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Detroit Regional Chamber > Mackinac Policy Conference > 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference > 2025 Agenda

2025 Agenda

2024 Mackinac Policy Conference Harold Ford Jr and Paul Ryan

Agenda details are tentative and subject to change.

Tuesday, May 27

Services

11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Conference Registration Open

Sponsor: CVS Health

Location: Garden Terrace

12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Refreshments

Sponsor: Enbridge Energy

Location: Parlor

12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

PAC Reception Ticket Sales

Location: Garden Terrace

12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

ITC Media Center Open

Location: Terrace Room

*Credentialed Media Only 

3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Dow Business Center Open

3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Rocket Government Center Open

*Government Officials Only

Programming and Events

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Welcome Lunch

Sponsors: Albion College, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, The Kroger Co. of Michigan

Location: Porch

12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Champagne and Chocolate Arrival

Sponsor: Community Financial Credit Union

Location: Community Financial Credit Union Café

2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Hosted Sessions

Locations: Brighton Pavilion, Grand Pavilion, The Lilac Room in the Esther Williams Swimming Pool House

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Schaap Center and Manoogian Art Awareness Reception

Location: The Pines

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Welcome Back Reception Featuring Michigan’s Congressional Delegation and State Government Officials

Special Guests: Gary Peters, U.S. Senator (D-MI)

Elissa Slotkin, U.S. Senator (D-MI)

Tom Barrett, U.S. Representative (R-MI 7)

Debbie Dingell, U.S. Representative (D-MI 6)

Bill Huizenga, U.S. Representative (R-MI 4)

Kristen McDonald Rivet, U.S. Representative (D-MI 8)

Hillary Scholten, U.S. Representative (D-MI 3)

Haley Stevens, U.S. Representative (D-MI 11)

Sponsors: Ally Financial, Dow, Meta, Miller Johnson, University of Michigan

Location: Porch and Parlor 

Gary Peters Headshot Gary Peters Elissa Slotkin headshot Elissa Slotkin Tom Barrett headshot Tom Barrett Debbie Dingell Debbie Dingell Rep. Bill Huizenga Bill Huizenga Kristen McDonald Rivet headshot Kristen McDonald Rivet Rep. Hillary Scholten Hillary Scholten Haley Stevens Haley Stevens
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Opening Night at the Stables

Sponsors: Crain’s Detroit and Grand Rapids Business, Meijer, MGM Grand Detroit

Location: Grand Hotel Stables

Wednesday, May 28

Services

6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Media Row Open

Location: Main Dining Room, Grand Hotel

*Breakfast available 6-9 a.m. 

7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

ITC Media Center Open

Location: Terrace Room

*Credentialed Media Only 

7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Conference Registration Open

Sponsor: CVS Health

Location: Garden Terrace

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Coffee

Location: MHA Bar  

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

PAC Reception Ticket Sales

 Location: Gallery

8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Dow Business Center Open

9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Rocket Government Center Open

*Government Officials Only 

11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Refreshments

Sponsor: Enbridge Energy

Location: Parlor

12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Alternative Theatre Session Viewing

Location: Brighton Pavilion

Programming and Events

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Hosted Sessions

Locations: Brighton Pavilion, Grand Pavilion, The Lilac Room in the Esther Williams Swimming Pool House 

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Smoothie Station

Sponsor: Trinity Health

Location: Parlor

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Lunch

Sponsors: Comerica, P.I.E. Management, Siebert Williams Shank & Co. 

Location: Parlor

11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Refreshments

Sponsor: Enbridge Energy

Location: Parlor

12:00 p.m. – 12:35 p.m.

Conference Open

Speakers: Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber

Peter Quigley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Kelly; Chair, 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference

Gretchen Whitmer, Governor, State of Michigan

Location: Theatre

sandy baruah Sandy K. Baruah Peter Quigley - Featured Peter Quigley Gov. Whitmer Gretchen Whitmer
12:35 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Leading Michigan’s Signature Industry in Complex Times

Panelists: John Bozzella, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alliance for Automotive Innovation

Pat D’Eramo, Chief Executive Officer, Martinrea International Inc.

Tu Le, Founder and Managing Director, Sino Auto Insights; Entrepreneur in Residence, Mobility Innovation, TechTown Detroit

Christopher Smith, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Ford Motor Company

Location: Theatre

John Bozzella headshot John Bozzella Pat D'Eramo headshot Pat D’Eramo Christopher Smith headshot Christopher Smith
2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

A Conversation With Ian Bremmer

Speaker: Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media

Interviewer: Devin Scillian, Journalist and Author 

Sponsor: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

Location: Theatre

Ian Bremmer Ian Bremmer Devin Scillian headshot Devin Scillian
2:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.

Break

2:20 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

General Sessions

Location: Theatre

3:20 p.m.

Break

3:20 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.

Ice Cream Social

Sponsor: Plunkett Cooney

Location: Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor

4:10 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.

