Learning from peers

For Southeast Michigan’s local officials, one of the greatest benefits of attending SEMCOG events is the opportunity to network and learn from peers. For leaders at each level of government in the region, SEMCOG has served as an important professional and “social network” since long before LinkedIn or Facebook. While the latest and greatest communications tools provide important opportunities to stay current and connected, face-to-face interaction will always remain an invaluable way to share information and build relationships.

Just as local leaders connect through our committees and task forces, SEMCOG itself takes advantage of opportunities to learn from similar organizations throughout Michigan and around the country. We recently participated in two such meetings, at which we had the opportunity to learn from and share our expertise with other councils of government (COGs) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).

SEMCOG officers attended the 50th annual National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) Annual Conference in June and learned about how growing metropolitan areas in the western United States are coping with the challenge of providing clean water. This reinforced with the SEMCOG group the importance of our ongoing water resources planning work. Throughout the country, our peers are working on the challenges and opportunities involved with engaging millennials and providing transit.

We were honored to have our access to core services work recognized. We received the NARC Major Metro planning award for this effort to study the correlation between land-use patterns and our transportation system. As a result, SEMCOG staff have been invited to share what we learned at the Annual Indiana MPO Conference.

Last week, we were pleased to host regions from across Michigan for a meeting at our offices. The group was impressed with all of the activity in the downtown area. We shared progress on our recent bicycle and pedestrian, traffic safety, green infrastructure, and economic development plans. At this meeting, Canadian Consul General Douglas George presented an update on the progress of the Gordie Howe International Bridge to Canada. This new bridge has promising economic implications not only for our region but for regions throughout the state.

We enjoyed sharing with and learning from our regional peers at each of these gatherings. We hope you feel the same way when you participate in meetings and events at SEMCOG. I hope you will consider attending our fall General Assembly meeting, which is designed to offer opportunities to spend time with local government officials from around Southeast Michigan, learn more about tools and practices that can benefit your community, and provide input on regional priorities.