First-ever regional policy conference planned for West Michigan

West Michigan business and community leaders are frustrated with not being heard in Lansing, and the first-ever regional policy conference aims to set a new precedent for establishing expectations of lawmakers, creating position statements and opening a line of communication that promotes economic development and prosperity across the region.

According to excerpts from the story:

As their counterparts in metro Detroit meet this week on Mackinac Island, political and business leaders in western Michigan are proceeding with plans for their own policy conference this fall.

Organizers of the inaugural 2008 West Michigan Regional Policy Conference — organized by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce with involvement of several others across a broad region — see the gathering as offering a unified voice to public-policy makers in Lansing.

The event aims to “advance an agenda that’s a West Michigan agenda,” Grand Rapids Area Chamber President Jeanne Englehart said.

“The vision is to unite the West Michigan business community in a forum that will create common policy goals,” Englehart said. “The idea is that West Michigan wants to have a voice as well.”

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