Keynote Address: Mike Duggan

Speaker: Mike Duggan, Mayor, City of Detroit

Sponsor: Strategic Staffing Solutions

Location: Theatre

Mayor Mike Duggan headshot Mike Duggan
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

The Grand Event

Sponsors: Airbnb, EY, First Merchants Bank, Gardner White, Hollywood Casino at Greektown, UWM

Location: Porch and Parlor

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Women in Leadership

Panelists: Tina Kozak, Chief Executive Officer, Franco

Angelique Power, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Skillman Foundation

Elissa Slotkin, U.S. Senator (D-MI)

Moderator: Laura Grannemann, Executive Director, Rocket Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation

Host: Rocket

Location: Tea Garden Tent, Grand Hotel

Laura Grannemann Headshot Laura Grannemann Angelique Power headshot Angelique Power Elissa Slotkin headshot Elissa Slotkin

Thursday, May 29

Services

6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Media Row Open

Location: Main Dining Room, Grand Hotel

*Breakfast available 6-9 a.m. 

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Dow Business Center Open

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Rocket Government Center Open

*Government Officials Only 

7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

ITC Media Center Open

Location: Terrace Room

*Credentialed Media Only 

7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Conference Registration Open

Sponsor: CVS Health

Location: Garden Terrace

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Coffee

Location: MHA Bar 

8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

PAC Reception Ticket Sales

Location: Gallery

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Refreshments

Sponsor: Priority Health

Location: Parlor

Programming and Events

8:45 a.m. – 9:45 p.m.

Hosted Sessions

Locations: Brighton Pavilion, Grand Pavilion

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Announcing the 2026 Conference Chair

Speakers: Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber

Peter Quigley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Kelly; Chair, 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference

Location: Theatre

sandy baruah Sandy K. Baruah Peter Quigley - Featured Peter Quigley
10:15 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.

A Conversation With Michigan’s Congressional Leaders

Panelists: Tom Barrett, U.S. Representative (R-MI 7)

Debbie Dingell, U.S. Representative (D-MI 6)

Bill Huizenga, U.S. Representative (R-MI 2)

Kristen McDonald Rivet, U.S. Representative (D-MI 8)

Moderator: Jason Colthorp, Anchor, WDIV-TV 4, NBC 

Sponsor: Consumers Energy

Location: Theatre

Tom Barrett headshot Tom Barrett Debbie Dingell Debbie Dingell Rep. Bill Huizenga Bill Huizenga Kristen McDonald Rivet headshot Kristen McDonald Rivet
10:50 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.

A Conversation With Austan Goolsbee

Speaker: Austan Goolsbee, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Interviewer: Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber 

Sponsor: PNC Bank

Location: Theatre

sandy baruah Sandy K. Baruah Austan Goolsbee headshot Austan Goolsbee
11:00 a.m. – 1:20 p.m.

Bloody Mary Bar

Sponsor: Comcast Business

Location: Parlor

11:25 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.

General Sessions

Location: Theatre

12:05 p.m. – 1:05 p.m.

Lunch

Sponsors: Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Midwest Steel

Location: Parlor

12:05 p.m. – 1:05 p.m.

Hosted Sessions

Locations: Brighton Pavilion, Grand Pavilion, The Lilac Room in the Esther Williams Swimming Pool House

1:10 p.m. – 2:10 p.m.

General Sessions

Location: Theatre

1:30 p.m. – 2:10 p.m.

How High-growth Startups Make It in Michigan

Panelists: Dr. Anthony Chang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BAMF Health

Greg Schwartz, Co-founder, StockX

Andrea Wallace, Chief Executive Officer, Opnr

Walter Ward III, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, TiiCKER

Moderator: Gary Torgow, Chairman, Board of Directors, Huntington National Bank

Location: Theatre

Anthony Chang Anthony Chang Greg Schwartz Greg Schwartz Gary Torgow Gary Torgow Andrea Wallace Andrea Wallace Walter Ward III Walter Ward III
2:10 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.

A Conversation With Bill Ford and Alexandra Ford English

Speakers: Bill Ford, Executive Chair, Ford Motor Company

Alexandra Ford English, Member, Board of Directors, Ford Motor Company

Sponsor: Business Leaders For Michigan

Location: Theatre

Bill Ford Bill Ford Alexandra Ford English headshot Alexandra Ford English
2:50 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.

Break

2:50 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.

Popcorn Break

Sponsor: Gordon Food Service

Location: Gallery 

3:10 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.

Keynote Address: Gretchen Whitmer

Speaker: Gretchen Whitmer, Governor, State of Michigan

Introduction: Tricia A. Keith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Sponsor: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan 

Location: Theatre

Tricia Keith Headshot Tricia A. Keith Gov. Whitmer Gretchen Whitmer
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

PAC Reception: A Toast to Michigan

*Separate ticket required*

Panelists: Winnie Brinks, Senate Majority Leader, State of Michigan

Aric Nesbitt, Senate Minority Leader, State of Michigan

Matt Hall, Speaker of the House, State of Michigan 

Ranjeev Puri, House Minority Leader, State of Michigan

Supporters: Consumers Energy, DTE Energy

Location: Brighton Pavilion

Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks Winnie Brinks Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate Aric Nesbitt Aric Nesbitt House Minority Leader Matt Hall Matt Hall Ranjeev Puri headshot Ranjeev Puri

Friday, May 30

Departure

6:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Media Row Open

Location: Main Dining Room, Grand Hotel

*Breakfast available 6-9 a.m.

7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

ITC Media Center Open

 Location: Terrace Room

*Credentialed Media Only 

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Coffee

Location: MHA Bar 

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