Communicators Network Meets in Chesterfield, Focuses on Opportunities to Promote Recreation

The latest quarterly meeting of the Southeast Michigan Communicators Network took place at scenic Brandenburg Park in Chesterfield Township on July 15. Communicators from across Southeast Michigan gathered to share challenges and successes. Regardless of size, location, or type of community, each communicator is focused on providing relevant, timely messaging and engagement. These opportunities to compare notes with peers engaged in similar work can provide tremendous opportunities to step back from the busy pace of day-to-day communications and community engagement work to gain valuable perspective. This meeting largely focused on the role of local government communicators in connecting residents and visitors to nature through recreation opportunities. In addition to supporting the blue economy, participants also discussed the importance and impact of combining special places and effective storytelling with opportunities to build stewardship.

Challenges and Successes

During introductions, each attendee highlighted a recent communications success and/or challenge. Challenges – which communicators are always quick to re-brand as opportunities – included some familiar themes:

• Backlash /negative comments (often based on misinformation) on social media related to community projects and initiatives such as millage proposals
• Managing the narrative around emergent situations /breaking news
• Managing dissent due to issues outside of community control
• Creating informative and engaging content

Participants also shared some of the ways they are leveraging these challenges into stronger community engagement opportunities, including:

• Highlighting community events to promote offline engagement
• More focused storytelling  to highlight positives
• Relationship- building:
  • Speaking with voters at community events
  • Door-to-door communication to clarify ongoing issues
  • Engaging in social media groups with accurate information

Through sharing of experiences, communicators can learn their challenges are usually not unique, overcome obstacles, and remain focused on fostering constructive relationships.

Featured Presentation: Chesterfield Township and Ecotourism

View the presentation

Like many communities, Chesterfield Township makes a large impact with a fairly small team. When it comes to promoting recreation opportunities and the stunning waterfront of Lake St. Clair, Communications Assistant Amanda Metdepenningen and Recreation Coordinator Matt Carr are a dynamic duo. Together, they shared insights into their communications and marketing strategies, which may have been unique to their location but certainly offer lessons that can be applied anywhere.

Chesterfield Township Communications Assistant Amanda Metdepenningen and Recreation Coordinator Matt Carr

To help build the brand of their community, the Chesterfield Township team calls attention to how it makes visitors feel, with specific attention paid to the benefits of parks, trails, outdoor events and  – of course – the beautiful Anchor Bay waterfront.

Similar to so many communities with great natural beauty and significant investments made in recreation, Chesterfield Township wants its residents and visitors to know they don’t have to travel all the way to northern Michigan to enjoy peaceful waterfront views, paddling launches, fishing, or boating. These activities can all be enjoyed without leaving Southeast Michigan.

Chesterfield has made significant investments in its parks, and communicating new recreational opportunities is a significant part of ensuring a return on those investments. This means showcasing both the natural attractions and amenities themselves, and also the events happening around them and how they will improve quality of life.

One of the more notable events the team discussed was the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament hosted on Lake St. Clair in 2025. Held in Brandenburg Park, this event proved to be a massive success for the township and opened the door to potentially play host to similar events in the future.

Micro-tourism is another initiative Chesterfield has participated in to help enhance quality of life for its senior residents. Small, accessible day trips to various destinations in and around Metro Detroit are very popular, providing access to additional opportunities and strengthening community connections. All events are designed to be accessible and inclusive for every resident.

Featured Presentation: Friends of the St. Clair River

View Friends of the St. Clair River presentation

Co-founder and Executive Director of Friends of the St. Clair River Sheri Faust

Communicators next enjoyed a presentation by Co-founder and Executive Director of Friends of the St. Clair River Sheri Faust. The largest nonprofit organization along Michigan’s Thumb Coast, Friends of the St. Clair River works to protect and restore the St. Clair River and its watersheds.

Sheri described how communities are often defined by the relationship it has with the closest water system. Engagement with water leads to furthering community prosperity, a landmark of ecotourism, which focuses on leveraging access to natural and relatively undeveloped areas.

Central to their approach to ecotourism is the idea that stewardship of natural assets fosters a sense of ownership. Someone is more likely to keep their favorite park clean, thereby creating a positive feedback loop where engagement with water and natural assets leads to their protection.

Bridge to Bay Trail Corridor

A featured case study showing how investment in recreation also supports workplace development and economic growth.

Since 2014, the Bridge to Bay Trail Corridor has received $180 million in public and private investment. As a result of this investment, visitors bring approximately $165 per person per day to the area.

The corridor connected land trails with water trails through dual trailheads and allows residents to explore the cultural link the area has to its water. The Bridge to Bay Trail Corridor is an excellent example of how the same investments aimed at improving recreation also support workforce development and business growth.

A Guide to Transportation Planning

View the Guide to Transportation Planning Presentation

View the DRAFT Guide to Transportation Planning – Please share any comments on the guide by July 31, 2026!

The meeting’s final presentation was a look into SEMCOG’s Guide to Transportation Planning. Trevor Layton, SEMCOG Communications Manager gave a preview of the booklet designed to educate SEMCOG members and their residents on the basics of the transportation system and planning process in Southeast Michigan. This guide will be a key element in the outreach for the next Regional Transportation Plan beginning this fall.

Trevor Layton, SEMCOG Communications Manager

Wrap Up

View the Connecting People to Nature handout

SEMCOG also shared a new resource with the group, Connecting People to Nature, which aligned well with the topics discussed during the meeting. The handout presents an analysis of visitation trends from 2019–2025 across Southeast Michigan’s 475 largest public outdoor recreation areas.

The network closed with a group photo with a stunning waterfront backdrop. The next Communicators Network meeting is scheduled for October 28 at 9 a.m. at the SEMCOG office.

Register for October 28