Whitmer announces new population retention directive

MICHIGAN (WNEM) - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke at Mackinaw Island on Thursday, June 1 to announce a directive she hopes will retain Michigan’s population.

“Blue collar, white collar, no collar it doesn’t matter. Everyone has a path to prosperity in the state of Michigan,” Whitmer said.

Whitmer signed an executive order Thursday to address growth strategy and the formation of a commission to study and address Michigan’s population loss.

The 28-member Growing Michigan Together Council was established to retain Michigan’s recent graduates and promote Michigan’s natural resources.

Michigan will have the first-ever chief growth officer in the nation, Hilary Doe, who will work with the council in the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to implement recommendations, chase funding, and bring stakeholders together.

The group will also focus on underperforming K-12 education, collapsing infrastructure, and build on Michigan’s manufacturing legacy. Whitmer said part of that will be by leading the future of mobility, chips, and clean energy by building semiconductor components from Ann Arbor to Bay City.

“First jobs, talent, and people. The council will identify a specific population goal for 2050. They will map out how to use all the different levers that we have – retention, recruitment, domestic migration, immigration – so that we can continue growing our economy and create upward mobility for everyone. They’ll focus on how to build, attract, and retain a skilled work force that can compete with other states and nations.”

The council will be doing studies over the next six months and will have a full report to present in December.

Whitmer added the state lawmakers will look to act on as many recommendations as they can with bipartisan group support.

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