Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies, including updates about the COVID-19 pandemic. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
Urban Land Institute Michigan to Honor David V. Johnson
Urban Land Institute Michigan (ULI Michigan), a nonprofit research and education organization committed to creating and sustaining thriving communities across the state, is honoring David V. Johnson at its Lifetime Achievement Award Dinner May 3 at the MGM Grand Casino Hotel.
Johnson, chairman and CEO of Victor International Corp., is being recognized for pioneering more than 43 luxury master planned communities and resorts with a mission to form living and working environments in ecological harmony with land.
“David’s unique vision and life-long passion to build the highest quality developments has resulted in the most innovative, award-winning communities that have consistently led the industry,” says Bobby Taubman, co-chair of the ULI Michigan Lifetime Achievement Award. “His ability to understand the customer, and create programming and amenities that provide exceptional experiences, have allowed his communities to achieve wonderful outcomes for all constituents. David has spent a lifetime pushing boundaries and mentoring colleagues. ULI Michigan is very proud to honor him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Visit here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets to the event.
To read a feature story about David V. Johnson from the pages of DBusiness, visit here.
Michigan Awards $85K in Grants to Test Mobility Solutions at Detroit Smart Parking Lab
The state of Michigan has announced two Michigan Mobility Funding Platform grants totaling $85,000, which will enable enhanced real-world testing of mobility solutions.
Mobility companies Arrive ($35,000) and WiTricity ($50,000) received the grants to deploy and test mobility projects at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab (DSPL) to help address last-mile mobility barriers and enhance electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.
DSPL is located at the Assembly Garage in Corktown and provides an open innovation platform and real-world testing site for parking-related mobility, logistics, and EV charging technologies. Established by Bedrock, Bosch, Ford Motor Co., and the Michigan Economic Development Corp., the DSPL is operated by the American Center for Mobility (ACM) and offers a collaborative, neutral platform for mobility innovators to examine ways to improve customer experiences as well as the efficient movement of vehicles and goods in defined spaces.
“Michigan is well-positioned to lead the charge on solving the mobility challenges of today and the future,” says Trevor Pawl, chief mobility officer with the state’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. “We are proud to support companies working at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab, as their projects are helping to define what the future of mobility could look like both here in Michigan and beyond our borders.”
Applications for funding through the platform are accepted on a rolling basis here.
Arrive and Tappy Guide will integrate data from a network of Bosch cameras with built-in deep learning video analytics — a type of artificial intelligence — deployed in the DSPL into an app that provides real-time information regarding the location and availability of parking spaces and EV charging stations, as well as the location, type, and availability of handicapped parking spaces. This information will also be used to create parking reservations and enable payment transactions.
WiTricity will work with ACM and the DSPL to upgrade an existing EV with its technologies and deploy its WiTricity Halo wireless charging station within the DSPL that will enable the vehicle to charge while parked, without a plug. The demonstration will show that wireless EV charging is ready for broad commercialization to help accelerate a greener future.
Beaumont Hospitals in Farmington Hills, Taylor Earn National Nursing Recognition
Beaumont Hospital, Farmington HiIls and Beaumont Hospital, Taylor, have achieved the highest honor for nursing excellence through the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognition Program, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association.
Magnet was created in 1990 to recognize health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. The ANCC presented the designation to both hospitals, March 17.
“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by the ANCC with Magnet status,” says Kim Guesman, chief nursing officer for Beaumont, Farmington Hills. “This designation recognizes the dedication, resilience, and clinical excellence demonstrated by the entire nursing staff throughout the past three years while also battling a pandemic that changed the look of health care.”
Helena Hardin, chief nursing officer for Beaumont, Taylor, adds, “To earn Magnet designation is a great accomplishment and source of pride for our nurses. It recognizes the incredible hard work of every single team member and emphasizes the excellence they strive for every day. We have succeeded with the contributions of each person who put their absolute heart and soul into this. They deserve every bit of this honor. I am so proud of our team.”
Five Beaumont hospitals now have earned Magnet designation: Beaumont, Farmington Hills, Grosse Pointe, Royal Oak, Taylor, and Troy.
“In the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, Beaumont’s nursing teams continued to focus on nursing excellence and commitment to quality and safety,” says Susan Grant, executive vice president and chief nursing officer for Beaumont Health. “Our nurses and patient care teams are extraordinary. Achieving Magnet designation validates all they do every day to serve our patients and communities.”
In 2004, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak became the first hospital in Michigan to achieve Magnet status, followed by Beaumont Hospital, Troy, which joined the group in 2009; Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Point earned Magnet status in 2018.
Beaumont Health says it has more Magnet designated hospitals than any other health system in Michigan.
Downtown Detroit Partnership Annual Meeting Kicks Off a Centennial Year
The Downtown Detroit Partnership 2022 Annual Meeting, taking place virtually at 10 a.m. March 23, will celebrate its 100th anniversary and report on the organization’s achievements over the past 12 months.
