Detroiter Magazine: May 2021

THE REARVIEW MIRROR: COVID-19ʼS IMPACT ON BUSINESS

A RACE TO SAVE LIVES: MICHIGANʼS ROLE IN VACCINE DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION

FROM PANDEMIC TO ENDEMIC: THE TRANSFORMATION OF WORK IN THE POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

A PUBLICATION OF THE DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER • MAY 2021

B E YO N D COV I D - 1 9 :

FutURE c as t i n g

Business

US $4.00

ALWAYS OPEN FOR MICHIGAN BUSINESSES. As we move through 2021, Michigan businesses will continue to adapt. And the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will be here, helping to connect businesses to new resources, meet new partners and access the additional capital they need from the start. If your business needs support to reach its new potential, the MEDC is available to help in any way we can.

Find customized business assistance at michiganbusiness.org/pure-partnership

BEYOND COVID-19:

FUTURECASTING BUSINESS M AY 2 0 2 1

• V O L U M E 11 3 , I S S U E 1

FUTURECASTING BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP

CONTENTS

SUMMARY

Publisher Tammy Carnrike, CCE

6

THE REARVIEW MIRROR

8

A RACE TO SAVE LIVES

14

Examining COVID-19’s impact on businesses large and small.

Michigan employers played key roles in developing and distribution the COVID-19 vaccine.

FROM PANDEMIC TO ENDEMIC

A look at employee well-being and the transformation of work in the post-pandemic world.

16

THE POST-PANDEMIC OFFICE

20

‘NEW NORMAL’

22

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING

26

TAKING OFF?

28

LOOKING AHEAD

32

ADAPT AND CHANGE

34

A NEW WAY FORWARD

Experts consider how the pandemic will impact today’s workplace.

Industry executives discuss key sectors in the post-COVID market.

Forecasting Michigan’s automotive industry following the pandemic.

Air travel is evolving as demand returns and Delta is ready.

Managing Editor Melissa Read Editor James Martinez Art Director Bethany Saner Photographers Courtesy photos Advertising Director Jim Connarn Advertising Representatives Laurie Scotese Research and Analysis Christyn Lucas Austeja Upaite Back Issues 313.596.0391

Published by Detroit Regional Chamber Services Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission.

Banking industry leaders explore how the sector is primed for tech innovation.

Hospital executives define what an equitable health care system looks like and discuss moving beyond the pandemic.

Redefining density, place, and infrastructure in cities.

36

MICHIGAN’S RESILIENCY

44

POINT OF VIEW

Forecasting one of the nation’s most cyclical economies.

Freshman lawmakers discuss taking office amid a pandemic.

Detroiter (ISSN 0011-9709) is published four times a year (April, June, Oct. and Dec.) by the Detroit Regional Chamber, One Woodward Avenue, Suite 1900, Detroit MI 48322, Phone: (313)964-4000.

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Copyright 2007, Detroit Regional Chamber Services Inc.

2

Executive Summary FROM THE PRESIDENT

The poet laureate of the Summer of 1986, Ferris Bueller, said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Those words speak a truth that becomes more relevant over time.

While society is always evolving, the pace of change since “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and the advent of the information age, has accelerated at an exponential rate. The level of technological and societal change we must process far outstrips the dynamics of those born generations ago.

The global pandemic and the social justice awakening of 2020, and their follow-on impacts have pushed the rate of change in all aspects of our lives even faster. 2020 accelerated key trends that businesses will need to get in front of in order to remain competitive in the marketplace and in the battle for talent.

In a crisis, we always think we will change more than we do, but at the end of the day, we never change as much as we probably should.”

REMOTE VERSUS IN-PERSON WORK FLEXIBILITY HERE TO STAY The chances that businesses will either stay fully remote or return to full-time in-office work are nil. While it is too soon to know what that balance will look like, it is clear that now that employees will demand their newfound flexibility into the future. Simultaneously, it is apparent that building new relationships (with teammates or customers) and creating esprit de corps is harder in the virtual environment.

HYBRID OFFICES PRESENT NEW CHALLENGES Mixing virtual workers and in-office workers creates a myriad of challenges; how the work environment is configured to accommodate the need for in-office employees to freely interact with their virtual teammates, creating a dynamic office environment with only a portion of employees physically present, a likely continuing desire for social distancing and many other physical and policy challenges – including answering the question “what are working hours?”

GEOGRAPHY NO LONGER INHIBITS TALENT MOBILITY This dynamic will also lead to a new and unprecedented choice for employees and employers unbound by geography. If an employee is largely working remotely, does it matter if they call Detroit or Denver home? This could fundamentally change the marketplace for talent allowing for essentially unlimited talent mobility.

EMPLOYEES EXPECT SOCIAL JUSTICE TO BE A PRIORITY Employers will also find that their employees will demand a continued focus on social justice, both at the workplace and in the company’s external dealings. After the murder of George Floyd, and similar injustices, it was apparent that this time it was indeed different. The coalition of those committed to addressing social justice issues has now grown far beyond the usual suspects and become a long-term business priority.

In the aftermath of 9/11, conventional wisdom was that New York City would never recover; that businesses would flee high-profile high-rise buildings. Many experts believed that the scarring impact of the Great Recession would drive a fundamental change in the American consumer; that we would adopt more modest and lower profile spending patterns, much like the ethos developed by those touched by the Great Depression. Clearly, these predictions made in the heat of crisis missed the mark. While these past predictions serve as cautionary tale for forecasting in SANDY K. BARUAH the midst of a crisis, it is not too early to PRESIDENT AND see some clear post-pandemic realities.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER

Changes to the workplace are just one issue we have to grapple with. This issue of the Detroiter is focused on the potential changes our businesses and citizens will likely have to navigate in the years to come – in our everaccelerating environment of change.

The Era Ahead

L E SS O N S L E A R N E D , I N N OVAT I O N , AND THE DETROIT REGION The Detroit Region has long been one of the nation’s most innovative and cyclical economies. It’s a paradoxical dynamic. The same workforce and industries that play a major role in defining the United States’ economic landscape also typically bear the brunt of recessions and down times heavier than other places.

There is little doubt that this region, demonstrating an increased resiliency in this unprecedented crisis, will again play an outsized national role in the post-pandemic era. That role will be defined as local leaders, innovators, and companies adapt and adopt the

lessons of the pandemic in the years ahead. It’s important first to understand where we are, what we learned about ourselves, and where we want to go from here.

This Detroiter explores the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on businesses and the implications for employers and employees moving forward. While more takeaways and trends will emerge, key regional thought-leaders reflect on their experiences, answer key questions based on the information available in early 2021, and futurecast what it all means for their respective industries.

BY T H E N U M B E R S

2.4

MILLION PEOPLE IN MICHIGAN HAVE FILED FOR NEW JOBLESS CLAIMS SINCE MARCH 1, 20211

THE DETROIT REGION’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PEAKED IN MAY 2020 AT

24.8

SOURCES: 1. U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2. Opportunity Insights, 3. U.S. Census Bureau, 4. U.S. Small Business Administration

%

1

18

%

to the world we were once accustomed to was upended. It would have

BY THE END OF 2020 COMPARED TO JANUARY 2020 2

appeared unimaginable that commerce would come

133,247 MICHIGAN BUSINESS APPLICATIONS FILED IN 2020 3

to a halt with the reality of not knowing when we could resume life as normal.

We saw that COVID-19 demonstrated inequities in healthcare outcomes and financial outcomes.

F U T U R E C AS T I N G

IN THE DETROIT REGION, TOTAL CONSUMER SPENDING REMAINED DOWN BY

ago, our ability to relate

BEYOND THE PANDEMIC

Approximately one year

However, one of the greatest assets of a leader DETROIT REGION BUSINESSES AWARDED

12

$

is their ability to adapt to the unknown and be

BILLION

decisive, even when all of

IN PPP LOANS 4

the factors are not known.”

126 M

$

658 M

$

70 M

$

5B

$

347 M

$

832 M

$

126 M

$

3B

$

200 M

$

$

239 M

2B

$

KENNETH KELLY CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, FIRST INDEPENDENCE BANK

COVID-19’S IMPACT ON BUSINESS When COVID-19 hit last year, most businesses large or small and from every market sector were caught off guard.

Employers had to develop quick responses to the pandemic to protect employees and customers, often relegating normal operations to the back seat.

Each organization had to adjust to the new realities to assure safety and continuity, with each plan as unique as the business itself.

One example is the Narrow Way Café, an intimate shop offering coffee and baked goods on the Avenue of Fashion stretch of Livernois in Detroit typically employing around eight and owned by David Merritt.

CHALLENGES NOT FOR FAINT OF HEART As it was for so many business owners in restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment industries, the challenge Merritt faced

was not for the faint of heart. According to the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, restaurant sales statewide declined some 25% in 2020, while labor costs as a percent of sales increased.

Merritt’s response stressed the safety of his employees and customers including a period of complete closure from March through July.

CRISIS LEADS TO CREATIVE SOLUTIONS When he reopened with reduced hours and menu offerings, he also rolled out a series of creative solutions including a walk-up carry-out window. When the colder weather set in, “to go” ordering was allowed indoors with proper precautions.

Merritt also developed a customer facing smart phone app to accept online orders and schedule pick-up times.

Restaurant sales statewide declined some 25% in 2020, while labor costs as a percent of sales increased.

