Interested in sponsoring?
Learn about Issues Summit sponsorship opportunities and how your organization can get involved. Contact Emma Carr.

Please join Bridge Michigan at the inaugural Issues Summit. The half-day, statewide convening will bring together residents, civic leaders, policymakers and subject-matter experts for in-depth, journalist-led conversations about the issues shaping Michigan’s future.

Panels will draw from Bridge Michigan’s yearlong reporting initiative, Bridge Listens, and will be moderated by Bridge Michigan reporters, diving deep into top reporting areas. Topics will include health, education, the environment and the economy/affordability.

Veteran Detroit broadcast journalist Devin Scillian will be the event’s emcee. Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Henderson will moderate discussions on the Michigan gubernatorial and Senate races. Panelists will include top minds from throughout the state.

The Summit takes place Oct. 21 at Marygrove Conservancy in Detroit, with free in-person and virtual attendance options. Check-in opens at noon, followed by the program from 1-5:30 p.m. and a happy hour and networking reception from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Registration is now open, and in-person space is nearing capacity. Visit our Eventbrite page to reserve your spot.

Registration is now open, and in-person space is nearing capacity. Visit our Eventbrite page to reserve your spot.

Agenda

Explore the full day of programming — panels, speakers and sessions for the Summit.

Emcee: Devin Scillian, longtime anchor at WDIV-TV Local 4 in Detroit

Noon–1 p.m.
Check-in & Networking
 Light refreshments

1–5:30 p.m.
Issues Summit Program

1 p.m.
Welcome
 Devin Scillian and Katy Locker, Chief Executive Officer, Center for Michigan

1:10 p.m.
What Michigan Voters Told Us
 Bill Emkow, Kathy Kieliszewski and Joel Kurth, Bridge Michigan

1:15–2 p.m.
The Talent Pipeline: Balancing Early Literacy with Postsecondary Goals

  • Moderated by: Isabel Lohman, Bridge Michigan Education Reporter
  • The Discussion: How can Michigan build a 21st-century workforce when its K-12 foundation is struggling? Experts and policymakers will discuss potential systemic reforms, evaluating data-driven literacy interventions alongside strategies to address persistent teacher shortages and chronic student absenteeism. What happens to our workforce if we can’t get K-12 right?
  • Panelists:
    • Dr. Judy Walton, Superintendent, Harrison Community Schools
    • Danielle Cover, K-5 Literacy Coach, Ferndale Public Schools
    • Venessa Keesler, Ph.D., President and CEO, Launch Michigan
    • Ryan Fewins-Bliss, Executive Director, Michigan College Access Network

2:10–2:25 p.m.
Election 2026: The U.S. Senate Race
 Bridge Michigan Senior Capitol Reporter Lauren Gibbons on the state of the race, in conversation with Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Henderson, host of “Michigan: We Need to Talk”

2:25–3:10 p.m.
Healthcare Affordability: Why Costs Are Rising and What It Means for Michiganders

  • Moderated by: Robin Erb, Bridge Michigan Senior Health Reporter
  • The Discussion: Premiums are jumping, people are rationing medicine, and medical debt is piling up. This panel explores why costs are climbing, how consolidation and insurance disputes are affecting coverage, and what candidates are proposing to make healthcare accessible to working Michiganders.
  • Panelists:
    • Marianne Udow-Phillips, Senior Advisor, Center for Health and Research Transformation, University of Michigan
    • Dr. Deidre Hurse, Public Health Researcher and Medical Educator
    • Dr. Latonya Riddle-Jones, Associate Professor, Wayne State University School of Medicine
    • Laura Appel, Executive Vice President, Michigan Health & Hospital Association

3:20–3:30 p.m.
How Well Do You Know Michigan? A Live Bridge Michigan News Quiz
 Test your knowledge of Michigan and the news in a live Slido quiz, hosted by Joel Kurth, Executive Editor, Impact, Bridge Michigan

3:30–4:15 p.m.
Political Promises and Pocketbook Realities: Housing, Wages and Affordability

  • Moderated by: Jordyn Hermani, Bridge Michigan Capitol Reporter
  • The Discussion: Affordability challenges shape Michigan’s economic outlook — from housing costs to wages to the state’s workforce struggles. This panel examines housing supply challenges, zoning reform efforts, tax structures and wage stagnation. How do candidates plan to address these interconnected issues?
  • Panelists:
    • Dan Gilmartin, Executive Director and CEO, Michigan Municipal League
    • Dr. Timothy R. Hodge, Associate Professor of Economics, Oakland University
    • Dr. Natasha Pilkauskas, Professor, University of Michigan
    • Chelsie Wilkinson, Executive Director, Room at the Inn

