Challenges to Keep Coming; Let’s Move Forward Together

Every person who has had the privilege of leadership knows the importance of keeping a long view. When good days come, we should enjoy them. Some of us – like myself in Orion Township – are blessed to work with a lot of great people and have a lot of good days. But difficult times are when the most important lessons seem to arrive. There will always be another challenge ahead, so we rely on the knowledge and grit that got us through the difficult days of the past to prepare us for a brighter future.

Problem-solving – especially when it comes to the really big problems – often does not happen in a straight line. That probably has something to do with the fact that the most significant challenges require the most people to solve. This is why we go out of our way to meet each other and find the common ground. This is why we seek out the experience of others, because it is impossible to see every angle from wherever we happen to sit as individuals.

This is why I am thankful to be starting another year as an active member of SEMCOG, and I am humbled to begin 2022 as chairperson. I have learned so much from my fellow officers and committee members over the years, to say nothing of what I have watched my community and the region gain through the efforts of SEMCOG’s dedicated staff.

If you are a local official seeking ways to bring value to your community, I encourage you to engage with peers looking to do the same and get more involved at SEMCOG this year. As always, opportunities to learn and engage will appear in Regional Update throughout the year. Let SEMCOG staff know if you’d like to begin receiving Regional Update. (I promise, not every issue will have a photo of me!)

Regional Planning Supports Local Solutions

While the peer-to-peer networking and data resources I have found at SEMCOG are invaluable to my effectiveness in Orion Township, the opportunity to actually help guide regional planning and implementation has become equally satisfying. This year, I’m looking forward to the regional progress that will continue across SEMCOG’s planning areas. A Traffic Safety Task Force will launch next month, beginning the process of drafting new policies to help guide investment that makes the transportation system as safe as possible for everyone who needs to use it. Similarly, a task force will launch this year to make recommendations on infrastructure investment that makes Southeast Michigan’s communities more sustainable and resilient to a changing climate.

SEMCOG staff will be reaching out to communities to ensure that expected future growth is included in the 2050 Regional Forecast. Everything SEMCOG does is based on a foundation of sound data; ensuring that community development expectations are understood at the regional level is good for data, and it helps guide effective investment of resources going forward.

A SEMCOG/MAC Broadband Action Team has been working toward recommendations on how to make sure our region’s opportunities are never limited by our connectivity. A Legislative Policy Platform Task Force will assemble later this year to ensure the common interests of Southeast Michigan’s communities are effectively communicated at the state and federal level. These are just a few examples of the various opportunities we have this year at SEMCOG to work across the boundaries of our respective cities, villages, townships, counties, politics, and ideologies for the good of Southeast Michigan. I hope to see you at a SEMCOG event soon!