DAVID MERRITT OWNER, NARROW WAY CAFE

Executive Summary

58

% PAUL GLANTZ

OF MICHIGAN VOTERS SAID HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES BOUNCE BACK WAS THE FIRST ISSUE THAT STATE LEADERS SHOULD ADDRESS 1

While coffee can be ordered from a myriad of places using similar methods, Merritt worked to maintain customer loyalty by starting a Monthly Java Club, which delivers patrons a bag of beans each month from a surprise location: Costa Rica, Brazil, Ethiopia, or elsewhere.

NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH FOR BUSINESS AMID PANDEMIC On March 16, 2020, Emagine Entertainment, which owns and operates twelve movie theaters throughout Michigan, closed its venues per Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order shutting down bars, theaters, casinos, and limiting restaurants to carry-out and delivery. While reopenings were allowed later in the year, 2020 proved difficult.

Pivoting to alternate revenue methods was challenging, particularly for theaters which require in-person experiences, unlike restaurants that can offer delivery or carryout options.

“We’re prevented by our agreements with the production studios from live streaming movies, except for a few small budget films,” explains Chairman Paul Glantz.

CHAIRMAN, EMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT

Costs were cut aggressively, but with an eye to the future. During the early months, employees were kept on, doing deep cleaning and painting projects. Eventually, however, all but the most senior staff were furloughed.

While the theaters normally employ about 1,100 full- and part-time workers, only about 50 were working as of March 19 as senior managers were kept on.

However, Emagine continued to pay healthcare premiums for furloughed employees on the company plan. “We were concerned about these people facing the double burden of unemployment and a lack of health insurance. We wanted them to know we care,” says Glantz.

Since the state allowed limited openings in December, Emagine has followed the protocols mandated under the CinemaSafe initiative of the National Association of Theatre Owners. The program is a comprehensive set of health and safety guidelines that mandate enhanced cleaning, improved ventilation, and employee training in recognizing COVID symptoms. • Paul Vachon is a freelance writer in Metro Detroit.

THE STRUGGLE OF REMAINING VIABLE The business then faced a conundrum: how to remain viable despite the shutdown.

SOURCE: 1. Detroit Regional Chamber Poll, December 2020

7

8

Michigan’s Role

SaveLives A RACE TO

M I C H I GA N ’S R O L E I N VA C C I N E D E V E LO PM E N T

By Karen Dybis

OR ABOUT

70%

5.6M

OF PEOPLE AGE 16 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER

MICH

PEOPLE, FOR COVID-19

BY THE END OF 2021

As COVID-19 closures hit schools and businesses, Michigan companies that specialize in health care and logistics played a pivotal role in vaccine development and distribution in the state and nationally, creating a unique kind of team work in a race to save lives.

From Pfizer’s role in manufacturing a vaccine to Henry Ford Health System’s leadership in vaccine trials to one leader’s role in distribution through Operation Warp Speed to Mejier’s efforts in vaccination clinics, these Michiganders were essential in getting shots in arms and creating a sense of hope that the virus could be contained.

“No matter what we do as an organization or what’s happening in our society, our mission is simple. We are authentically dedicated to improving people’s lives. Right now, that means leaning in to the unprecedented challenge that COVID-19 has presented,” said Wright L. Lassiter III, president and chief executive officer of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

SOURCE: State of Michigan

MICHIGAN’S GOAL

VACCINATE

PFIZER AND BIONTECH CO-DEVELOP VACCINE The effort started in Kalamazoo. That is where Pfizer jumped into the fight, said Dr. Alejandro Cane, vice president of medical and scientific affairs, North America region for Pfizer vaccines.

Pfizer and BioNTech entered an agreement in 2018 that sought to develop mRNA-based vaccines for prevention of influenza.

In March 2020, Pfizer and BioNTech agreed to co-develop and distribute a potential mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection.

“Our goal was to rapidly advance multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates into human clinical testing based on BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA vaccine platform, while leveraging Pfizer’s broad expertise in vaccine research and development, regulatory capabilities and global manufacturing and distribution network,” Dr. Cane said.

Story continues on page 10

Michigan’s Role 9

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Legal Legal and and financial financial consultations consultations and and resources, resources, available available 24/7 24/7

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10 Michigan’s Role

WASHINGTON CALLS TACOM FOR LOGISTICS Around the same time, TACOM’s logistics expert Marion G. Whicker received a call from Washington, D.C. Gustave Perna, Operation Warp Speed’s chief operating officer, asked Whicker to join him on Operation Warp Speed, an effort by the U.S. government and public partnerships to facilitate the development, manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

Her role was to build the infrastructure needed to distribute the vaccines as soon as they were ready to use. That meant “building out facilities, getting equipment to facilities, and getting people to the facilities,” Whicker said. Whicker agreed to commit to up to a year of her life to this effort. Whicker called it “such a tremendous honor and responsibility” but one that has special purpose.

“Given what this was, you forget your own concerns and you do what is necessary,” Whicker said.

Thanks to Whicker’s efforts and hundreds of others, the nation was ready when on Dec. 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration announced it authorized Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine for emergency use. It was a moment that brought “great pride and tremendous joy,” Dr. Cane said.

No matter what we do as an organization or what’s happening in our society, our mission is simple. We are authentically dedicated to improving people’s lives.”

WRIGHT L. LASSITER III PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM

MEIJER PLAYS LEADING ROLE IN VACCINE ROLLOUT Grand Rapids-based Meijer Inc. took up the baton from there.

Because of its large footprint with 120 stores/pharmacies, Meijer knew it could make an impact when the vaccine became available, according to President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Keyes. Meijer took what it had learned from its expanded seasonal flu shot program and in September began building its plans for the vaccine rollout.

“We are very proud of the role our stores and pharmacies continue to play in this massive effort to vaccinate people against COVID-19,” Keyes said. “As a pharmacy partner to both the State of Michigan and the federal government, we have been able to receive vaccines and quickly administer doses to thousands of people in our communities.” • Karen Dybis is a freelance writer in Metro Detroit.

Michigan’s Role 11

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12 Michigan’s Role

Vaccine Leadership

TRACING MICHIGAN’S KEY ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION As it has throughout history, the Michigan business community delivered when the country needed it most. Henry Ford Health System, Meijer, Pfizer, and TACOM all played pivotal roles in the development, production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. This timeline offers just a snapshot of some key moments in the process.

2018 2020 SPRING Pfizer and BioNTech entered an agreement in 2018 which sought to develop mRNA-based vaccines for prevention of influenza.

Pfizer developed a fivepoint plan and called on the biopharmaceutical industry to collaborate on combatting the pandemic.

Pfizer and BioNTech agree to the co-development and distribution of a potential mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection.

Meijer began planning for what it knew would be a much busier seasonal flu shot season.

Typically, Meijer starts its flu shot program in the late summer or early fall.

The first participants of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Phase 1/2 study received the first dose of the vaccine candidate.

TACOM’s Marion Whicker receives word that U.S. General Gustave “Gus” Perna has tapped her to become part of the team of military logisticians and program managers to help work on Operation Warp Speed in Washington, D.C.

2021 WINTER Meijer’s IT team developed an online vaccine registry that could efficiently register people to receive the vaccine and schedule appointments. Meijer also surveyed its pharmacists and more than half volunteered to be fully dedicated to vaccinating the community.

FDA approves the PfizerBioNTech vaccine for emergency use for individuals age 16 years and older.

FDA approves the Moderna vaccine for emergency use.

Michigan names Meijer a Federal Retail Pharmacy Partner and the company launches its online registry. To date, Meijer has registered more than 1.8 million people who want to receive the vaccine.

Meijer partnered with the city of Detroit and held multiple clinics for Detroiters at Meijer’s two Detroit Supercenters.

Michigan’s Role 13

SUMMER Whicker and the Operation Warp Speed team begin developing the vaccine’s distribution process along with ancillary supplies such as needles, alcohol prep pads and the like to ensure vaccines “can get into arms” as soon as there is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use.

FALL Pfizer and BioNTech’s landmark Phase 3 clinical trial began in late July and ultimately enrolls more than 46,000 participants.

Henry Ford Health System announced it was chosen as a Phase 3 trial site for the Moderna mRNA-1273 Coronavirus Efficacy vaccine clinical trial.

Whicker and Operation Warp Speed begins development of ancillary kits in anticipation of vaccines going out in what they hope will be December.

Henry Ford Health System announced it was chosen as a Phase 3 trial site for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson ENSEMBLE vaccine clinical trial.

St ay u p t o d a t e o n Mic higan’s lat e st v a c c i n e in format ion for yo u r b u si n ess

SPRING Henry Ford Health System began enrolling volunteers in Johnson & Johnson’s Phase 3 ENSEMBLE 2 vaccine clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a two-regimen of the J&J vaccine against COVID-19.

FDA approves the singledose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Meijer announces its partnership with Michigan and FEMA to launch mass vaccination clinics at Ford Field. In three days, Meijer registers more than 60,000 people for the Ford Field vaccine clinics. To date, Meijer has vaccinated more than 225,000 Michiganders.

DE TROITCHAMBER.COM/ VACCINE

FROM PANDEMIC DESIGNING WORK WITH EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING AND PRODUCTIVITY IN MIND While none of us would wish to relive the past 12 months, we learned that the “status quo” is no longer. If we embrace this freedom from the “this is the way we’ve always done it” trap, we may enter a new era that can provide opportunities for organizations and their people to forge new partnerships, including redefining expectations and opportunities for more efficient, effective, and flexible workforce practices, heightened focus on worker well-being, and new ways of unleashing organizational performance.