4:25–4:40 p.m.
Election 2026: The Race for Governor
 Bridge Michigan Capitol Reporter Simon D. Schuster on the state of the race, in conversation with Stephen Henderson, host of “Michigan: We Need to Talk”

4:40–5:25 p.m.
Innovation Collision: Balancing High-Tech Ambitions with Energy and Water Realities

  • Moderated by: Kelly House, Bridge Michigan Senior Environment Reporter
  • The Discussion: As data centers and other energy-hungry projects eye Michigan, how is the state balancing Lansing’s push for a high-tech economy with the physical and financial limits of its legacy infrastructure and natural resources?
  • Panelists:
    • Brenda Stumbo, Ypsilanti Township Supervisor
    • Michelle Martinez, Director, University of Michigan Tishman Center for Social Justice and the Environment
    • Dr. Erik E. Nordman, Director, MSU Institute of Public Utilities
    • Jeff Guilfoyle, Senior Strategist, Public Sector Consultants

5:25 p.m.
Closing: What Comes Next

5:30–6:30 p.m.
Happy Hour & Networking
 In-person guests, join us to keep the conversation going.

Agenda subject to change. More details are in the FAQ below.

Sponsors

Bridge Michigan would like to acknowledge the following sponsors, without whose generosity the Issues Summit would not be possible:

Premier

Executive

Leadership

Partner

Supporter

Huntington Bank

Media Partners

Bridge Michigan is proud to recognize Detroit PBS and Michigan Public as Official Media Partners of the Issues Summit.

Civic Partners

Bridge Michigan thanks the Summit’s Official Civic Partners.

Philanthropic Support

Bridge thanks the Summit’s philanthropic supporters, including the Hudson-Webber Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Power Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and Skillman Foundation.

FAQ

Both! You can register to attend at Marygrove Conservancy in Detroit or watch the Summit online from work or home.

When you reserve your ticket, you will be given the option to select an in-person or virtual pass. If you’re attending virtually, the link to view the conference will be sent one day before the event via Eventbrite to the email address you used to register.

Check-in begins at noon, Oct. 21 with panels starting at 1 p.m. We encourage you to arrive early to pick up your badge and network with fellow attendees before programming begins. The program will end at 5:30 p.m. with a happy hour and networking to follow.

The Summit will examine the top issues shaping Michigan’s future — informed by reader and voter input from across the state. Expert panels, moderated by Bridge Michigan reporters, will draw on a year of reporting and listening across the state.

It guarantees entrance into the event, but it does not guarantee a seat at all times. Seating will be first-come, first-served inside the hall. There will be an overflow room that includes livestreams of the panels in case all seats are occupied. The overflow room will also serve as our networking headquarters.

That said, we are planning for attendance that will allow for all attendees to have a seat.

The conference will be held at the Madame Cadillac Building at the Marygrove Conservancy, 8425 McNichols Road, Detroit, 48221. See a map here. After entering the Marygrove campus from McNichols, you’ll turn right at the guard shack. The Madame Cadillac Building is labeled No. 3.

The Marygrove provides free, secure parking on-site. The parking is just a short walk to the Madame Cadillac Building, where the Summit is being held. Primary parking is in the lot slightly northeast of the Madame Cadillac Building, and will be marked with Summit signing. Overflow parking also will be available slightly south of the building.

Yes, please reach out to us at membership@bridgemi.com if you require specific accommodations. Limited parking for those with disabilities is available near the front of the Madame Cadillac Building. There is also an ADA entrance/ramp available at the Madame Cadillac Building.

We recommend comfortable shoes and casual or business casual attire. The venue can be chilly inside, so a light layer is recommended.

Yes! We’ll have water, coffee and tea available throughout the day, along with light, complementary bites to keep you fueled.

Yes, we encourage you to take pictures of the conference. We ask that you be mindful of your fellow attendees when taking pictures.

Yes, you can cancel your free tickets to an event before the event starts. Go to Eventbrite and select “Find My Tickets” in the upper righthand corner. You will need to enter the email you used to register. Follow the Eventbrite prompts to find the event and click “Cancel Order.”