Capitol News

The Michigan Community & Worker Economic Transition Office has chosen 10 organizations to participate in the first Community Growth Academy. This new program will run for 18 months and is designed to help communities in Michigan that have been affected by changes in the auto and utility sectors plan for long-term economic growth.

Jonathan Smith, Director of the Community and Worker Economic Transition Office, stated, “The goal of the Community Growth Academy is to support a proactive strategy for economic growth in Michigan. We know that economic shifts are always occurring, and we want to make sure those shifts have a positive impact on our communities.”

Participants in the academy will receive assistance from a technical team, access to grant funding for project implementation, opportunities for peer learning, support from state employees with resource navigation, and a full-time fellow dedicated to helping implement strategies developed through the program.

The fellowship component is supported by the Community and Economic Development Association of Michigan. The selected communities will also be able to use a draft version of the Community Transition Playbook—a planning tool being developed by the Transition Office. Feedback from academy members will help refine this playbook before it becomes available more broadly.

Eddie Fakhoury, Executive Director of the Community and Economic Development Association of Michigan, commented on previous successes: “We have seen great success in what communities can accomplish with additional capacity through our other fellowship programs. We are all excited to see how communities will be able to grow through the Community Growth Academy.”

Selection criteria included how communities have been impacted by economic transitions, coalition strength among participants, and proposed project ideas aimed at community growth. The resulting cohort represents a diverse group from across Michigan with various economic goals and needs.

The organizations selected are:

- 100K Ideas (Flint)

- Detroit Future City

- Downriver Community Conference (serving River Rouge, Ecorse, Wyandotte, Riverview, Trenton)

- Huron County Economic Development Corporation

- Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

- Lake County Economic Development Alliance

- Lake Superior Community Partnership (Delta and Marquette counties)

- Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development

- Middle Michigan Development Corporation (Clare, Isabella, Osceola counties)

- Southwest Michigan First (Branch and Saint Joseph counties)

Jazmine Danci of Downriver Community Conference said, “The Downriver Community Conference is honored to be selected for the Community Growth Academy. This opportunity allows us to build on our work with five cities facing transition along the Detroit River, now as part of a dynamic cohort. We look forward to collaborating with partners statewide, learning best practices, and strengthening our capacity to deliver even greater benefits to our local communities."

Tobi Lake from Lake County Economic Development Alliance added: “Lake County Economic Development Alliance is thrilled to be awarded this opportunity to continue the momentum we have built around finding and implementing innovative ways to grow our unique rural economy. We look forward to the resources and partnerships to be gained through our participation in the Community Growth Academy and are so grateful to LEO and our partners who will serve on our local team.”

Individuals interested in applying for one of the community fellow positions can do so online until October 22.