will enable Oakland County to prosper. Oakland County can and will remain the heart of a vibrant region.

We need to tell the full story of Oakland County, including a strong and diverse business community, a AAA bond rating, superior schools, plentiful parks and recreational opportunities, walkable cities, family friendly and inclusive communities, a commitment to safety first and leading-edge technology.

Each committee would identify the key issues from its perspective for inclusion in the campaign. This would ensure that of all the possible stories to tell, we are telling the most important ones, the ones that will have the most impact.

GOALS

The goals of implementing this recommendation are:

• Connect all aspects of the county to create a focused and dynamic message

• Clearly and concisely convey the brand of Oakland County

• Attract new business to the county while effectively retaining existing business

• Attract residents of all generations to the county, recognizing all that it has to offer

STRATEGY

Tactics for implementing this recommendation are:

• Allocate funding to support this initiative

• Engage an outside expert to lead the county through the process

• Have one or two committee members help guide/manage outcomes of outside expert engagement

• Benchmark other successful counties adjacent to urban centers (i.e., Westchester County, Orange County)

• Actively and continually tell our story and create as much county “buzz” as possible

Mike CooperHarley Ellis Devereaux

Chair

Paul J. MarcusMarcus ConsultingVice-Chair

The Economic Development Committee was the impetus behind the joint recommendation adopted by the five committees of the Oakland County Business Roundtable. Our committee thought it was important to show how we reached our conclusion.

During various meetings throughout the year, we discussed multiple topics before centering on four core issues we believed were important to the continued economic growth and vitality of Oakland County:

• Asset Management

• Manufacturing

• Obsolete Properties

• Education

We ultimately agreed that obsolete properties are technically assets of Oakland County, and so integrating asset management and obsolete properties into one focus area made sense. We further determined that the priority of both the manufacturing and education groups is skilled trades and the development of a work-ready workforce, so combining those two focus areas also made sense.

While each issue had unique challenges to consider as we moved forward, a closer examination of each resulted in a common theme: the need for Oakland County to develop a comprehensive and coordinated communications and public relations strategy.

At an October discussion with leadership from each of the five Roundtable committees, facilitated by Deputy County Executive Matthew Gibb, it became clear that all five committees were of a similar mind: a focus on a countywide communication/PR strategy should be the committee’s top priority and recommendation.

Collectively, we discussed regional competition (Detroit, Macomb, etc.) and the importance of positioning Oakland County and telling its story to a wider audience. We also talked about the importance of the county allocating funding to engage an outside expert to assist in the development a winning strategy. We agreed that having all five BRT committees reach consensus on an area of focus is a unique and powerful thing.

The Economic Development Committee volunteered to craft the language that would serve as a joint recommendation for the five Business Roundtable committees.

Terence AdderleyKelly Services, Inc.

Chair

Al SowersKelly Services, Inc.Vice-Chair

The Workforce & Education Committee examines and makes recommendations on issues that involve employers, workers, students, training providers and job seekers, including those who need retraining, or who are preparing or seeking to enter the workforce.

Since its inception, Workforce and Education Committee recommendations continue to be implemented:

Market Oakland County’s Workforce Development and Education Programs

Oakland Schools, Oakland Community College, Oakland Next, the Oakland County Department of Economic Development and Community Affairs, and Oakland County Michigan Works! collaborated on the third annual “Manufacturing Day,” which promoted careers in advanced manufacturing.

More than 800 students from the four Oakland Schools’ technical campuses and five local school districts toured and performed actual work at 50 manufacturing companies, including Comau, GKN, MPD Welding and the following employer sponsors: Magna, FCA, Kelly Services and Wenzel.

In addition, the sixth edition of Oakland County’s award-winning “Apprenticeship Book” was issued in April. Like previous editions, the book asks and answers several questions about apprenticeships and highlights 60 occupations for which apprenticeships are frequently developed.

It features 19 new occupations, including those in the information technology, health care, advanced manufacturing and construction industries. Nearly 6,000 copies of the book have been distributed.

Develop Partnerships with Business

Last fiscal year, Oakland County Michigan Works! received more than $1.2 million in Michigan Skilled Trades Training funds (STTF) to train more than 1,000 workers at 50 employers, including AB Heller, Lee Industrial and Red Level Networks. This fiscal year, the county submitted 99 STTF applications, totaling $2.5 million.

