The Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance: 40k by 40

“The Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance is in the midst of a huge effort we call Operation 40K, which is aiming to grow the region by 40,000 people. To do that we have to tell the story of the region. It all works together and all the dominoes were lined up for us to come together and make this happen.But we have to remember that we also lost 20,000 people in a decade ending in 2021. So, our work is not done once we reach 40,000. But I can tell you this, the first 10% or the first 40,000 is the hardest. After we do that, we've done what it takes to grow and then the sky's the limit.”

– Ken Horn, Executive Vice President of Strategic Development, Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance

“We often talk about the problem. We talk about what the issue we see is and how we're going to fix it. We talk about how we're just starting to work on a lot of things as a region, but I actually want to challenge the thinking a little bit. I want people to actually realize where things stand today. Because I actually think we're in phase three or four and not at phase one. It's taking back that vision of the last 25 years in terms of when you have to start work like this. There are communities that are in this spot where they don't have these things. I want to stop for a second and take inventory and say, ‘Where are we right now? How do things look?” Take a deep breath with me and hear me out. Number one, we have rebuilt our downtown and now we have Uptown. The placemaking that's happened here specifically in Bay City, and across the region for that matter, is tremendous. Recently there were people watching Rick Springfield at Wenona Park and there was a massive crowd.

 We have access to robust, higher education that can help put workers in place in our companies at the snap of a finger. We're home to a Fortune 100 company and incredible manufacturing across the region. I say this all the time, and people need to take this seriously, we are home to world-class health care. We're home to systems like McLaren, Covenant HealthCare, Ascension St. Mary’s, MyMichigan and we have a medical school here when there are only about 150 in the entire country. Then you have our cost of living and the ability to commute where miles equal minutes, and accessibility to fresh water.

The fact that we're located directly between two of the great things in the State of Michigan in Metro Detroit and the northwest area from Traverse City up to Mackinac Island. We're smack dab in the middle and we can get to both areas in about two hours. We can go watch Division I and Division II sports in this community. We can go watch amazing shows at the Midland Center for the Arts. I was there watching Book of Mormon earlier this year. We can see future NHL hockey players, future Major League Baseball players in the community. Then we haven't even started on Frankenmuth, the Bavarian Inn, Bronner's, the waterpark and the assets in Mount Pleasant. 

When I look at that glass and whether it's half full or half empty, I'm going to say it's more like two thirds of the way full. The story of this place is really good. Now imagine if we can reimagine some of our neighborhoods, rebuild our neighborhoods, get some of that pride back, raise everybody's income, so we all have the ability to invest in our community and do those things. We're closer than folks think. I want people to take this the right way, and it has nothing to do with me. Right now, we are standing on the shoulders of people that made amazing maneuvers over the course of the last 20 to 30 years. The Rowley’s of the world that had a vision before anyone else had a vision that were the first steps. Or the fact that the Shaheen’s could come out of Saginaw and can turn to companies in Midland, or for property in Bay City and build uptown and a development that continues to amaze us every single day. For me, that's a massive deal, because I grew up here for 18 years, and there were embarrassing, abandoned buildings on a riverfront that didn't make us look good. It didn't bring about pride.

So, for the kids growing up here today, they have no idea what they're seeing today versus the way it used to be. We can talk about the challenges, and there's a lot of things we still need to do, no question. But I think the train is down the station and it's moving down the tracks. I think it's picking up speed. It's our job for us to take this thing to full throttle and get it to where it needs to go.”

– Matt Felan, President and CEO, Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance

“The three-legged stool is made up of innovative industries, cradle-to-career education and placemaking. But the thing is, that all has to happen at the same time. We need innovative businesses to grow here and then we have to tie them into the education system. We've got to be able to push those credits and hit those high school kids and middle school kids who are just doing career exploration to look up and say, ‘That's what I want to do.’

Third leg of the stool is building up your downtowns and building up your communities through placemaking. It’s about welcoming people and making them feel like they belong. Once we attract, we have to retain. 

And it all has to happen at one time, there's no first step. With Operation 40K, which is aiming to grow the region by 40,000 people. To do that we have to tell the story of the region. It all works together and all the dominoes were lined up for us to come together and make this happen.But we have to remember that we also lost 20,000 people in a decade ending in 2021. So, our work is not done once we reach 40,000. But I can tell you this, the first 10% or the first 40,000 is the hardest. After we do that, we've done what it takes to grow and then the sky's the limit.”

– Ken Horn, Executive Vice President of Strategic Development, Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance

“People often say, ‘Well, what can I do to help grow the community?’ I would say to embrace these kids and bring them into your place of employment. Bring them with you, whether it's a skilled trades job and you work for an electrical company, take them with you and show them that skill. Show them these jobs. Show them construction, show them healthcare, show them the things that are happening at our cutting-edge companies like Dow, Dupont, Corteva, Nexteer Automotive and Hemlock Semiconductor. We have an opportunity to show our kids what the jobs are here in this region, to capture their imagination and to get them to understand the opportunities they have. Too often kids are going through school blind. They don't know about these things, and maybe it sounds good, or they read about this career, or saw this online. They don't know it, and often they have to see it.

I just implore people in our community to get up off the bench and do your part. Start engaging with your school, bring the students in, teach them what you're doing and try to interest them. Our Rotary Club hosts a program called Vocational Days every year where we bring high school juniors in and they job shadow for a half day. Those experiences are so important, because if we can capture the hearts, minds and the passion of the students here in the region, we can keep them here.

But if we don't talk to them, or if we avoid them, or if we try to tell them that we know better, and here's what you got to do. Or if we don't include and listen to them, and really get them engaged and at the table, they will leave and they won't come back. At the end of the day, that's on us, because there are a lot of amazing things going on in this community where they can have the opportunity to be a part of. Our generation, or anyone above 25 and above, if you're professionally employed, working and leading in this community, you have a responsibility to work with these kids. Please take the time to bring them in and to show them why this community is so great, and why there's a spot for these kids in the future.”

– Matt Felan, President and CEO, Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance