John McElroy, Guest Speaker

John McElroy is the host of the television program “Autoline Detroit,” which covers all aspects of the automotive industry. It is a weekly half-hour discussion program featuring top automotive executives and journalists that provides a window into the latest developments and thinking in the industry. It airs nationally on Sunday mornings at 7 AM on the Speed Channel cable network, and at 10:30 AM on Sundays on Detroit Public Television. The show can be seen online at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

McElroy also broadcasts five radio segments daily on WWJ Newsradio 950, the CBS affiliate in Detroit. His “Automotive Insights” are one-minute spots that provide listeners with news and analysis on the automotive industry.

John McElroy brings an extensive background to covering the auto industry. He took his first plant tour when he was only six years old. As he got older, he read any and every book about cars he could get his hands on, which led to an understanding of automotive engineering principles. As his enthusiasm for cars grew, he successfully-though briefly-ventured into amateur road racing. He also gained valuable insight to the industry working as an hourly UAW employee in various automotive manufacturing plants while working his way through college, where he earned a Bachelors Degree in English at Wayne State University.

As a journalist, McElroy put his automotive background to good use. His past experience includes five years at Detroit Editor for Road & Track, and as the American correspondent for World Cars, which was published by the Automotive Club of Italy. He was also invited to write the annual automotive entry for the Encyclopedia Britannica Yearbook. He spent most of his career at the trade magazine Automotive Industries where he ultimately rose to Editorial Director.

McElroy has appeared as an automotive expert on ABC World News Tonight, CBS News, and NBC Nightly News. He is often interviewed by CNN, NPR, and CBC in Canada. He is frequently asked to speak to automakers, suppliers and industry organizations. He is on the steering committee of the North American Car and Truck of the Year.

McElroy has won numerous awards for editorial excellence, particularly the Jesse H. Neal award in 1984 for his series titled, “Inside Japan,” and in 1995 and 1997 for his Editorial opinion pieces. In 1997 he was named “Communicator of the Year” by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Detroit. He was awarded first place in the International Wheels Awards in 2004 for his television documentary “The Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise” and in 2005 for his documentary “Challenge Bibendum” and second place in 2006 for “A Car Is Born.”

Brooks Patterson, Morning Keynote Speaker

First elected: 1992

Role: L. Brooks Patterson is beginning his fifth decade of public service to the citizens of Oakland County. As the top elected official of one of America’s wealthiest counties, he oversees a work force of 4,000 full and part-time employees and an annual budget  of $769 million. He was re-elected in 2008 to his fifth term. 

Activities: Founder, Rainbow Connection (1980) (charity grants wishes to children with life threatening illnesses).

Oakland County Achievements: Patterson began his public service in 1968 as an assistant prosecutor in the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. He was elected Oakland County prosecutor in 1972 and served in that capacity for 16 years.  After a short period in private law practice, Patterson returned to public life and was elected County Executive in 1992.  On his watch, Oakland County has maintained its coveted AAA bond rating, which only 34 of the nation’s 3,200 counties have received. He has also initiated a long list of innovative initiatives that have positioned Oakland County as a global business leader:

• Emerging Sectors – The business attraction and retention strategy has generated investment of more than $1.2 million, created or retained more than 20,000 jobs and produced tax revenues of nearly $30 million in less than five years.
• Automation Alley – Southeastern Michigan’s premier high-tech consortium was founded by Patterson in 1998. It added its 1,000 member in 2009. Automation Alley received the President’s E Award for excellence in exporting, which was presented by President George W. Bush during a White House ceremony
• Count Your Steps – A privately funded pedometer walking program that targets childhood obesity. It provides 30,000 pedometers to third and fourth grade students in Oakland County schools and encourages them to live healthy lifestyles.
• Brooksie Way Half Marathon and 5K races – The inaugural race was held in 2008 and attracted 4,000 participants, double the initial goal. Proceeds from the race, which is held annually the first Sunday in October, help fund health and fitness activities. It was named in memory of Brooks Stuart Patterson, the county executive’s son, who was killed in a snowmobiling accident days after the race was first announced.
• Oakland County’s Medical Main Street – This recently launched branding initiative could mean billions of dollars of investment and thousands of new jobs as the county is marketed globally as a life science center.
• Successful Health Care Cost Containment Initiative
  Oakland County is the first county in America to eliminate its unfunded liability for employee and retiree health care. Through the creative and innovative use of trust certificates, Patterson fully funded employee and retiree health care while save taxpayers more than $150 million.