Bridge the Skills Gap

In March, the county executive issued a “Skills Needs Assessment Project Report” for the connected mobility industry. Like its counterparts for the advanced manufacturing, health care and emerging Industries sectors, the connected mobility project asked employers to identify the industry’s most in-demand jobs and the skills job seekers need to obtain these jobs. About 2,000 copies of the report were distributed.

Create a new Talent Pipeline

In addition to “Manufacturing Day,” a Tech248/IT apprenticeship event was held to create an information technology talent pipeline. Oakland County Michigan Works! staff partnered with Oakland Schools, Automation Alley, the U.S.

Al SowersKelly Services, Inc.Vice-Chair

Department of Labor and the Workforce Intelligence Network to help employers create IT apprenticeships. Nearly 100 companies and partners attended.

Collaborate with other Committees

Through a partnership with Oakland County Michigan Works! and the Oakland County Workforce Development Division, Workforce and Education and Oakland Next committees participated in an Oakland Next event at Lake Orion High School. Jennifer Llewellyn, manager of the Oakland County Workforce Development Division, spoke at the event which highlighted career opportunities Oakland County’s employers create.

Oakland County Michigan Works! and the Oakland County Workforce Development Division also developed an “Oakland Next Career Assistance” program for job seekers between the ages of 16-24. The program features paid internships, tuition assistance, apprenticeship opportunities and job search assistance.

COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2017:

The committee heard and discussed presentations from: Deputy Oakland County Executive Matthew Gibb; Susan Kruger, co-chairwoman of the Oakland Next Committee; and Jennifer Llewellyn, manager of the Oakland County Workforce Development Division participated in two panel discussions about internships. Panelists included representatives from Baker College, Oakland Community College, Oakland County Michigan Works!, Oakland Schools, Oakland University and Walsh College. They described their processes for recruiting, selecting, paying and placing their interns.

Completed satisfaction and issues surveys, which drove the committee’s agenda, discussions and recommendations.

NEW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2018:

The committee recommends that it continue to collaborate with the Oakland Next Committee. Workforce and Education Committee members could support Oakland Next by recruiting new members, including high school and college students; participating in a social media campaign; and sponsoring future Oakland Next events. The committee could also promote and help implement the Oakland Next Career Assistance Program.

The committee recommends that its members promote Oakland County workforce development initiatives. Members, for example, could present the county’s Skill Needs Assessment Projects and Apprenticeship Books to various organizations and educational institutions.

The Oakland Next Business Roundtable is a group of peers/colleagues working to better the county, connecting people and resources, with the goal of retaining talent in Oakland County.

From the beginning, Oakland Next committee members expressed a desire to be an “action-oriented” group. Therefore, in lieu of recommendations, this report provides an update on all that has been accomplished in the 18 months since the group’s inception.

The first major accomplishment was establishing the group name - Oakland Next, the tagline (“I am Oakland’s Next __________________!”) and the branding/logo, all of which were designed to promote a sense of relevance and ownership among county residents.

Oakland Next then determined three areas of focus to further our objective of talent retention:

• Social Media

• Live Career Events

• Connected Resources

SOCIAL MEDIA

Committee members unanimously agreed the vast majority of residents are not aware of how many wonderful resources are available through Oakland County. To address this concern, Oakland Next will be launching a story-based social media campaign.

Social media handles have been created for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook utilizing the Oakland Next brand. The group has also established a detailed plan of social media objectives and strategies. Committee volunteers are now working with Oakland County’s social media coordinators to integrate the desires of the committee within the county’s broadcast parameters.

LIVE CAREER EVENTS

Oakland Next held its inaugural live event at Lake Orion High School in March, called “Oakland Next: A Future You Didn’t Know Existed.” The evening event was open to all students and parents in the community.

To promote the evening event, a “Flash Future” (similar to a “flash mob”) was coordinated beforehand. One afternoon at Lake Orion High School, during all lunch hours, dozens of committee and county volunteers showed up in Oakland Next t-shirts. Armed with Oakland Next posters, they engaged students at every lunch table in on-the-spot discussions about hot jobs, challenged them with new perspectives about their future, and invited them to the live event.

The live event was held two weeks later. The format for the two-hour presentation was designed by the committee’s high school student-leadership team; it included nine live speakers interspersed with relevant videos, all highlighting a wide range of leading career opportunities in Oakland County.

Susan KrugerSOAR Learning

Chair

Nadja KoehlerABB RoboticsVice-Chair

The event was a smashing success and requests immediately poured in from local schools requesting to host a live Oakland Next event. The committee now has a waiting list for host locations and is actively coordinating the next live event. Meanwhile, the committee is creating several assets to help scale the production of future live events, such as: “Event in a Box,” a Speakers Bureau, and an inventory or relevant videos.