First, few things can be more demoralizing, especially to highly motivated and skilled workers, than spending time on low-value or unnecessarily tedious tasks. Over the past year, organizations had to eliminate such tasks where they existed, given fewer resources, less access to their offices, or because of greater reliance on technology.

Organizations that take these learnings forward can achieve a “win-win” by improving the way work gets done and improving morale by focusing energy on work that truly matters.

How so?

DAVID PARENT

MANAGING PRINCIPAL, DELOITTE The past twelve months also revealed something many already believed to be true: organizations with leaders who genuinely focus on the well-being of their people have team members reciprocate with greater levels of engagement, flexibility, and commitment. This expectation for leadership is not likely to fade away and will likely yield benefits to those organizations that cultivate it.

Finally, the pandemic reinforced many of the essential characteristics long-believed important to developing high-performing teams. Organizations that thrived during the pandemic were likely those that had a “head start” – clarity of purpose, commonly understood goals, customerfirst mindsets, open communications, strong employee rewards and recognition, and a foundation of “trust” within and across teams.

If we can apply these lessons going forward, we may realize a new era of employee engagement that directly contributes to heightened levels of organizational performance. •

Source: Deloitte

The ‘status quo’ is no longer.

David Parent is Managing Principal at Deloitte. As used in this document, “Deloitte” means one or more of Deloitte USA LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of its legal structure.

TO ENDEMIC

Futurecasting 15

WORK TRANSFORMED IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

RAMESH TELANG

DETROIT OFFICE MANAGING PARTNER, PWC

The events of 2020 led to a time of significant transformation, brought on by sweeping changes in consumer demand, with far-reaching implications for business and society. And as sentiment around future economic outlook begins to brighten, it comes with an understanding that there is no going back to the way things once were. We have seen a fundamental shift in the nature of how work gets done, with technology and the workforce at the epicenter.

Technology will be the foundation for everything we do and looking ahead, will require a digitized approach to how we deliver value for customers and our employees in a post-pandemic era.”

Regardless of industry or geographic location, daily workplace processes have been upended – whether it be with new workplace safety protocols, collaboration tools, or flexible work schedules. Our “forced” adoption of and reliance on technology for connectivity accelerated tech adoption at record speed. This increased our reliance on digital tools to execute daily work routines and in turn, created a new found comfort level of managing a remote workforce to deliver results.

2022, employers have an obligation and a responsibility to invest in the backbones of our organizations, our employees, giving them the capabilities and confidence to work smarter, not harder, fueling citizenled innovation.

This shift is here to stay and will continue to influence how work gets done, placing a heightened need for our workforce and the workforce of the future to start (or progress on) their journey of lifelong learning.

Leaders have an opportunity to emerge stronger for business, a chance to rework existing strategies and identify areas to streamline and invest in. To do this, we must lean into the innovation from our workforce, leveraging it to drive real, collective, lasting change. •

We need to prepare our people to navigate new ways of working and help them to manage the pace at which new tools and technologies come to market. With 133 million new jobs requiring upskilling by

Technology will be the foundation for everything we do and looking ahead, will require a digitized approach to how we deliver value for customers and our employees in a post-pandemic era.

Ramesh (Ray) Telang is U.S. Automotive Leader and Detroit Office Managing Partner at PwC.

16 Futurecasting: OFFICE SPACE

Post-pandemic offices can actually offer greater value to employees and employers than they have in the past, but must be planned in more forward-thinking ways.

RYAN ANDERSON VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS, HERMAN MILLER

While the dust has yet to settle on what the post-pandemic office looks like, one thing is clear. Employees, who began 2020 trudging to the office for the typical 9-to-5 grind but ended it on Zoom calls in slippers from their living room, will expect to retain some of that flexibility.

As offices reopen in 2021, employers of all sizes will grapple with questions regarding the configuration of work spaces, traffic flow patterns, and the longterm balance between work from home and working from the office. Shared spaces and individual working areas are not going to look like or be utilized how they were prior to COVID-19. The buzzwords of the emerging office paradigm are “hybrid” and “flexibility,” both in terms of the work week and office design.

Futurecasting: OFFICE SPACE 17 Our focus throughout the pandemic has been to support the safety and well-being of our team members so that they can support our clients and community all while preparing for the future of work.

In this time where our team members are working remotely, we evolved our offices by reconfiguring floor layouts, renovating spaces and upgrading technology to optimize work between office and home.

AMANDA LEWAN

CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BAMBOO

MIKE MALLOY

CHIEF AMAZEMENT OFFICER, ROCK CENTRAL

Our new office layouts are designed to encourage collaboration while allowing safe distancing. Writable dividers were installed between each desk, and every workspace is treated with a MicrobeCare coating that protects against germs. We enhanced our cleaning protocols and utilize the highest standard HEPA/MERV filters to enhance air quality.

The hybrid working model is here to stay, but the office still plays an important role.

In our future of work, we see our offices as a destination – a place for collaboration, creativity and connection with teammates.”

At Bamboo, we believe the office isn’t dead, it’s bending. The office is becoming more flexible. Work from home burnout is a real mental health challenge we’re all experiencing, yet most do not want to return to a 9-to-5 office lifestyle.

Co-working spaces will welcome these remote workers to their communities.

Many companies are turning private offices at Bamboo into company collaboration rooms, or purchasing passes for employees to travel into a coworking space once or twice a week to complement working from home.

Co-working spaces operating successfully today have already socially distanced their floor plan, which may remain after the pandemic. Many spaces like Bamboo offer private options within a modern, inspiring, collaborative building. We believe successful co-working spaces will continue to offer this balance of privacy, collaboration, and new hybrid meeting styles for a more flexible workforce in the coming years.”

A GRAND MICHIGAN TRA DITION Alook G Rforward A N D to Mwelcoming I C H I G Ayou N to T our R A135th D I Tseason!

ION We Come experience the rich traditions and historic charm of We invite you to experience the rich traditions and historic charm of America’s Summer Place, located beautifulMackinac Mackinac Island.

Island.

America’s Summer Place, located onon beautiful 1-800-33GRAND • grandhotel.com

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18 Futurecasting: OFFICE SPACE

70

%

OF AMERICAN OFFICE WORKERS ABRUPTLY MADE THE TRANSITION TO REMOTE SET TINGS IN MARCH 2020 1 RYAN ANDERSON

VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS, HERMAN MILLER

DETROIT REGION’S VACANCY RATES2

OFFICE

INDUSTRIAL

% 9.8 2019

% 3.9 2019

% % 10.9 4.4 2020 2020

SOURCES: 1. Pew Research Center, 2. CoStar

Post-pandemic offices can actually offer greater value to employees and employers than they have in the past, but must be planned in more forward-thinking ways.

In a world where work can be done anywhere, offices need to be desirable, well-considered places for employees to do their best work. That means moving away from generic, open-office designs that were focused on supporting work that can now be done elsewhere.

Instead, offices should be diversified, providing a variety of shared work settings to support activities that often aren’t well supported at home such as informal social interaction, creative group work, and places for deep focus and concentration. Just as restaurants can thrive even when people can cook from home, offices can thrive in a workfrom-anywhere world when they are designed to deliver great experiences.”

MONICA BRAND

CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER, DETROIT MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS At DMS, we will see many changes to our office environment as we migrate back to the workplace. In some cases, we have expanded our office footprint to ensure appropriate social distancing is practiced.

We’ve modified some workspaces and common areas to include plexiglass barriers and sanitizing stations. We’ve also shifted our mindset, recognizing that many employees can work effectively from anywhere and may not require dedicated office space. As such, we’ve converted a number of areas to shared office space, requiring mostly remote employees to reserve spaces on the days they plan to be in the facility. Additionally, we will continue to limit the number of people who gather in conference rooms and confined spaces.

Our goal at DMS will always be to protect our people.” •

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20 Futurecasting: INDUSTRIES

“New Normal ”

INDUSTRIES PREPARE FOR THE POST-COVID MARKET

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

ANDY GUTMAN

Commercial real estate remains in flux. As the vaccine rolls out with the government touting availability for all adults by the end of May, companies are starting to consider what to do post-COVID. Sectors like industrial will remain hot and highly occupied.

Speculative development will spike to help with demand. Office will see tenants return — either sticking with short-term leases as they try to determine their space needs or taking advantage of locking in today’s rates. Cash flow will normalize in multi-family as individuals return to work, and pricing on apartments will remain strong. Restaurants will return in force as pent-up demand fills seats. Malls will continue to require rethinking and repositioning, while strip centers will continue to adapt to service needs that can’t be filled online. As we roll into 2022, we will have greater clarity on the landscape in commercial real estate and a return to normalcy, whatever our “new normal” may be.”

PRESIDENT, FARBMAN GROUP

HOSPITALITY COVID-19 devastated the hospitality industry worldwide but offered us important lessons should we face another crisis of this magnitude.

Being nimble and adaptable enough to quickly change our business model was critical for survival. While the travel and meetings industry had playbooks for many crisis scenarios, a worldwide health emergency certainly wasn’t expected. Still, hospitality partners quickly pivoted into producing virtual meetings after in-person convention business in Detroit evaporated. While the meetings didn’t allow for intimate business relationships, they did allow for business continuity, communication, and information sharing.

CLAUDE MOLINARI

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DETROIT METRO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

In-person meetings will be resurrected as soon as it is considered safe, with possibly hybrid components as long as attendees are willing to engage. Attendee demand will drive whether they remain. Meetings and conventions will also make enhanced safety protocols a standard practice going forward.

Leisure travel will return as soon as restrictions on travel are lifted. The pent-up demand is enormous. A recent study of traveler intention found that 81 percent of respondents are planning a trip in the next six months, up from 65 percent just two months ago.”

Futurecasting: INDUSTRIES 21 The pandemic impacted every industry and business differently based on a number of factors including location, business models, workforce composition, work spaces and the product or services provided. In many cases it accelerated the utilization of technology and remote work practices that might have taken much of the upcoming decade to evolve. It elevated issues of equity and workforce composition.

All industries are bracing for the “next normal” as the pandemic will leave no sector unaffected. Each industry is looking ahead to how they can adapt as increased clarity emerges on consumer demand and how it will impact their business. Executives across industries are identifying the underlying lessons and innovations to help them succeed in 2021 and beyond in the post-COVID marketplace.

CYBERSECURITY Cisco has always been in the business of connecting people and organizations through technology. But through COVID-19, our work had special significance in helping other businesses stay in business, by securely enabling them to work from anywhere via Webex, Duo, etc.

DUG SONG

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, CISCO SECURE

As customers’ expectations have evolved quickly around products, services, and experiences anytime and on-demand, digital transformation has brought customers’ worlds (and data) into businesses with new burdens around security and compliance.

But the pandemic also radically turned employee and IT environments inside-out, with people, devices, and applications no longer restricted to corporate offices. In addition to new security risks from this increased attack surface, this has also reset expectations for many about the future of work.

The new normal for business requires IT and security to maximize the flexibility, agility, and resilience of business for employees and customers, and their extended ecosystem of Internet-enabled partners, contractors, suppliers, and vendors. It’s a brave new world out there.”

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT The pandemic highlighted our industry’s genius for innovation under pressure, but also revealed the urgency to push further, enabling more of our essential work to be performed remotely. As we move toward our next normal, innovations will take root in the development of the remote manufacturing floor, blending our ability to collaborate virtually with the Internet of Things, bringing virtual/augmented reality technologies together to create remote manufacturing.

LISA LUNSFORD

CO-OWNER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GS3 GLOBAL; BOARD CHAIR, MICHAUTO

In-person workers realized that their lack of a stay-at-home option was accepted as reality while office work that could be performed off-site was quickly accommodated, and we must resolve this disparity to build a more equitable workplace, where we retain skilled workers who aren’t forced to choose between caring for their families and performing their jobs efficiently.

If this seems like a stretch, remember, especially in manufacturing: If you’re not looking ten years down the road, you’ll always be ten years behind.” •

This Changes Everything

By Paul A. Eisenstein

Even before the viral outbreak reached American shores, the industry was entering a period of rapid transformation, with “more change in the next five years than we’ve seen in the last 50,” as GM CEO Mary Barra is fond of saying. But it was almost as if “you needed the pandemic” to get the industry to accept that old norms needed to be abandoned, adds Dave Zuchowski, former CEO of Hyundai Motor America and now a retail strategist.

It’s difficult to find any aspect of the industry that won’t be transformed over the course of the coming decade. But here are some of the most significant changes where the pandemic is playing a major role.

Futurecasting: INDUSTRIES 23

POST-PANDEMIC, THE AUTO INDUSTRY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME COUNTERMEASURES TO BE INCREASED TO BOOST PRODUCTIVITY IN POST-COVID FACTORIES Automakers have put in place elaborate protocols to keep COVID-19 from spreading across factory floors. At least some of those changes will become permanent, manufacturing experts anticipate. While the immediate concern is COVID-19, social distancing, staggered start times and other protocols could have longer-term health benefits, especially in cold and flu seasons.

These restrictions have reduced productivity, in many cases, however. So, expect to see automakers and suppliers take countermeasures, among other things implementing greater automation. We may also see the use of entirely new technologies, such as additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. The potential downside could be a long-term reduction in employment – especially with the upcoming shift from gas and diesel to electric

It was almost as if ‘you needed the pandemic’ to get the industry to accept that old norms needed to be abandoned.”

DAVE ZUCHOWSKI

FORMER CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA

vehicles. With fewer moving parts, EVs already were expected to have a significant impact on industry jobs.

HYBRID SALES MODELS TO MEET DISPARATE CONSUMER PREFERENCES One reason car sales rebounded so quickly by year’s end in 2020 was the shift to online retailing which took hold “three to five years faster than I expected,” says Mark LaNeve, the recently retired head of sales, service and marketing at Ford.

Volvo recently announced plans to shift sales entirely online, and many manufacturers have now launched new apps that allow buyers to handle everything from shopping to trade-ins and finance in a virtual environment. There are still plenty of motorists who want to kick the tires and go for a test drive, so the goal is to “let consumers handle the buying process the way they prefer,” says Anders Gustafsson, the CEO of Volvo Cars North America.

24 Futurecasting: INDUSTRIES

DEALER INVENTORIES REDUCED BY HALF TO REFLECT REAL-TIME DEMAND The shutdown of the North American production network last spring resulted in a significant reduction in dealer inventory as the market began recovering. Initially, automakers raced to catch up but they are beginning to think twice about the old model which meant keeping an average 60 to 65 days of inventory on showroom lots. Going forward, they’ll likely want half that amount, forecasts Zuchowski, with the industry shifting from a classic push to a pull model, everything from manufacturing to marketing and distribution geared to meet real-time consumer demand.

2

U.S. LIGHT VEHICLE SALES

The pandemic has led folks around the world to rethink how they travel, the latest annual “futurist” study by Ford finding 47% of those surveyed cutting back on the use of taxis and ridesharing – with 52% backing away from mass transit and 45% avoiding carpools.

Early industry data suggests that vehicle sales are growing as a result.

It’s anyone’s guess whether this trend will continue post-pandemic.

20

10.4 M

14.6 M

2 20

1 Fo r e c a st

15+ M

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

NORTH AMERICAN CAR AND TRUCK PRODUCTION

RIDE-SHARING FORECAST MURKY AT BEST AMID OWNERSHIP RESURGENCE

IL PR A 02 0

.

CT O 20 20

B. F E 21 20

2

Ironically, one of the biggest changes forecast before the pandemic may not now happen. It was widely expected that many Americans would shift from owning a vehicle to using ride-sharing services. By some estimates, that was set to reduce annual new vehicle sales by the millions.

9 00

20

4,840

1.4 M

1.1 M

Source: Automotive News

CONCLUSION: PANDEMIC’S RIPPLE EFFECT WILL TOUCH ALL AREAS OF INNOVATION There are plenty of other major changes sweeping through the industry. Sales of electric vehicles are expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, while autonomous and fully driverless vehicles could become commonplace within a decade. Even here, the pandemic is playing a role by encouraging broader transformation in the auto industry. Self-driving vehicles, in particular, could prove a solution for the ride-sharing industry, helping overcome concerns about the risk of being in a vehicle with a stranger.

So, while vaccines, masks and social distancing should soon help us regain some sense of normalcy in our daily lives, the pandemic will lead to many permanent changes in the automotive world. • Paul A. Eisenstein is publisher and editor-in-chief of automotive news site TheDetroitBureau.com.

26 Futurecasting: TRAVEL

Taking Off?

AIR TRAVEL CHANGES EVOLVING AS DEMAND RETURNS As Delta’s Vice President of Airport Operations at Detroit’s Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Hussein Berry oversees the day-to-day operations for Delta’s second largest hub. This includes all customer service areas, ramp, baggage, cargo operations, and the Airport Control Center all of which encompasses over 2,000 Delta employees and business partners. Berry recently answered some key questions facing the industry.

HUSSEIN BERRY

DELTA VICE PRESIDENT, AIRPORT OPERATIONS, DTW

HOW WILL TRAVEL CHANGE BECAUSE OF COVID-19?

Our Detroit hub has been key for those traveling for essential reasons during the pandemic and will continue to play an important role as one of Delta’s core U.S. hub operations. Detroit will be instrumental to building back flight services not only for our local customers, but across the U.S. and internationally.

We will keep our focus on the cleanliness of our airports and planes. This includes the hospital-grade HEPA filters that have been a part of our modern fleet for many years before the pandemic and will, of course, continue to be on our flights.

Customers can also book with us with more confidence and flexibility if their plans change.

WILL THERE BE LESS OR MORE TRAVEL? We have seen evidence of pent-up demand for travel of all varieties and we are well positioned to safely increase service as

demand continues to recover. Vaccinations across the U.S. and world will go a long way to driving increased confidence in travel. We expect that demand for domestic travel will recover beginning this year before international demand, but we are taking action to be ready for demand levels in the future.

WILL TEMPERATURE CHECKS AND VACCINATION PASSPORTS BECOME AS COMMON PLACE AS INCREASED SECURITY SCREENINGS AFTER 9/11?

The idea of a vaccination passport is a developing one. We do believe that some countries may require some proof of vaccination as a condition to enter.

Whatever form that may take, we’ll be ready to give our customers that information when they book and before they arrive at the airport, so they’ll be ready when they arrive at their destination.

Temperature checks have been a lesser tool from earlier on in the pandemic but again, may be something customers experience abroad.

Futurecasting: TRAVEL 27

We believe

that business travel will recover though it may look

DETROIT METROPOLITAN AIRPORT (DTW) TOTAL PASSENGERS1

2 019 :

36,769,279 2 02 0 :

14,105,008

differently than it did before the pandemic.

SOURCE: 1. Wayne County Airport Authority

WILL THERE BE LESS DEMAND FOR BOTH BUSINESS AND PERSONAL TRAVEL? We believe that business travel will recover though it may look differently than it did before the pandemic. Exactly when business travel demand returns is not yet known, but our business customers continue to tell us they look forward to getting back out there in person. Leisure and personal travel will also continue to be a key reason for our customers to choose Delta and we are ready for them when they are.

