The Review Magazine May / June 2021

escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy the everyday opportunities in our region. The area can attract climate refugees and remote workers to enhance the U.P. workforce and help communities adapt to the future. Any movement of people to the U.P. is an opportunity for business growth and workforce expansion that will increase revenue to further fund U.P. community improvements. What You Can Do Community collaboration is the key to solving these issues. We know that our challenges can be resolved if leaders in the region work together. We all must recognize that we have a responsibility to the area where we live and especially to those we leave behind. Nobody wants to live in communities that are deteriorating, and we need to move forward together. With no financial incentives, the Empower906 team hopes to foster an open engagement with all parties sharing their goals and solutions. We value the perspectives and ideas of those in the U.P. and elsewhere and look forward to learning more. We created a website where you can learn more about the project, see the data, and take a survey to provide your input to help define the priorities. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, we encourage you to email the team at info@Empower906.org or visit empower906.org.

About Empower906 Team Kurt Lehmann is from Kingsford (U.P.) and an ’85 graduate of MTU with 34 years in the auto industry. His last position was Corporate Technology Officer at Continental AG in Hannover, Germany, where he lived the last 15 years before retiring back to Kingsford. Eric Defenderfer is also from Kingsford and an ’84 graduate of MTU. He worked for General Motors in vehicle integration for 35 years. Eric is a Dickinson county landowner with an interest in forest management and renewable energy. Jonathan Stone is from Royal Oak, with 24 years in the auto industry in the areas of Information Technology. Jon is currently an R&D executive at Continental AG in the Detroit area. Morgan Flynn is from Munising (U.P.) and is a ’20 graduate from MTU. She has five years of marketing experience doing marketing research, analytics, and project development. Scott MacInnes is from Houghton (U.P.) and a ’74 MTU graduate who worked for Houghton for 40 years—17 as city manager. He is currently the U.P. Field Representative for the Michigan Municipal League.

800.525.6016 | info@metroca.net

MAY / JUNE 2021

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THE REVIEW

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