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SAVE THE DATE
2010 Regional Policy Conference
Thursday, September 16 and Friday, September 17, 2010

 
RPC Logo

     
Thursday, September 18 – Friday, September 19 

  

Thank you to all our sponsors & participants!

  

Signature Conference Host

BCBSM

 RPC - Loepp 

Dan Loepp, President & CEO
of Blue Cross & Blue Shield
of Michigan, addresses the
conference.

 

In celebration of its 120th Anniversary, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce presented an unprecedented regional conference in collaboration with the West Michigan Chamber Coalition (WMCC).

At the Regional Policy Conference, participants had the opportunity to engage in regional and state policy discussions and participate in moving the West Michigan pro-business agenda forward by developing and strengthening regional policy goals and initiatives.

The inaugural Policy Conference brought some 600 business and civic leaders, legislators and local officials to Grand Rapids to unite the West Michigan business community around a regional business agenda.

Click here to view the policy outcomes of the conference.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Promote your business by becoming a sponsorship partner of this important event.  The conference agenda focuses on developing and strengthening regional policy goals and initiatives. 

2010 conference sponsorships will be available in the spring of 2009. Sponsorships are designed to provide excellent marketing opportunities & place your company’s name before both Chamber members and non-members from our region. Contact Leslee Fritz at 616.771.0357 for details and to request the sponsorship package. CLICK HERE to view the list of 2008 event supporters.

Conference Highlights

  • Private Political Action Committee (PAC) Reception followed by the Main Dinner with Special Guest Speaker, George F. Will, Pulitzer Prize-winning National Columnist
  • Afterglow Parties
  • Keynotes:  Vision, Attracting and Retaining the Millennial Generation, and Leadership
  • Breakout Sessions:  Michigan's Workforce of the Future, Michigan's Education System, and Governance
  • General Sessions:  Our Big Three:  Design & Manufacturing for the New Economy, Investing in Higher Education for West Michigan, Health Care's Role in the New Michigan Economy, The Business of Health Care & Life Sciences, East Meets West, Real-time voting to set the regional business policy agenda
  • City walk/run around the City of Grand Rapids to see the economic growth and culture of our growing city.

Many thanks to those who helped present the first-ever West Michigan Public Policy Conference...
  

Co-Chairs

  • Jeff Connolly, President, West Michigan Operations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
  • Doug DeVos, President, Amway
  • Jim Dunlap, Regional Group President, Huntington Bank
  • Peter Secchia

 

Steering Committee

  • Craig Adams, Grand Landing LLC
  • Heather Brolick, Community Shores Bank
  • Jim Brooks, Brooks Capital Management, LLC
  • Jane Clark, Holland Chamber of Commerce
  • Joe Davio, Comerica Bank
  • Matt Dugener, Lansing Area Economic Partnership
  • Wes Eklund, Fleet Engineers
  • Bob Ellis, RVE, Inc.
  • Jeanne Englehart, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Michael Faas, Metro Health
  • Joy Gaasch, Grand Haven Chamber of Commerce
  • Bing Goei, Eastern Floral & Gifts, Inc.
  • Thomas Haas, Grand Valley State University
  • Dwight Hamilton, Miller, Johnson PLC
  • Brian Harris, H & H Metal Source International Inc.
  • Steve Heacock, Van Andel Institute
  • JC Huizenga, National Heritage Academies
  • Mike Jandernoa, Bridge Street Capital Partners
  • Fred Keller, Cascade Engineering Inc.
  • Kurt Kimball, City of Grand Rapids
  • Ron Kitchens, Southwest Michigan First
  • Birgit Klohs, The Right Place, Inc.
  • Phil Koning, Macatawa Bank
  • Terri Lynn Land, State of Michigan - Secretary of State
  • Cindy Larsen, Muskegon Chamber of Commerce
  • Doug Luciani, Traverse City Chamber of Commerce
  • Phil McCorkle, St. Mary's Health Care
  • Juan Olivarez, Kalamazoo Community Foundation
  • Mike Olthoff, Nichols Paper
  • Mary Ellen Rodgers, Deloitte LLP
  • Jared Rodriguez, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Bob Roth, RoMan Manufacturing Inc.
  • Steward Sandstrom, Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce 
  • Jerry Scott, GHSP
  • Ginny Seyferth, Seyferth, Spaulding, Tennyson
  • Roger Spoelman, Mercy Health Partners
  • Randy Thelen, Lakeshore Advantage
  • Joseph Tomaselli, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
  • Gail Torreano, AT & T
  • Jerry Tubergen, RDV Corporation
  • Michelle Van Dyke, Fifth Third Bank
  • Mike VanGessel, Rockford Construction Company
  • Peter Varga, The Rapid
  • Ted Vecchio, Applied Mechanics Corporation
  • Doug Wagner, Warner, Norcross & Judd, LLP
  • Larry Williamson, Comcast