CONNECTED RESOURCES

Oakland Next seeks to be a hub that connects people to the career, education and training resources available in Oakland County. To facilitate this goal, a website has been established at OaklandNext.com to provide information about relevant resources. The committee will consistently be evaluating resources to include on this web page.

The county has also announced that all workforce development programs targeted to ages 16-24 will now be branded under the Oakland Next umbrella!

NEXT STEPS

The three focus areas for Oakland Next are in “infancy stages” as the committee builds momentum. However, a solid foundation for each area has been established according to the committee’s vision for Oakland Next.

Moving forward, each of the three focus areas will serve to promote the other. For example, social media will promote live events and connected resources. Live events will help with the “trending” social media and, of course, communicate the resources Oakland Next has cultivated. Ultimately, the connected resources will help Oakland Next achieve its goal of connecting the people of Oakland County to the rich resources available throughout the county.

Nadja KoehlerABB RoboticsVice-Chair

Alan Kiriluk Kirco Development

CorporationChair

Doug SmithOakland Community CollegeVice-Chair

The Transportation Committee is charged with exploring innovative and emerging approaches to advance the safety and efficiency of a comprehensive multi-modal transportation network throughout Oakland County and its connectivity to the region.

PAST RECOMMENDATIONS

The committee is pleased to see that the county’s administration continues to work with the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to take steps toward the implementation of connected vehicle infrastructure and testing sites throughout the region. It is also important to note that in 2017, road agencies across Michigan experienced a much needed influx to maintenance and construction budgets for the first time in 20 years. This will help to improve and maintain RCOC roads of which 42 percent are in poor condition, 35 percent in fair condition and 23 percent in good condition.

State Road Funding

A two-part road funding package was signed into law by Governor Snyder in late 2015. It is anticipated that $1.2 billion in new transportation infrastructure funding will be distributed to road agencies in Michigan annually by 2021. Starting Jan. 1, 2017, the first $600 million is expected to be generated through:

• Raising vehicle registration by 20 percent

• Increasing both the diesel tax and the gas tax to 26.3-cents per gallon

• Adding surcharges of $47 per year to hybrid vehicles and $135 per year to electric vehicles

The state’s General Fund is the source of the second half of funding and the transfer is to begin at $150 million in 2019, $325 million in 2020 and reach $600 million by 2021 and remain at that level in subsequent years. There is great concern that this portion of the funding is not guaranteed and legislative priorities could change. Adding to this uncertainty is the fact that many of the legislators that will be in office in 2019 may not have been there when the road funding package was approved in 2015.

RECOMMENDATION

The county executive should strongly advocate and urge the Michigan Legislature to allocate critically needed road funding from the General Fund beginning in 2019 to be used for the restoration of Michigan’s roads and bridges.

Doug SmithOakland Community CollegeVice-Chair

Distracted Driving

Preliminary reports estimate that there were nearly 300,000 crashes in the state of Michigan in 2016 and human error is a primary cause. Traffic safety can be improved through sound engineering, educational outreach and highly visible law enforcement programs. Municipalities and states that have enacted hand-held cellphone bans, report that overall traffic deaths declined and drivers report that they talk less on both hand-held and hands-free devices while operating a motor vehicle.

RECOMMENDATION

In order to change driver behavior and reduce traffic crashes related to distracted driving, the county executive should support the creation and promotion of a safe driver marketing campaign. Seed funding is being held by the Transportation Improvement Association and may be used to create public service announcements, posters and enforcement initiatives to be used throughout the year especially in April, which has been designated as Distracted Driver Awareness Month.

RECOMMENDATION

In addition, the county executive should continue to urge the Michigan Legislature to enact House Bill 4466 in 2017, which will amend the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code to make holding or using a portable electronic device while a driving a civil infraction.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

In 2014, the committee supported MDOT’s I-75 Modernization Project and requested that an accelerated funding plan be developed in order to complete the work before the projected 2034 completion date. In 2017, MDOT was successful in developing a new funding model and contracting method that will speed up the process with a new anticipated project completion in 2022.

Looking ahead to 2018, the committee is interested in focusing on the future of automobile safety devices and upgrades and how they may impact overall crash and fatality rates.