Community leaders, business professionals, and city officials will meet to reflect on the DDP’s history and current impact. Josh Sirefman, Ford Motor Co.’s newly appointed CEO of Michigan Central, will address the audience. Sirefman is the former co-founder and president of Sidewalk Labs in New York. This will be his first presentation to the Detroit community. Native Detroiter and DDP Board Member Nate Wallace, program director of the Knight Foundation, will address the audience and moderate a panel discussion on how DDP serves as a central resource for the city.
In 1922, a group of 13 business leaders created the Business Property Association, the precursor to what is now the DDP and the first organization of its kind in the country. The first meeting was conducted at the offices of J.L. Hudson to address issues critical to the business community, including taxes and transit.
Today, the DDP takes an active role in developing, planning, and placemaking decisions that increase the city’s economic prosperity. It works with key stakeholders in the public and private sectors to enhance Downtown’s appeal to businesses, residents, and visitors, and provides direct services that make downtown a cleaner and safer place.
The DDP’s parks and public spaces program took center stage in 2021 and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hosting more than 1,600 outdoor events that engaged more than 4 million visitors.
“The DDP continues to build on the remarkable legacy of its predecessors by adapting to the needs of the community while setting an example for the country on how to authentically and honestly work together with our members and partners,” says Eric B. Larson, CEO of DDP. “When I think about the successes of the past year and the opportunities in the years to come, I am motivated by DDP’s immense responsibility to support the city and our constituents. There is a deep sense of pride for our accomplishments, and we look forward to sharing a few at the Annual Meeting.”
For more information about the DDP, please visit DowntownDetroit.org.
The Townsend Hotel Receives AAA Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping Award
The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham has received a 2022 Best of Housekeeping award from the American Automobile Association (AAA).
The award is presented to the top 25 percent of all 27,000 AAA Inspected and Approved hotels in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, based on cleanliness and condition ratings by an AAA Inspector.
“We always promote safety and cleanliness first,” says Steven Kalczynski, managing director of The Townsend Hotel. “We are very proud of our Housekeeping Department leadership and every member of our housekeeping team for consistently delivering on their high standards for cleanliness. Being recognized with this award is an honor that affirms the appreciation we all have for our housekeeping team’s outstanding performance.”
Scott Hamerlee, director of the AAA Diamond Program, says, “AAA has found that cleanliness and physical condition are consistently among the most important components travelers consider when looking for a hotel and we know that will be more important than ever as travelers get back to exploring the world in a post-COVID environment. In addition to passing AAA’s rigorous on-site inspection, The Townsend Hotel has demonstrated a tremendous commitment to keeping its property in top condition for our members and their guests.”
Detroit Riverwalk in the Running for Best Riverwalk in America
After winning the title in 2021, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is once again in the running for the Best Riverwalk in the country as part of the 2022 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards contest.
The winner will be determined by public daily online voting, which concludes April 11. The voting site can be found here.
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy asks supporters to vote often to help the Detroit Riverwalk keep the top spot again in 2022. Individuals can vote once a day through the conclusion of the contest.
“We are truly humbled to be nominated for this award for the second year in a row,” says Mark Wallace, president and CEO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. “The community really came together to vote us number one last year and we are hoping for a strong run again this year. It would be quite an honor to be named Best Riverwalk in 2022.”
Nominees for USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards were selected by 10Best editors along with a panel of urban planning experts. There are 20 riverwalks across the country in the competition including Smale Riverfront Park (Cincinnati), Chicago Riverwalk, Charles River Esplanade (Boston), San Antonio River Walk, Canal Walk (Indianapolis), and others.
The Detroit Riverfront attracts 3.5 million visitors annually. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has invested more than $200 million in the revitalization of the Detroit Riverfront, which in turn has generated more than $2 billion in public and private investment.
Pistons’ Jerami Grant’s Foundation to Host Top Golf Classic Sunday
On Sunday, Jerami Grant’s Hour Generation Foundation will host the Jerami Grant Top Golf Classic at Top Golf Detroit at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills.
During the event, attendees will have the chance to interact with Grant, play a round of TopGolf, and give back to the city of Detroit.
Grant founded the Hour Generation Foundation on the basis of leveraging his passion and resources to give back to those most in need, and now he has the opportunity to expand his reach to the city of Detroit.
This event includes three hours of Top Golf contender tournament-style play with live scoring, a Hole-in-One contest for a chance to win $10,000, and many other prizes. There also will be a fiesta buffet, silent auction, awards ceremony, bottomless soft beverages, and a cash bar.
For more information, visit here.
Registration is Open for May 17 Ann Arbor SPARK Annual Meeting
Registration is open for the Ann Arbor SPARK Annual Meeting, set to take place from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 17 at the Eastern Michigan University Student Center in Ypsilanti.
The meeting will include leaders from across the region offering participants an opportunity to preview new projects and initiatives for the coming year, including an introduction to SPARK’s 2022 strategic plan.
The keynote speaker is Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
To register to attend, visit here.
