Later this week, Traverse City, Michigan will host one of the largest meetings in the 62-year history of the Midwestern Legislative Conference, a nonpartisan association that fosters collaboration and information sharing among the region’s state legislators.
Close to 800 people are expected to attend the MLC Annual Meeting, which will be held Aug. 26-29 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
During those four days, legislators will participate in an array of sessions and discussions focusing on key issues facing the Midwest and its states – from strengthening educational technology and protecting privacy, to bolstering state economies and promoting healthy lifestyles.
A full meeting agenda is available at www.csgmidwest.org.
Several highly acclaimed and well-known speakers are scheduled to address MLC meeting attendees. On Tuesday, Aug. 28, Fox News political analysts Fred Barnes and Juan Williams will talk about the race for the White House and the latest news from Washington, D.C.
This year’s meeting will kick off with a keynote address on Monday, Aug. 27, by best-selling author and innovation expert Daniel Pink, who will examine the effects that technology is having – and will continue to have – on society.
Two noted U.S. historians also will speak to meeting attendees.
During the Monday luncheon, Richard Norton Smith will explore lessons in political leadership as he looks at the legacy of the nation’s Midwestern presidents. Smith has been the director of several presidential libraries and institutions, including the Gerald R. Ford Museum and Library.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Kennedy will close the MLC Annual Meeting with a look at what leaders of today can learn from how the nation and its political leaders handled two crises of the 20th century: the Great Depression and World War II.
Other policy issues on this year’s agenda include financial literacy, developing environmentally compatible energy strategies, early-childhood education and battling the region’s “brain drain.”
Members of the media are welcome to attend the public policy sessions or speaker presentations, free of charge. They are asked to register on-site at the MLC office.
The MLC is an association of all legislators in the region’s 11 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan are affiliate members.
Michigan Sen. Patricia Birkholz of Saugatuck Township leads the MLC as its chair, and the Midwestern Office of The Council of State Governments (CSG) provides staff support. CSG is a national, nonpartisan organization that has championed excellence in state government for more than 70 years by sharing innovative solutions to common problems across state borders.
For information about the MLC meeting, please contact Tim Anderson or Mike McCabe at (630) 925-1922.
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