Jennifer RadcliffPreservation

AdvantageChair

Jerry DettloffDowntown Management StrategiesVice-Chair

In 2012, the Quality of Life Committee began the year in a double session of strategic planning. In that setting, we acknowledged that we were in danger of “preaching to the choir” instead of reaching our business partners, our graduating students, our families with the good news about Oakland County as a place to live, work and play.

Since that time, we have developed initiatives which gave us the opportunity to share information, and market Oakland County’s unique attributes to these audiences.

RECOMMENDATION

Conversations with roundtable members have turned to the need for an assertive marketing campaign which will highlight the good news about Oakland County. We recommend that steps be taken now to put in place the components of the campaign—budget, people, goals—to carry the county to its proper position in the region.

Environmental Enhancement to Improve the Quality of Life in Oakland County

Oakland County has a strong record of adopting and implementing environmentally conscious policies and quality of life programs. It is recommended that the county continue to integrate and encourage sustainability into all aspects of county management and community life.

Oakland County recognizes that recycling saves resources and encourages economic growth and workforce development opportunities, and has provided staff and support to the following:

• North Oakland Household Hazardous Waste Program ( NO HAZ)

• Michigan Green School Program. In conjunction with Oakland Schools, this program encourages recycling education and activities in school districts countywide.

Recycling and sustainability initiatives are an important component of the value system of the millennials and the next generation, as a quality of life concern for themselves as well as for future generations. Global businesses seeking to expand in the U.S. also value these initiatives.

RECOMMENDATION

The QOL Committee recommends the following initiatives related to recycling:

Support the implementation of recycling in all county office buildings and meeting spaces to include materials such as paper, plastic water and juice bottles, deposit soda containers, batteries and other high volume workplace items currently discarded into the general waste stream.

Develop a pilot program of recycling similar items, for example recyclable bottles and deposit bottles, in Main Street Oakland County downtowns. Many public places have provided for this kind of waste stream separation.

Jerry DettloffDowntown Management StrategiesVice-Chair

Monitor activities and potential legislation at the state level coming from the recently completed Michigan Solid Waste and Sustainability Advisory Panel (SWSAP) to ensure proposed new recycling and materials management initiatives are not done as unfunded cost mandates to counties and local communities.

In Michigan, an invasive species is defined as one that is not native and whose introduction causes harm, or is likely to cause harm to Michigan’s economy, environment or human health. In Oakland County, invasive species are adversely impacting property values, public health and safety, public infrastructure, recreation assets, biological diversity and ecosystem services.

To combat the harm caused by invasive species, the Oakland County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) was established in 2014 to support functioning ecosystems and enhance the quality of life in Oakland County by collaborating to control invasive species.

To date, over 20 actively engaged cities, villages and townships, the Road Commission for Oakland County, Oakland County Parks and Recreation, and several non-profit organizations have been working together to educate citizens, seek grant funding and conduct select species removal in public areas like parks and road right of way. Partners have treated invasive plants on 113 miles of road rights of way and an additional 1,097 acres across the county. Invasive species training was provided to 63,000 people through outreach efforts.

Currently, the CISMA coordinator is funded by grant dollars and is limited to only 14 hours per week. This is a major impediment to future growth and implementation of CISMA activities. Oakland County’s CISMA is the only one in Michigan that does not have a full-time coordinator.

RECOMMENDATION

Oakland County should fund a fulltime coordinator and leadership position to work with the various public and nonprofit partners. The position will come under the management of the Department of Economic Development & Community Affairs and work with other county agencies such as Parks and Recreation, MSU Extension Oakland County, Water Resource Commissioner, Oakland

County Soil Conservation District and other related entities. A fulltime coordinator will be leveraged to pursue grants, donations and other opportunities that allow the accomplishment of more on the ground work throughout the county.

Improving Quality of Life for Citizens and Communities

Quality of life is experienced on the individual level first, and then at the community level. The committee’s exposure to the issues raised by participants in our workshops clarified the connection between those concerns and the work being done by various county departments. Our members are business owners, leaders of nonprofit organizations, bankers, environmentalists and municipal staff. The Business Roundtable provides a way to serve as one of the bridges between the public and the private sectors.

In 2017, the committee heard a presentation from the Oakland County Health Division about the Community Health Assessment, completed in 2016. This data-loaded assessment has led to a comprehensive plan for monitoring and improving the health of county residents. The plan is called ECHO (Energizing Connections for Healthier Oakland), and it touches on several of the topics which were highlighted by the age friendly workshops of 2015 and 2016. We should continue discussions with the Health Division to explore where we can contribute to this very important work.

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Produced with the support of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners