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Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance urges state support for regionally driven rural development
Summary
Chamber leaders from Northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula told the House Committee on Economic Competiveness that targeted, smaller-scale public‑private investments — housing, childcare, broadband, and place‑based grants — produce outsized returns for rural communities and should be preserved or expanded in state budgets.
Good morning. And thank you, Chairman Hoadley, for this opportunity and invitation to be here today. Good morning, members of the committee. We're really honored to have this opportunity and to represent Northern Lower Michigan as well as the UP. Our purpose of being here today is really just to highlight what rural economic development means to us in our communities, Haley, Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance spokesperson, told the committee.
The alliance asked lawmakers to protect and expand state programs that its members say have leveraged modest public dollars into housing, business growth and local partnerships across the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Michigan.
Why it matters: Alliance leaders argued small, targeted investments can create sustained local impact in places that lack the infrastructure and workforce density of urban areas. ‘‘The founding, thriving foundation of any community is 100% tied to its people,’’ Nikki Devitt, president and CEO of the Petoskey Regional Chamber and chair of the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, told the committee.
Leaders described three broad themes for state policy: regionally driven economic competitiveness, workforce…
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