September 13, 2022
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
Dear Friends,
It’s Welcoming Week across the nation and I’m proud that Oakland County is an official member of the Welcoming America network that brings together communities to reaffirm the importance of promoting inclusivity and celebrating the vast array of cultures that make our neighborhoods and towns so vibrant and exciting.
 The theme of this year’s celebration is #WhereWeBelong. And I want to make sure that everyone in the county understands that there is a place for them here.
In the last year or so, that’s been especially true for people fleeing the wars in Afghanistan and Ukraine. Through the Uniting for Ukraine initiative, more than 630 Oakland County residents have stepped up to sponsor and financially support families who have left Ukraine because of the war. That’s the largest number in the state. That statistic doesn’t surprise me because Oakland County families are generous and kind and compassionate.
But Welcoming Week is about more than just helping resettle refugees. There are services and organizations across Oakland County that are helping newcomers when they arrive in the state.
 Take Wisam Brikho, the newcomer student coordinator for the Oakland Intermediate School District. He’s helping new students acclimate to an often confusing and unfamiliar environment where the smallest thing can trigger an anxiety-filled response. He’s also the coach of the Pontiac High School boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, helping lead a diverse group of teenagers to a place where they may not always win, but where they can find a place to belong and feel welcome.
A refugee who fled Baghdad when he was 14, Brikho still panics a bit when he hears the tornado drill siren blare on the first Saturday of every month. It brings back the trauma of the war in Iraq, but it also allows him to better relate to newcomers who might also be frightened by that or other things like fireworks-laden skies during national holidays.
 Or take Ricky Dong, the owner of the 168 Asian Mart in Madison Heights. Through the market and a host of other nearby businesses that I visited with him last week, he’s bringing Asian culture and cuisine to both the burgeoning Asian population in southeast Michigan and so many others who travel from all corners of the state to discover the delicacies they can’t find in their hometowns.
He’s one of more than 1,000 foreign-born business owners in Oakland County. These residents are our neighbors and friends. They’re employers and ambassadors for the diversity that makes our county a welcoming destination for all.
So, I’m happy and honored to celebrate Welcoming Week this week and every week of the year. I hope you’ll take a moment to experience and embrace the rich culture and diversity that makes Oakland County so special.
With gratitude,
Dave Coulter
Oakland County Executive
Service Highlight of the Week: Veteran Transportation
Did you know that Oakland County collaborates with the SMART bus system to provide free transportation for veterans who travel to the county’s Veterans’ offices in Pontiac and Troy for help with their benefits?
It’s one of the many services the county provides for Oakland County veterans. To schedule a ride, veterans should call 248-419-7984.
And a reminder, voters will be asked to consider a 10-year, .95 millage question on the Nov. 8 ballot that will maintain and expand public transit services across Oakland County.
The millage will:
- Maintain existing public transit services provided by the SMART, the North Oakland Transportation Authority, the West Oakland Transportation Authority and the Older Person’s Commission in the Rochester Area.
- Enable new service to major employment centers, health care facilities, and education institutions across Oakland County.
- Expand reservation-based service – flexible transportation for seniors, people with disabilities and veterans who need to make essential trips, such as medical appointments and grocery shopping.
- And Expand app-based service – on-demand transportation open to the general public using small vehicles.
- Fund from the millage will support services that specifically benefit Oakland County residents and businesses.
 As school starts, Oakland County commits significant resources to students, schools.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter and the Board of Commissioners were joined by students, educators and community leaders this week to highlight the county’s commitment to transformational investments in education initiatives that will help students and their families.
Using federal funds through the American Rescue Plan, the Coulter administration and Board recently approved more than $10 million in funding for mental health counselors in schools.
Another $5 million was approved for “out-of-school” programs that will help students academically, socially and emotionally after two years of remote learning. United Way of Southeastern Michigan will administer this funding and get applications out to interested districts this fall.
Oakland County at the North American International Auto Show
Oakland County will be in Detroit this week for a return of the North American International Detroit Auto Show after a two-year absence of the show because of COVID-19.
A panel discussion on the “Future Readiness for Electrification and Connectivity,” featuring County Executive David Coulter, Oakland County Chief Environmental Sustainability Officer Erin Quetell, Road Commission of Oakland County systems engineer and ITS manager Ahmad Jawad and Denso Senior Vice President for Green Technology Andrew Clemence, is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 15 at 9 a.m.
Oakland County also will have a booth at the Auto Show in the AutoMobili-D Hall on the Main Show Floor during the Industry Tech Days on Sept. 14-15.
The Auto Show is open to the general public from Sept. 17-25.
Get ready for #WhyApplyDay
Grab your jerseys and ball caps and join us on Sept. 16 for #WhyApplyDay, which is a day set aside to support and encourage students as they begin the extremely important college application process. Wear your college, university, or trade school gear on Friday and share photos on why someone should apply to college or training using the hashtags #WhyApply and #Oakland80.
Nearly 500,000 students across the country will start applying to colleges in September and #WhyApplyDay will employ social media messaging to show the success stories of people who have gotten the college degrees or training they needed to succeed and thrive.
The county’s Oakland80 initiative, which has a goal of ensuring that 80 percent of working-age adults in Oakland County have a college degree or certified training certificate by 2030, will be fully engaged on #WhyApplyDay, not only with social media posts, but with the counseling, coaching and resources the Career and Education Navigators provide to people as they begin to pursue successful and satisfying careers.
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