Michigan Municipal League Convention 2023 Program

Welcome to our Convention in Traverse City!

The Michigan Municipal League staff and our Board of Trustees couldn’t be more excited for our 2023 Convention happening this year in amazing Traverse City. This year’s Convention brings together local officials, city managers, mayors, council members, municipal attorneys, and many others for a three-day conference, giving us an opportunity to connect and learn about what’s important in communities throughout our great state. It is packed full of excellent general session speakers, informative breakout sessions, and an incredible lineup of educational tours that will help you experience all that Traverse City has to offer. Attendees will leave this year’s event feeling activated, empowered, innovative, and optimistic. This year’s Convention highlights include keynote speaker Peter Kageyama, author of For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places . Peter will discuss the changes we’ve made in response to the pandemic and how we can use this changed world to reconnect us with our neighbors and the nature around us. We also will have keynote speaker Matt Lehrman explaining how we can turn conflict into conversation. In addition, we will have a TED-talk style general session with speakers discussing investing in small communities, addressing human and social needs, and how Northern Michigan has branded itself as a tourist destination through agribusiness. Plus, there are deep-dive workshops on everything from artificial intelligence to empowering marginalized communities. And we will be showing the inspiring film, Walking While Black: L.O.V.E. is the Answer . We also have a great series of breakout sessions on a variety of topics, including the State Revolving Loan Funding, climate migration, rural community perspectives and priorities, and the always popular legislative update from our Lansing advocacy team. Even with that list, we’ve barely scratched the surface of all the sessions, workshops, activities, and tours planned. So, get ready to learn, enjoy, network, and have fun discovering Traverse City and the ways to make your own communities even better.

Barbara Ziarko Michigan Municipal League President Sterling Heights Councilmember

#MMLCONV

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