Empower Detroit’s Youth @ Detroit Youth Summit Conference 2021 August 3 & 4 Detroit Youth & Leaders Defining Opportunity in the New Normal (Virtual Conference)

WILL THERE BE A PERMANENTLY REDUCED CAPACITY ON FLIGHTS? Delta is the only airline to block the middle seat through April 30. Although we are monitoring this closely, having this extra space on the aircraft continues to be something we hear from customers about for their comfort and peace of mind. We keep a close eye on demand trends and have the ability to add additional flights where it makes sense, so our customers have the choice and reliability they expect.•

To sponsor or support our mission, contact:

Luna Alexander at luna.a@fueledbylife.org fueledbylife.org

28 Futurecasting: BANKING

RIC DEVORE REGIONAL PRESIDENT, PNC

Q: HOW IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SHAPING FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT?

A:

BANKING INDUSTRY PRIMED FOR TECH INNOVATION While many other industries with high volumes of in-person interactions such as restaurants and entertainment often could not operate during shutdowns, the banking industry had many pre-existing digital options. A significant portion of its customers were already using banking apps, websites and other digital tools to manage their money when the crisis hit.

For industries like it, the question during the pandemic became one of expanding adoption of virtual practices and use of technology already in place rather than having to invent new interfaces on the fly. For a sector primed for further rapid innovation and consumer adoption, the years ahead hold critical questions about the future of brick and mortar, the role of technology and big data in meeting consumer demand, and equity and wealth distribution.

With massive volumes of data being generated by networked devices – and backed by advances in computing power – the use of Artificial and Machine Learning continues to accelerate. The financial services industry is harnessing the power of AI and ML to help reduce exposure to fraud, execute faster payments, and provide data-driven business insights.

While AI and ML drive automation, optimization and intelligence throughout the financial services ecosystem, the adoption and integration of AI-based engines and ML algorithms is perhaps most palpable in treasury management. Because of ML’s propensity for recognizing patterns in data and behavior, it is commonly employed to help identify fraudulent transactions.

The convergence of mobile technology and digital commerce has ushered in realtime payment innovations, and can allow participants to send and receive funds immediately at any time. AI- and ML-enabled technologies are crucial for monitoring and analyzing transactions in the fractions of a second necessary to facilitate real-time payments. Machine learning is no longer a curiosity or novelty, it’s a business imperative.

Futurecasting: BANKING 29

MATT ELLIOTT

KENNETH KELLY

MICHIGAN MARKET PRESIDENT,

CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, FIRST INDEPENDENCE BANK

BANK OF AMERICA

SANDRA PIERCE SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, PRIVATE BANK AND REGIONAL BANKING; DIRECTOR AND CHAIR OF MICHIGAN, HUNTINGTON

Q: WHAT DOES THE

Q: WHAT’S ON THE

Q: WHAT ROLE WILL BIG

FUTURE OF THE CUSTOMER ’S RELATIONSHIP WITH A BANK LOOK LIKE?

HORIZON FOR THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY AND HOW DO WE ACHIEVE EQUITY IN ACCESSING CAPITAL?

DATA PLAY IN ADJUSTING TO CONSUMER DEMANDS AND FINANCIAL PRODUCT OFFERINGS?

A:

A:

A: Our greatest learnings are on the

The trend toward customer use of digital services was well underway prepandemic, but COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of digital banking across every customer segment. In many cases, we see customers who had never leveraged our digital technologies now utilizing them on a regular basis.

Today, about 70% of Bank of America consumer households and small business clients as well as 77% wealth management clients are digitally active. We predict that soon 90% of cash transactions can be done digitally. Our digital investments and High-Tech/High-Touch strategy help us deliver more personalized experiences for customers regardless of whether they choose a digital or in-person experience.

Despite greater digital adoption, our financial centers will continue to play an important role in delivering service and solutions. While fewer clients are visiting financial centers, they continue to desire personalized advice and guidance and can speak with specialists about their banking, lending and investing priorities at a financial center.

This entails all of us getting out of our comfort zone as COVID-19 has caused us to do. We must commit to improving the disparities in education, jobs, homeownership, healthcare, and the digital divide.

I believe the finance and banking industry will move toward embracing technology more, while continuing to maintain touch with customers. This will entail developing partnerships to enhance products and services to become more well-rounded to meet the expanded needs of customers.

We will only be able to achieve equity by embracing the data that demonstrates clearly that inequities exist. Secondly, we must take actions on these inequities by making them a part of our value system.

Once we get beyond a “check the box” orientation on equity and behold it as a value, we will then see our region grow through economic development, inclusion, and most importantly, equity.

digital side, where there has been an expected increase in activity. We are largely witnessing reinforcement of what we already knew: simple transactions are increasingly moving online and the pandemic has accelerated that. We’re proud that our #1 rated app made it convenient for customers to conduct their transactions from their homes and we expect many of these new behaviors to continue.

At the same time, more complicated decisions still lead customers to want to interact with a banker. We have the #1 branch share in Michigan, and we are committed to our branches and in-person presence while also investing in tools and products that will help our customers.

That’s why we are continuing to invest in technology, and innovations that will help our customers rebuild their financial lives.

This includes an additional $150 million over the next three years in technology investments that we intend to accelerate given the COVID environment. •

Workforce THE FUTURE OF

The pandemic challenged the workforce in unprecedented ways, including the overall magnitude of its impact. It left no sector of the workforce unaffected.

The crisis impacted the well-being and health of every single employee in some way, while also exposing systemic flaws and equity disparities at the workplace in a new light. In tumultuous times, employers are evaluating what workforce resiliency means and looking at how to strategically apply the longterm lessons brought on by the pandemic.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

SUMREEN AHMAD GLOBAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT LEAD, ACCENTURE

ORGANIZATIONS WITH INCLUSIVE CULTURES ARE 1

2x AS LIKELY TO

3x AS LIKELY TO

6x MORE LIKELY TO

8x MORE LIKELY TO

MEET OR EXCEED FINANCIAL TARGETS

BE HIGH PERFORMING

BE INNOVATIVE AND AGILE

ACHIEVE BETTER BUSINESS OUTCOMES

While remote working was already on the rise pre-pandemic, adoption of telecommuting accelerated in response to the pandemic - permanently altering the way we now understand how work can be performed. Looking ahead, strategic workforce planning will demand greater focus on organizations ability to support their employees to “work from anywhere, anytime” - built on a framework that offers both temporal and location flexibility.

To effectively transition to this future, organizations must adopt a coordinated strategy at all levels. This includes rapidly adopting enabling technology solutions to raise the remote flexibility of jobs, while addressing the increased security and privacy concerns that come from more people working digitally. Additionally, employers must be prepared to address intrinsic motivations, individual challenges and new opportunities, by creating the psychological safety that considers the ‘whole’ employee while building a culture of trust necessary for individuals to thrive.”

SOURCE: 1. Deloitte Insights

Futurecasting: WORKFORCE 31

RACIAL EQUITY

DAVID FOLTYN

PARTNER, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HONIGMAN LLP

GENDER EQUITY

CAROLYN CASSIN

MENTAL HEALTH

ARASH JAVANBAKHT

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MICHIGAN WOMEN FORWARD

DIRECTOR OF STRESS, TRAUMA, AND ANXIETY RESEARCH CLINIC, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

As we safely return to our offices, an issue that remains a priority for Honigman is our commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Khalilah V. Spencer serves as Inclusion, Equity and Social Responsibility Partner and a partner in the Litigation Department of our Detroit office.

Recently in Michigan Lawyers Weekly, she wrote that societal issues like educational inequity, economic disparities and implicit bias need to be addressed before any significant gains for diversity are visible. It will take all of us, collectively, to address these persistent racial inequities before the legal profession mirrors our diverse nation.

Gender equity and diversity results in increased profitability, loyal and satisfied employees, and better strategic decisions.

Yet, 51 percent of the work force today is already dissatisfied with the current status of gender equality in the workplace and are willing to move to a company and a culture where they observe gender equity as an imperative. Women know that they make up over half the workforce in the U.S., but they do not see that reflected in management, executive positions, and board composition, but they note that some companies are making real progress, and everyone is watching.

Transition, lack of control, and uncertainty are three important factors leading to higher stress, and risk to mental health. The pandemic led to expedited and fast transition of workspace, style, and relationships to a totally different format. Workers had very limited control over the transitions, and tremendous uncertainty about the form of changes and their timeline.

As leaders at Michigan’s largest law firm, we are strongly committed to doing our part to encourage and ensure equal voice, opportunity and legal representation for African American people and other people of color. Taking this stand, together, means valuing and insisting on diversity, inclusion and racial equity at Honigman and in our communities.”

Employers must begin to address these issues head on. Pay equity is something your company can begin to address as is providing flexible work time for women with children. Companies can implement policies that level the playing field for all women. Gender equity will not be achieved in a quarter or a year, but must start today.”

The same factors will be involved in transition out of the pandemic, mostly to hybrid systems of work, but the details are still unclear to individual workers.

Advanced informing about the planned stepwise transition and involving the workers in such decisions will help provide sense of control and reduce uncertainty.

We know from previous pandemics that the negative mental health impact lingers long after the pandemic is over. We need to expand available mental health services.

The silver lining is that because of the pandemic, all these services are available via telemedicine, which eases access.” •

JOHN FOX

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BEAUMONT HEALTH

Adapt and Change MOVING HEALTH CARE BEYOND THE PANDEMIC

While the pandemic forced much of the world to slow down, it also created waves of rapid changes to health care. Under typical circumstances, these changes might have taken years or even decades.

