January 24, 2024
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
Dear Friends,
It seems everywhere you look these days, the region is awash in Honolulu Blue and Silver and with good reason as Oakland County, metro Detroit and Michigan celebrate the amazing success of the Detroit Lions.
I count myself among the diehard fans who have stuck with the team through the long dry spell that now feels like a distant memory as the Lions have made us all true believers again.
I have been so heartened to see the sense of community that engulfs and embraces this team. It’s there when you see the fan weeping in the stands on TV, paying tribute to his father who was a Lions season ticket holder and one of the ironworkers who helped build Ford Field, or witnessing strangers celebrating with each other as the final seconds wound down in the team’s first playoff victories in 32 years.
I hope it’s not naïve to think that this camaraderie can extend beyond this truly inspiring season.
And it’s that success and the collective optimism the team has engendered that inspires me to think bigger and allows me to dream about what victory can look like both on and off the gridiron.
I’ve been imagining what cheering for the Detroit Lions in a Super Bowl game would feel like since I was a kid. With the thrilling victory on Sunday, that dream is one step closer to reality.
This team makes me believe that even our most audacious goals are achievable.
- That we can certainly get to 80 percent of our adult population with college degrees or certified training by 2030. We’ve already moved the needle from 61 to 69 percent in just two years.
- That our efforts to improve and expand access to mental health care can reach more than 100,000 of our residents of all ages. More than 70,000 people, including students who have more counselors in schools and after-school programming, have benefitted thanks to Oakland County’s initiatives.
- That we can make a significant difference in providing more affordable housing options through our Housing Trust Fund in Oakland County so that we can grow our population, our workforce and our economy.
- That we can help break the cycle of poverty in parts of our county through things like a more robust countywide public transportation system, jobs training programs and an ever-widening economic base that includes a growing and thriving advanced manufacturing sector.
Like the Detroit Lions, I am not only committed to the possible and achievable, but also to the goals where we need to stretch and reimagine and dream.
And while our hearts and our collective psyches will be in San Francisco on Sunday, we all know that true grit, determination and the passion to succeed and win reside firmly in Detroit, Oakland County, the region and Michigan. GO LIONS!
With gratitude,
Dave Coulter
Oakland County Executive
Apply Now to the Oakland SAVES Grant Program
Applications are now open for the Oakland SAVES grant program. As of now, 58% ($2.8 million) of the grant funds are committed, which translates to 664 Oakland County homeowners receiving needed energy efficient upgrades.
Funds are given on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure you apply soon by going to michigansaves.org/oaklandsaves or calling 517-484-6474.
The Oakland SAVES grant program is a collaboration of Oakland County and Michigan Saves, the first nonprofit green bank in the United States. The grants can be used to help homeowners make energy-saving home improvements, ranging from insulation and weatherstripping to more energy efficient windows, appliances and heating and cooling systems.
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 January Is National Radon Action Month
Test your home for radon this month! Throughout January, radon test kits are available for $5 at the Oakland County Health Division.
Oakland County Sends Emergency Management Staffer to Aid Hawaii’s Response and Recovery from the Maui Fires
Oakland County is helping Hawaii with their ongoing emergency response and recovery from fires which devastated Maui last August. In response to a request Hawaii made through the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division, Oakland County Emergency Management has sent Andrew Zaccagnini to assist Hawaii with planning its response and recovery efforts from Jan. 3-27. |
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County Employers Receive Record $4.1 Million in Going PRO Talent Fund Grants to Train Workers, Strengthen Teams
Nearly 90 Oakland County employers will share more than $4.1 million in Going PRO Talent Fund training grants, awarded during the first cycle of fiscal year 2024 by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
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