September 13, 2021 GMC Monthly Membership Meeting

“Learning From Detroit’s Grand Bargain”

The story of Detroit’s Chapter 9 Bankruptcy in 2013, the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in U.S. history, is a story of collaboration and resilience.

Prior to the bankruptcy, Detroit’s private and public sectors had created a muscle memory of collaboration that aided in the renaissance Detroit is known for today. The cross-sectoral work pre-bankruptcy is where the lack of resources was truly identified and is what permitted the bankruptcy to ultimately succeed.

On September 13 we heard from Rip Rapson, president and CEO of the Kresge Foundation, and Kevyn Orr, former Director of Emergency for the City of Detroit. They shared the details of how this new way of working provided Detroit the ability to accelerate its resurgence through and post-bankruptcy. We learned where there is opportunity around these types of partnerships, how this way of work creates a model for other cities, and the aspirational nature of what can be accomplished coming out of a crisis to accelerate equity.

Following their presentation, the two fielded questions from moderator Ellen Gilligan and GMC members.

Dr. John Raymond also provided a COVID-19 update. (Note- This COVID-19 update used lagging data from Wisconsin DHS. Dr. Raymond sent an updated assessment to GMC members via email on September 16, 2021 which included up-to-date caseload information).