Change is always challenging, but it can also create new opportunities. One key example: the sudden rise and popularity of video visits with care providers.

Before the pandemic, a visit to a medical practice or an urgent care could take hours if you factor in the time it takes to drive to and from your appointment.

Today, that same appointment can be complete in minutes with a virtual visit. This means more convenience for consumers and more efficiency for care providers. No, virtual visits cannot replace the value of seeing a physician or nurse face to face, but, in many cases, being in the same room isn’t truly necessary thanks to technology.

At Beaumont, we are constantly evaluating how we need to adapt and change to the world today and also anticipate how we will provide health care five years from today. I think health care providers will spend more time on focusing on keeping people healthy and helping them to manage their health. Yes, hospitals will always be there to care for the sickest patients, but our goal will be to keep as many patients out of the hospital as possible.

We also need to keep adapting to changing consumer preferences. For

example, we’ve seen an incredible response to our urgent care centers.

Our talented physicians and staff remains at the center of everything we do. To set the context for the future, it is important to understand what was happening prior to the pandemic, specifically as it relates to nursing. We have experienced several years of a continued shortage among nursing staff. COVID-19 has exacerbated this problem for a few reasons: retirements have increased, many nurses are leaving traditional employment with hospitals and choosing nursing agency work instead.

With respect to other frontline positions, we increased our minimum wage to $15 per hour. However, competition for talent has increased significantly throughout the pandemic. We have also approached retention issues by offering sign-on and retention bonuses for certain positions, as well as increasing our shift differential rates for some jobs where greater need exists. During the first few months of 2021, we have seen a decrease in turnover, which is encouraging.

No one knows what the future holds, or what challenges we will face in the years to come, but I do know our fantastic team of health care professionals has what it takes to keep leading the way. • John Fox is President and Chief Executive Officer of Beaumont Health.

Inclusive Care

Futurecasting: HEALTH CARE 33

WHAT AN EQUITABLE HEALTH SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE AUDREY GREGORY

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DETROIT MEDICAL CENTER such as ensuring more access to COVID-19 testing in underserved communities to address disparities and inequities .

The COVID-19 pandemic has shined the light on racial disparities and the impact on people of color. As we look forward, it is important that we not forget the hard lessons from this painful journey. The COVID-19 virus has disproportionately impacted communities of color throughout our state, especially in the early stages of the pandemic. Last April, the State of Michigan reported that a staggering 40 percent of those who died from COVID-19 were African-American.

This alarming trend led to the establishment of the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. I am honored to be part of the task force, which has made great strides in helping to turn the tide, through initiatives

A fully equitable health care system is one that closes the digital divide and leverages innovative technology in health care delivery. It ensures that emerging trends such as remote telehealth services are available to and reach underserved communities, not just affluent ones.

Bridging that gap is also critical as we continue efforts to increase enrollment in health insurance plans by making it easy for everyone to find information about and access options for affordable care.

Equity in care also requires diversity in its practitioners with life experiences that reflect those of the communities it serves.

Inside the walls of our hospital systems, physician offices and community clinics, diversity, equity, and inclusion must be intentionally woven into every aspect of each organization’s culture with inclusive paths to leadership positions. In the near future within the state of Michigan, all

health care professionals will be required to undergo implicit bias training to help reduce racial and other disparities in the delivery of medical services.

To show support and unity in pursuit of eliminating bias and disparities in health care, the Detroit Medical Center and health systems all across the state signed the Michigan Health Association’s “Pledge to Address Racism and Health Inequities.” It is a sign of our unified commitment to addressing disparities, dismantling institutional racism and achieving health equity.

Moving forward we must remain focused on working to remove barriers to accessing physical and mental health care and mitigate environmental and infrastructure factors that contribute to those barriers. All of us in health care must have an unwavering commitment to creating an environment where everyone has access to safe, compassionate, and high quality care. • Dr. Audrey Gregory is Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Medical Center, Ph.D., R.N.

Care and Coverage:

I N S U R A N C E B E YO N D T H E PA N D E M I C

Tiffany Albert, senior vice president of Health Plan Business at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, addresses key questions facing the insurance industry post COVID. WILL TELEMEDICINE BE COVERED?

HOW WILL COVERAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES BE DIFFERENT?

Blue Cross has covered telemedicine since 2002. Telemedicine utilization increased dramatically during the pandemic, serving as a lifeline for both patients and physicians. Usage has appropriately come down from its pandemic peak, but continues at a significantly higher volume. Telemedicine will remain covered after the pandemic, though it will continue to evolve. Not everything can be done by telemedicine but it is likely some things can actually be done better and more efficiently through telemedicine. The improvements in coverage for technologies such as remote patient monitoring devices in chronic disease management will assist in improvements to population health.

Blue Cross has covered telemedicine since 2002. Telemedicine utilization increased dramatically during the pandemic, serving as a lifeline for both patients and physicians.

Usage has appropriately come down from its pandemic peak, but continues at a significantly higher volume. Telemedicine will remain covered after the pandemic, though it will continue to evolve. Not everything can be done by telemedicine but it is likely some things can actually be done better and more efficiently through telemedicine. The improvements in coverage for technologies such as remote patient monitoring devices in chronic disease management will assist in improvements to population health.

34 Futurecasting: INFRASTRUCTURE

S I N C E M A R C H 2 0 2 01 Detroit Riverwalk usage increased

Dequindre Cut usage increased

20 % 40 % DAN PITERA

DEAN, SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY

A New Way Forward

REDEFINING DENSITY, PLACE, AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN CITIES We have all heard people say: “I cannot wait until we get back to the way things were!” or “What precautions need to be in place in a post-pandemic city?”

Perhaps instead, we should ask: “What has COVID-19 revealed that could help our cities be more equitable and healthier for all people?”

The issues we have confronted in our cities over the past year are byproducts of decades of decisions and policymaking.

The pandemic revealed the flaws in our systems. We should all see this past year as an opportunity to challenge assumptions or things we have accepted for years: Long commutes in motor vehicles. The lack of year-round outdoor public space.

A nearly unbridgeable digital divide.

Density as solely a physical thing.

This change will bring logistical challenges but starts with people, place, and infrastructure. Cities are nothing without people, and more importantly, a variety of people. Social distancing has restricted gatherings, which in turn translated to many people that density is the problem and denser cities create riskier situations.

However, density is not necessarily the problem. Living in and participating in dense communities keeps us safe. And density is also more than just a physical thing. It is the complexity and intensity of human connections, including video calls.

This leads to the second issue: access for all people to climate and pandemic resilient infrastructure including: transportation, water, civic engagement, electricity, and digital communication. Digital access is not ubiquitous. There still exists a digital cavern throughout our country.

While many of us have had the benefit of continued interaction with others — turning physical density to digital density — many have not had that opportunity and suffer because of it. As we move into the future, our civic digital infrastructure must be addressed.

So to should our thinking about outdoor spaces. When the skies become gray and the temperature drops, Detroiters retreat to the depths of their homes. Besides a few activities, we abandon the outdoors until temperatures rise again. Outdoor public space does not need to be all or nothing. Just like convertible cars can be transformed as temperatures change, perhaps our public spaces could convert seasonally to allow for distance and air flow.

The last item, which connects people, place, and infrastructure is our network of streets, which has the potential to be active community space. Streets should be seen as more than lines that connect us to distant places. Streets can be places, too, that promote healthy gathering. But when they do serve the function to move us from here to there, they should allow for multiple modes of commuting: by foot, wheelchair, bike, motorcycle, car, bus, tram, and so on.

The things we take for granted are the things that hold us back. We can honor our heritage without being constrained by it.

Let’s not try to “get back to normal.” Let’s define a new way forward for our cities that learns from this past year and builds a better resilient quality of life for all people who live in Detroit and Metro Detroit. • Dan Pitera, FAIA, is dean of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture.

SOURCE: 1. Detroit Riverfront Conservancy

To transport the same amount of energy Line 5 delivers by rail, barge or truck means more traffic, more emissions, more risk and higher fuel costs.

Governor Whitmer wants Line 5 shut down with no plan to replace the essential energy it delivers.

Take action at enbridge.com/supportLine5.

...the fact that the automakers can operate.

That manufacturing can operate on. The fact that so much work has moved online and remote and how the economy has adapted to that.

FORECASTING ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST CYCLICAL ECONOMIES

By James Martinez

On the heels of the second major recession since 2009, “resiliency” is again gaining increased attention in economic development and raising questions about what lies ahead for Michigan’s economy. The question of resiliency arose with a Detroiter interview with economist Gabriel Ehrlich, director of the University of Michigan’s Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics which forecasts the U.S., Michigan, Detroit, and Oakland County economies.

GABRIEL EHRLICH

DIRECTOR, RESEARCH SEMINAR, QUANTITATIVE ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

IT’S BEEN OVER A YEAR IN THIS PANDEMIC ECONOMY. WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU?

Number one is the economy has proven to be very resilient with respect to COVID. There are a lot of people who are out of work and suffering and we can’t be insensitive to that. It’s a tough situation.

But it’s been incredible to see the economy react. Just the fact that the automakers can operate. That manufacturing can operate on. The fact that so much work has moved online and remote and how the economy has adapted to that. The public health situation has not gotten back to normal, it’s really that the economy has adapted.

