Must-See Policy

by T. Scott
January 16, 2010

You can put every event on Dome’s public policy calendar on your to-do list (they’re always that good), but put these two February programs down as must attend:

• Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE) annual Legislative Conference, February 16 at the Lansing Center.
• Michigan Political Leadership Program (MPLP) annual fundraising dinner with former Governors James Blanchard and John Engler, February 25 at Laurel Manor in Livonia. They repeat the performance at breakfast on February 26 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.

MPLP
Give Doug Roberts, director of Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, credit for bringing together — though they be far apart politically — the two former governors, MSU alums and current Washington power brokers for the always popular annual fundraisers. He was determined and diplomatic enough to get them to agree to share the spotlight.

Roberts, in turn, gives credit to Gary Heidel of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and a major MPLP booster, for coming up with the idea in the first place — and for a small and enthusiastic team for helping pull it off.

After 14 years of bringing in pairs (one a Republican, one a Democrat) of prominent national figures, this year’s program keeps to format while adding a tremendous Michigan spin. It’s one of those ideas that may be so obvious no one sees it. But Heidel did.

“Gary said, in passing, ‘wouldn’t it be neat if we could get both governors?’” Roberts recalls. “Since I was the only one in the room who knew them both well enough and had worked for both, I said I’d give it a go.”

Roberts used a trip to Washington, D.C. to set up a meeting with Engler, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, in his office. The two talked, shared memories and, at the appropriate moment, Roberts popped the MPLP question.

“I did not come out of there with a yes, I came out with a maybe. But it was not a no,” says Roberts, which was good enough for him to take the next step.

In approaching Blanchard, former ambassador to Canada and now co-chair of the Government Affairs Practice Group for the global law firm DLA Piper, Roberts wanted to make some inroads first. So he enlisted the help of Faylene Owen, an MSU trustee. She and husband Larry Owen are both longtime Blanchard friends. She said she was happy to raise the subject with Blanchard and clear the way for Roberts. The result: Blanchard “didn’t say yes either, but he didn’t say no either.”

Taking their maybes as green lights, Roberts kept on the hunt and moved the ensuing conversations to format and other specific details of the event. Finally, convinced that both leaders really wanted to do it and were able to clear their calendars for the dinner and breakfast the next day, Roberts let MSU President Lou Anna Simon know it was appropriate to issue the formal invitations.

Roberts couldn’t be happier with landing the pair, who between them have five terms of experience as Michigan governor. That’s especially timely given the shape the state is in as it prepares to elect a new governor in November.

“Here are two gentlemen who sat in the governor’s chair for 20 years,” said Roberts. “They both care a great deal about this state and wish things were better,” he said.

Just imagine the advice they’ll give.

Complete details of the event are at the IPPSR website.

MSAE
Give credit to Cheryl Ronk, her team at the Michigan Society of Association Executives and a solid task force for putting together a top-notch legislative conference on February 16 that provides plenty of insider looks at what’s happening — and will happen this year — in Lansing.

More notable than the traditional session with the legislature’s quadrant leaders, however, is the “Politics in Motion” session with four of the capital’s top multi-client lobbyists: Joe Garcia, Pat Harrington, Tom Hoisington and Nell Kuhnmuench. If these folks don’t know what’s going on — and why — then nobody does.

Rounding out the full afternoon program are sessions on the state economy and budget (which threaten to crowd most other issues off the legislative docket), the role of associations in public policy, and the procedural and policy initiatives proposed by the large and reform-minded freshman caucus.

Topping off the event is an early evening reception bringing many of the players in town together with conference attendees.

Access to the amount of knowledge, insight and experience gathered at the Lansing Center for the conference is well worth the price of admission.

Complete details are at the MSAE website.

Giveaways Update
Giveaway #8 The Paper, a modern classic about New York City journalism, directed by Ron Howard.

Dome made Valerie Congdon’s Monday by notifying her she had won the DVD. A Waterford resident who works for the state Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, she said she can’t recall when she first started reading Dome, but likes the columnists and news of what’s happening in the capital city. She also appreciates the quality of writing and the fact it’s all online.

Giveaway #9 Bit o’ Bliss homemade toffee.
“Yeah! Free candy!” said our appreciative winner, Clarkston resident Andrea K. Schroeder. A small business owner “with a personal jones for public policy reform and citizen advocacy,” she’s also a parent advocate on educational issues as the legislative VP for the Clarkston District PTA Council and VP of advocacy for the Michigan Alliance for Gifted Education. “I love Dome because it gives me great resources to help other parents understand how and why the people in Lansing do what they do, and what it means to our schools.”

Thank you, Andrea, and Valerie and all our Dome readers!