Oakland County Business Roundtable Annual Report

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick told 200 members of the Oakland County Business Roundtable the region should create policies that attract jobs and businesses to Southeast Michigan.

Kilpatrick, who was the featured speaker at the Dec. 7 event at the Troy Marriott, said that a scaled-down version of a Cobo Center expansion would be in the best interest of the region and that $700 million could be better spent on several projects rather than one.

“It’s not Detroit versus Oakland County anymore,” the mayor said. “In the global market, it’s us versus the world.”

Kilpatrick, who was invited to the event by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, said the region must work diligently to improve its national and international reputation.

“What I’ve learned in the past four years is we didn’t all get here on the same ship but we’re all in the same boat,” said Kilpatrick in his most memorable line of the day. “There’s no one who believes in Michigan except us. The word of our demise is around the world. We have everything to gain right now and nothing to lose.”

After Kilpatrick spoke, the Roundtable committee chairs presented its recommendations to the county executive.  This year’s batch of innovative ideas, published in the 2007 annual report includes:

• elevating public awareness of Oakland County solutions to workforce and education issues; implementing a robust Ecotourism program that promotes walking, hiking, bicycle trails and pathways;
• increasing the number of affordable, accredited and high quality early childhood education programs and
• creating a Mobility Innovation Center to stimulate economic development through the application of existing automotive technologies in other areas such as aerospace, medical devices and appliance manufacturing.

Oakland County's Business Roundtable was established in 1993 as a panel of 125 representatives of business, government and education.  This advisory group was charged with creating programs that would enhance Oakland County's business climate and quality of life.

The Roundtable Committees are organized around four specific focus areas within the County and are dedicated to enriching the lives of County residents.

• Economic Development Committee promotes business, industry and commerce within the County.
• Quality of Life Committee   concentrates on areas such as housing, arts & culture, fitness & health, water quality and environmental conservation.
• Transportation Committee  works to identify and alleviate issues associated with traffic congestion and road conditions.
• Workforce and Education Committee strives to increase availability and awareness of educational opportunities and job skill development programs.

Since its formation, the majority of suggestions submitted at the annual Business Roundtable meetings have been implemented.  Governor Jennifer Granholm replicated elements of the Roundtable on a statewide basis, using it as a model in forming the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors.

To learn more about the Oakland County Business Roundtable, and how to participate, please contact Vicki Frame of Oakland County Economic Development & Community Affairs Marketing Division at 248-858-1248.