Patterson Has Earned Numerous Awards Including:

• The Michigan Chamber of Commerce Annual Award for Distinguished Service for leading the statewide petition drive to eliminate the Single Business Tax and for exemplary service as a local government official
• Walsh College Barry Award for Education Excellence and Service
• MIRA Gold Key Award
• Optimist International Community Service Award
• Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Kettering University
• Named World Trader of the Year by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce for his significant contributions to promote international trade in southeast Michigan
• Automation Alley CEO Legend of the Year
• NAACP Recognition Dinner
• Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Baker College
• Lighthouse Humanitarian Award
• Corp! Magazine Man of the Decade
• March of Dimes Humanitarian of the Year Award
• State of Israel Eleanor Roosevelt Humanities Award

Personal: Patterson attended the University of Detroit and the University of Detroit Law School, where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1967.  During his brief hiatus from public service, Patterson entered private law practice. In 1990, Lawyers Weekly selected him as one of the top 20 attorneys in the state of Michigan.

Phillip H. Power, Afternoon Keynote Speaker

For nearly forty years, Philip H. Power was founder, owner and chairman of the board of HomeTown Communications Network, Inc., a group of 62 community newspapers and 24 telephone directories throughout Michigan and around Cincinnati, Ohio.  Best known among this group was the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, serving suburban communities in the Detroit metropolitan area.  Initially an entrepreneurial effort, the corporation came to be recognized as among the very best of its sort in the country while at the same time retaining its roots as a family company.  Taken together, his newspapers won more state and national awards for excellence than any other group in the country. In March 2005, Mr. Power sold the assets of his company to the Gannett Company.  His award-winning column continues to appear regularly in his former newspapers.  Mr. Power founded, in January 2006, The Center for Michigan, a think-and-do tank aimed at improving the policy and political environment in Michigan by developing a series of very far-reaching, broadly acceptable reforms in taxing, spending and the priorities of state government.  The Center is developing a public engagement campaign, Michigan’s Defining Moment, that will by the end of 2010 engage several thousand Michigan leaders and citizens in community conversations and ignite a citizen movement for change.

Mr. Power was appointed a Regent of the University of Michigan in 1987; he was elected to office in 1990, winning more than one million votes statewide.  He led the effort to rewrite U of M rules governing the technology transfer from University laboratories into the commercial world.  As a result, applications for patents, new company start-ups and IPO’s by U of M faculty and staff increased markedly.  He was defeated for re-election in 1998.  He received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from the U of M Alumni Association in October 2000.  From 1983 to 1990, Mr. Power chaired the Michigan Job Training Coordinating Council and was a primary advisor to Governor Blanchard on human investment and job training.  In 2000, Governor Engler appointed him to the Executive Committee of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; he currently serves as Vice Chair of the MEDC and Chair of the Finance Subcommittee.  In 1991, Mr. Power helped found the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, a not-for-profit organization that helps communities, states, employers and others achieve world-class workforce development systems.  He served as Chairman from 1991 through 2005 and is now a member of the board.

Mr. Power served on the Board of Directors of Jacobson Stores, Inc. and SenSyTech Technologies, Inc.  He is Chair of the Michigan chapter of The Nature Conservancy and President of the Power Foundation.  He also is a member of the board of the University Musical Society, in Ann Arbor, MI.  He was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Public Service, by Eastern Michigan University in 2003.

Mr. Power graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan in 1960.  He was editorial director of the student newspaper, The Michigan Daily, and a member of Americans Committed To World Responsibility, a student organization that proposed volunteer service abroad – the original version of the idea taken up by John F. Kennedy as the Peace Corps.  In 1962 he received a Marshall Scholarship to study at Oxford University in England, where he received an MA in philosophy, politics and economics

Synergy 2009 Dynamic Lineup of Speakers

MC: Matt Farrell (CORE Partners/2009 Synergy Chair)
MC: Joseph W. Gough (Inspire Michigan)
MC: Sandee Adams (Comerica Bank)
L. Brooks Patterson (Oakland County)
Maureen Krauss (Oakland County)
Greg Main (Michigan Economic Development Corporation)
Andy Meisner (Oakland County)
Ron Kitchens (Southwest Michigan First)
JoAnn Crary (Saginaw Future, Inc.)
Brian Murphy (City of Troy)
Ric Geyer (City of Detroit)
Dennis Bernard (Bernard Financial)
Jeffrey Schuman (Bank of America)
Patrick Fehring (Level One Bank)
Scott McKelvey (Monroe Bank & Trust)
Bruce Morrison (Signature Associates)
John McElroy (Blue Sky Productions)
Dr. David Cole (CAR – Center for Automotive Research)
Sam Cupp (Hamilton Group International)
Mac McClure (President, CCIM Institute)
Richard Maxson (Catylist Real Estate Software, Inc.)
Mark Woods (Signature Associates)
Jeff Blackman (Foresee Results)
Ron Leblanc (Kaiser Aluminum)
Gary Homan (Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation)
Matthew Wenzler (Secure-24)
Jeff Kinzbach (Gerber/Nestlé Nutrition)
Kirk Thams (X-R-I Testing)
Mort Meisner (The Center for Film Studies)
Philip H. Power (The Center for Michigan)

Synergy 2009 VIP Guests

Jerry L. Hall (CCIM Region 7 President)
Gail Collins (CCIM V.P. of Marketing and Membership)
Ms. Mat Williams (CCIM Director of Chapter and Region Relations)