The Michigan Chronicle’s much lauded Pancakes and Politics speakers forum returned to the Detroit Athletic Club this morning, featured an impressive panel of forward thinking business and civic leaders.
The theme of the first in the 2104 Pancakes and Politics series, Economic Development: Why Today, Why Now centered around hot topic issues including Detroit’s bankruptcy case, neighborhood development and entrepreneurship.
George Jackson president and CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation lead the panelists in responding to the question on most Detroiters’ minds, “How is the city doing?” saying that he had long been a proponent of overhauling the city block grant process to ensure that neighborhood’s received a more equitable share of federal funds coming into Detroit.
The Hudson Webber Foundation’s president and CEO, David Egner added that a major hindrance to the city’s renaissance is the perception of the city from the inside, i.,e., from Detroiters. “We do ourselves a disservice, and a disservice to the city by tearing it’s [reputation] down ourselves.”
Also on the panel of formidable leaders and game changers on Detroit’s economic front Michael A Finney, president and CEO of Economic Development Corporation, Gregory Jackson, President and CEO of the Jackson Automotive Group and Andra Rush, founder and chairperson of the Rush Group.
Egner cited startling statistics regarding Detroit’s particularly the inner city’s population loss. “ In midtown Detroit there are 12 .9 people per square acre. In Center City [Philadelphia] there are 25 people per square acre and in Toronto there are 50 people per. We have density issues and have to address that fact ,” he said, adding that creating jobs and would be key to the city’s development.
Michael Finney agreed that jobs were critical, but cautioned that the disconnect between job training and employment posed a problem. “It’s not about providing jobs for the trainers, we have to make sure that the job training is appropriate for the [sectors] where the jobs really are.”
Pancakes and Politics panelists urged the city and the state to provide more resources for entrepreneurship and small business development and encouraged corporate members of the audience to work collaboratively and concentrate their efforts for a comprehensive approach to moving Detroit forward.
The Michigan Chronicle’s next Pancakes and Politics will feature Michigan governor Rick Snyder.
For more information please visit michiganchronicle.com
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