IS THAT RESILIENCY A PRODUCT OF WHAT WE LEARNED AND APPLIED FROM THE GREAT RECESSION, OR IS IT MORE OF A PRODUCT OF THE DIFFERENT NATURE OF THIS EVENT-DRIVEN CRISIS?

Both. It is a different nature of recession, there were structural problems and imbalances in the U.S. economy in 2007.

Aggregate demand was too low coming out of the Great Recession, and so it was a demand-side recession. And, this is a supply side recession because there’s been this massive disruption and some sectors of the economy really can’t produce or do business the way they did before. But Michigan has diversified some in the past years. That should make the state’s economy less of a boom-andbust type of economy.

DO YOU THINK THAT THE OLD ADAGE ABOUT WHEN “THE COUNTRY CATCHES A COLD, MICHIGAN CATCHES THE FLU” STILL HOLDS TRUE AFTER THE PANDEMIC?

A milder flu, maybe. Michigan is still going to be more cyclical than the U.S. economy, but hopefully not as much as 20 years ago.

HOW DO YOU BEST MEASURE RESILIENCY?

It depends on the context as people can define resiliency different ways. Jobs is part of it. You could also look at how are people at the lower end of wage distribution and the income distribution doing. It depends on the exact conversation and what you mean when you say “resiliency.”

HOW IS MICHIGAN’S ECONOMY FROM A STANDPOINT THAT IT CAN KIND OF WEATHER DIFFICULT TIMES AND REMAIN RESILIENT IN THE FUTURE?

The problem is that you don’t know until the difficult time comes. But there are things we can do. College education, for instance, we know that helps people have a more stable labor market experience.

Typically, the unemployment rate doesn’t move around as much for people with

college degrees. They typically fare better in a recession and that gets back to one of the best things we can do for equity.

Making sure we have pathways for people to credentials, and that’s college degrees but also other credentials in the labor market or vocational training. It’s investing in people. • James Martinez is a content creation consultant and freelance writer in Metro Detroit.

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commercial real estate

38 Membership

OFFICIAL BALLOT Dear Chamber member: This ballot contains names of candidates to be nominated for three-year terms on the Detroit Regional Chamber Board of Directors. Space is also provided for written nominations.

Please complete and sign this ballot and return it by June 11, 2021, via fax to 866.774.7410 or mail to Detroit Regional Chamber, Attn: Chair, Nominating Committee, One Woodward Avenue., Ste. 1900, Detroit, MI 48226.

TO ELECT DIRECTORS OF THE DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER The following are proposed for three-year terms on the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Board of Directors ending June 30, 2024. Place a mark next to the name(s) to cast your vote or select all proposed candidates.

Select all proposed candidates for Board THREE-YEAR OPEN SEATS Linda Apsey President & Chief Executive Officer, ITC Holdings J. Michael Bernard Equity Member, Member of the Exec. Board, Dykema Gossett PLLC Hussein Berry Vice President, Airport Operations at DTW, Delta Air Lines Christopher Brochert Partner, Lormax Stern Development Co.

Anthony Frabotta Chairman Emeritus, UHY Advisors, Inc. Paul Glantz Chairman, Emagine Entertainment, Inc. Audrey Gregory Chief Executive Officer, Detroit Medical Center Wright L. Lassiter, III President & Chief Executive Officer, Henry Ford Health System

Dean Brody Managing Director, Accenture

Trevor Lauer President and Chief Operating Officer of DTE Electric, DTE Energy

Matthew Elliott Michigan Market President, Bank of America

Justin Klimko President & Managing Shareholder, Butzel Long

Christine Estereicher Director, State Relations, Civic Engagement, External Affairs, Stellantis

Carrie Leahy Member, Bodman PLC

Carmen Fakhoury President, FGI Professional Services, Inc.

Christine Rice Executive Vice President, VisionIT Derron Sanders Managing Member, SG Companies

Thomas Shafer President and Chief Operating Officer, TCF National Bank Dug Song Co-Founder, Duo Security; Chief Strategy Officer, Cisco Secure Frank Torre Chief Executive Officer, Signal Restoration Services TWO-YEAR OPEN SEAT Rejji Hayes Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, CMS Energy ONE-YEAR OPEN SEATS April Miller-Boise Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Eaton Ken Hayward Vice President, Special Asst. to President of Community Relations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Sonya Mays President & Chief Executive Officer, Develop Detroit

If you wish to nominate candidates not listed above, please use the space below: (Name of Chamber member completing form. Please print clearly.)

By: Title: Company: Date:

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40 Membership

IN THE

NEWS

GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING TO BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT METRO DETROIT

created Comcast RISE (Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment) in a deliberate and focused effort to reach out, connect with, and support thousands ASE, Michigan’s largest employer of small businesses over the next three association, has released the results of its years that are navigating the challenges most recent COVID-19 Business Impact and difficulties of the pandemic.

Survey. The survey, launched on February 3,2021assessedemployers’plansaround Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased COVID-19 vaccination, return-to-work, to announce that it received a score of and the business impact of the pandemic. 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Two growing companies rising out of Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Michigan’s burgeoning technology Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking scene, Detroit-based AaDya Security survey and report measuring corporate and East Lansing-based BitLyft, who are policies and practices related to LGBTQ both aiming to disrupt the cybersecurity workplace equality. market by offering enterprise-level Franco, a Detroit-based integrated solutions designed for the small and communications agency, is moving closer midsize business (SMB) customer, are to its 2025 strategic vision with two key combining forces to integrate BitLyft’s threat executive appointments. detection and automated remediation offering into Marzo4, AaDya’s all-in-one Award-winning global architecture, cybersecurity platform. engineering, and consulting firm Ghafari Associates (Ghafari) is excited to Sixty-eight Butzel Long attorneys have announce the following promotions at been named to the 2021 list of Leading its Dearborn headquarters: Scott Hahn, Lawyers, presented by Law Bulletin AIA to Vice President, Ben Rowe, PE, Media, a digital information provider LEED AP to Senior Project Manager, and delivering essential information and Chris Costis, PE to Structural Engineering services to legal professionals.

Manager Comcast has been working proactively Henry Ford Health System has to help small businesses throughout named four new members to its Board the United States that have been hit of Directors whose leadership in business the hardest by the economic impact of and dedication to removing barriers to the pandemic. In October of 2020, it

opportunity and achieving equity for all reflect Henry Ford’s commitment to advancing the values of inclusion, equity and diversity in our community.

MaxWealth Management, located at Lake Michigan Credit Union, Promotes Jake Mitchell as LPL Financial Advisor for the Detroit area.

National award-winning public relations, investor relations and integrated marketing firm, Lambert & Co., has named Walter Ward III chief of staff.

Continuing to break agency norms, this strategic hire aims to maximize internal operations, merger and acquisition integration, and accelerate new services and innovation for the firm’s growing family of companies, which includes EQUALSING, TiiCKER, 9thWonder and Camber Engage.

A division of Magna International plans to open a facility in the city of St. Clair to build battery enclosures for the 2022 GMC Hummer electric pickup, which will be produced at General Motors’ Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that nine associate attorneys have joined the firm in six of the firm’s key practice groups: Corporate and Transactions, Employment and Labor, Energy and

Membership 41

Environmental, Financial Institutions, UHY LLP, certified public accountants, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, and with over 400 employees in Macomb, Real Estate.

Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties, has acquired Pietrasiuk, Oakland Community College’s Kelley & Kelley P.C. (PKK), of Ann Arbor.

Automobile Servicing program has After doubling in size from its opening in achieved national accreditation by 2017, the Ann Arbor office grows again the ASE Education Foundation. ASE with the addition of PKK. Todd Kelley, is the National Institute for Automotive Managing Director of PKK has been well Service Excellence, recognized for its known in the community for more than 30 gold standards for rigorous testing and years. certification of auto service professionals to ensure expertise in technical Verizon recently announced Verizon knowledge and retesting for ever- Women’s CoLab, a new effort to support advancing automotive technologies to protect consumers in the marketplace.

Pentastar Aviation Takes #1 Spot in The Americas in Annual Industry Survey.

Senior attorney Howard B. Goldman and associate attorney Glenn C. Ross recently joined the Business Transactions & Planning Practice Group of Plunkett Cooney, one of the Midwest’s oldest and largest full-service law firms.

Rehmann, a fully integrated financial services and advisory firm, has announced it is celebrating the promotion of 19 associates throughout Southeast Michigan. Among them, four associates have been promoted to Principal positions.

colleges and universities nationwide committed to providing innovative pathways, resources, and support for community college transfer students.

Wayne State University has announced an initiative to help frontline workers get a break in the cost of education. The Frontliners Forward Scholarship will offer $4,000 dollars to essential frontline employees looking to secure a bachelor’s degree in any field.

WHIM DETROIT, LLC, a business specializing in innovation and technology, women amid the current crisis of women is proud to announce national certification leaving the workforce at unprecedented as a women’s business enterprise by the rates. The initiative will span support for Great Lakes Women’s Business Council, Verizon’s key stakeholders – customers, a regional certifying partner of the employees and society at large.

Women’s Business Enterprise National Walsh was named to the 2021 Transfer Council (WBENC).

Honor Roll by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) for the second year in a row, a distinction recognizing 150

42 Membership

ON THE

ROSTER

JOIN US IN WELCOMING THESE NEW MEMBERS TO THE CHAMBER. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTACT THEM FOR FUTURE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.

Gregory Bockart 2111 Woodward Ave., Suite 700 Detroit, MI 48201 313.474.5170

independently, locally owned and operated franchise, yet also benefit from annual training on the latest products, technology and techniques from being part of a national organization.

Plus, our foundation in honest, ethical business practices and commitment to excellence makes us the professionals you can trust to give you the home of your dreams. Contact DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Livonia® to start planning your own dream bath, kitchen or interior remodel today!

www.savills.us

Cambria Hotel Downtown Detroit

At Savills, we help organizations find the solutions that ensure employee success. Sharply skilled and fiercely dedicated, our integrated teams of consultants and brokers are experts in better real estate. With services in tenant representation, capital markets, project management, workforce/ incentives and workplace strategy/occupant experience, we’ve boosted the potential of workplaces around the corner, and around the world, for 160 years and counting.

Dawn Barth 600 West Lafayette Blvd Detroit, MI 48226 313.733.0300

ELITE MEMBERSHIP

PREMIER MEMBERSHIP Bird Construction & Development Group, Inc. Cheryl Bird 16144 Middlebelt Road Livonia, MI 48154 734.390.9191 www.dreammakerlivonia.com We at DreamMaker Livonia, have an appreciation for our community offering over 30 years of construction experience, servicing both Wayne & Oakland Counties as an

www.cambriadetroit.com The Cambria Hotel Detroit is a brand-new luxury hotel, located just 3 blocks from the convention center & 4 blocks from Campus Martius Park – right in the center of it all! With a mix of history & brilliant modern design, this Albert-Kahn building, once home to WWJ-950 AM radio, is transformed into a contemporary upscale hotel. Featuring 158 luxurious guest rooms, finedining restaurant Cibo Detroit by Fabio Viviani, fast casual dining Detroit Taco, Beve lobby bar, Cielo Detroit on our green rooftop, and our club, Balla Detroit.

Capital One Café Nancy Lambert 511 Woodward Detroit, MI 48226 720.656.7603 www.capitalone.com

At Capital One®, we’ve created fun, inviting spaces where customers can take care of their everyday banking needs while enjoying a cup of coffee.

CBRE, Inc. Paul Van Devender 2000 Town Center, Suite 500 Southfield, MI 48075 313.568.5600 www.cbre.com Since opening its doors for business in 1985, CBRE’s Detroit office has become the dominant player in the Detroit commercial real estate market. CBRE Detroit serves a diverse range of clients with an integrated suite of services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services, and development services.

CBRE has two offices servicing Michigan, our main office in Southfield and an office in Grand Rapids.

Crown Castle Siely Joshi 3025 Highland Parkway Downers Grove, IL 60515 724.416.2946 www.crowncastle.com Crown Castle is the largest provider of shared communications infrastructure in the United States, operating over 40,000 communication towers, 70,000 small cell nodes on air or under contract, and 80,000 route miles of fiber. We connect people to the devices, apps, and data

Membership 43

they rely on to communicate, stay informed, build businesses, and live their lives to the fullest. Crown Castle enables wireless carriers to improve service for their users by providing additional network capacity to accommodate increased wireless demand. Crown Castle has more than 25 years of experience in the communications infrastructure business and is a Fortune 500 company. Crown Castle has a significant footprint in Michigan and operates approximately 800 communication towers, 500 small cells, and 1,800 route miles of fiber throughout the state.

Eaze Sara Lasner 2800 Third Street San Francisco, CA 94107 877.741.4929

Magna International Misti Rice 750 Tower Drive Troy, MI 48098 248.631.1100 www.magna.com Magna is a company of entrepreneurs dedicated to delivering new mobility solutions.

We are a technology company, one of the world’s largest suppliers to the automotive industry. Our agility and expertise make us the ideal partner for autonomy, electrification and building complete vehicles.

Instacart

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP Aha! Leadership www.ahaleadership.com Alternatives For Girls www.alternativesforgirls.org Axion RMS Ltd. www.axionrms.com Brookfield Management www.bptapartments.com Christian Financial Credit Union www.christianfinancialcu.com

Tess Geyer 50 Beale Street, Suite 600 San Francisco, CA 94105 708.733.2033

Community Education Commission www.cecdetroit.org

www.instacart.com

CraftWord, LLC 313.348.0424

Instacart is the North American leader in grocery delivery. We strive to help make grocery delivery effortless, affordable, and accessible to everyone. Our technology gives customers access to their favorite stores online so they can order groceries from anywhere. Full-service shoppers receive these orders through an app on their smartphone, then shop and deliver groceries to the customer’s door.

I Teach Chess www.iteachchess.com Intellibee, Inc. www.intellibee.com ISCG, INC. www.iscginc.com L!fe Leaders www.fueledbylife.org McDonald’s Michigan 800.435.9539 Olswell - Detroit www.olswell.com

www.eaze.com We deliver the good with the goods.

As California’s largest legal cannabis marketplace, we bring enjoyment and convenience to our customers, break down barriers to access, and cultivate community in everything we do. With over six million cannabis deliveries to date, we are committed to creating a more diverse and sustainable industry through our Momentum business accelerator and Social Equity Partners Program.

Girl Boss Fashions www.girlbossfashions.com

Cottrell Entertainment 734.280.0862

DCU Next Generation www.dcunextgen.org De La Salle Collegiate www.delasallehs.com Everybody Ready www.greatstartwayne.org

Precision Garage Door of Southeast Michigan www.precisiondoormi.com Single Family Living www.singlefamilyliving.org Skinny Labs Inc. dba Spin www.spin.app Sommers Schwartz, P.C. www.sommerspc.com The Joyce Foundation www.JoyceFdn.org The Jamaican Pot www.jamaicanpot.com The Multimedia Station www.themultimediastation.com Trine University www.trine.edu Utility Telecom www.utelusa.net Wayne RESA www.resa.net

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY Axion RMS Ltd.

44 Membership

POINT OF VIEW JOHN N. DAMOOSE REPRESENTATIVE (R-HARBOR SPRINGS)

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT BIPARTISANSHIP SINCE COMING TO LANSING?

TAKING OFFICE DURING THE PANDEMIC

RANJEEV PURI REPRESENTATIVE (D-CANTON) WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT BIPARTISANSHIP SINCE COMING TO LANSING?

This business is based on building strong relationships.

I’m learning that building these relationships across party lines takes intentional effort and an open heart. We can have very different views on issues, but there is no reason to be “at each other’s throats.” Scripture says we should love our enemies and love our neighbor as ourselves. I believe genuine love and respect for those on the other side is the only thing that can lead to true bipartisan effort.

I have learned that while we may debate and deliberate the differences of our respective positions very publicly at times – there are many issues (such as health policy, education, clean water, systemic racism, etc.) which do not need to be partisan. I have made it a point to try to get to know my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to find common ground. We don’t always agree, but a willingness to compromise is essential to enact good policy.

HOW HAS USING VIRTUAL PLATFORMS IMPACTED GETTING TO KNOW THE STATE AND YOUR COLLEAGUES?

HOW HAS USING VIRTUAL PLATFORMS IMPACTED GETTING TO KNOW THE STATE AND YOUR COLLEAGUES?

Much of my campaign was virtual – from town halls to individual meetings. In fact, I worked with my closest advisor virtually for months without even meeting him. Since taking office, I’ve probably had hundreds of Zoom meetings with all kinds of people from all walks of life – representatives, business leaders, lobbyists, healthcare professionals, journalists, etc. Meeting face to face is better, but we are building relationships through our screens in ways that were unimaginable a few short years ago.

The effects of COVID-19 are far reaching, it has certainly affected the ability to get to know my colleagues and constituents on a more human level. Many of the programs, trainings and orientations for new legislatures were moved to virtual platforms. It is difficult to replicate the bonds developed by spending time and sharing experiences together.

On the other hand, the virtual options have provided a safe alternative, letting us be more productive than historic models. I think virtual options will be around for long after COVID passes.

WHAT IS YOUR TOP POLICY PRIORITY TO ACCELERATE THE ECONOMY AFTER THE PANDEMIC?

WHAT IS YOUR TOP POLICY PRIORITY TO ACCELERATE THE ECONOMY AFTER THE PANDEMIC?

We need to start by getting things open and coming up with a better strategy to address future crises that is far more nuanced and customtailored to each individual region – something that is less heavy-handed and places trust in individuals, businesses and local governments to do the right things. We must give people the confidence they need to invest in their businesses again, which means eliminating the fear that the next shutdown or restriction is just around the corner.

In the short-term it will be ensuring we are responding to the effects of COVID on our budget. In the longer term it is ensuring we are continuing toward a better Michigan, where all families can succeed, without systemic bias. That means improving education, strengthening our talent pipeline, championing small businesses, and stimulating our economy. Coming from the automotive industry, I am excited about opportunities available in electric vehicles (EVs) and mobility solutions and the benefits that can provide to Michigan’s economy and environment.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORIZE ZOOM BACKGROUND? None – too afraid of “floating head.”

John N. Damoose is a Republican representative serving Michigan’s 107th District.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORIZE ZOOM BACKGROUND? Letting my kids Zoom-bomb my meetings.

Ranjeev Puri is a Democrat representative serving Michigan’s 21st District.

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Smart phones, connected homes, electric vehicles. Every day, technology is changing the way we use and think about electricity. You may not realize it, but in our increasingly electrified society, that’s where electricity transmission infrastructure matters most. To meet our twenty-first century energy demands, we need a twenty-first century electric grid.

ITC, the nation’s largest independent electricity transmission company, is working every day and investing in our state’s infrastructure to modernize the grid in order to move electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s needed. That means safe, secure, reliable electricity to power economic growth, job opportunities, and our long-term energy future. We’re ensuring the grid can meet your energy needs now and long into the future. At ITC, we’re always working for the greater grid.

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