Lucas County Commissioners Pete Gerken, Tina Skeldon Wozniak, and Carol Contrada have invited Steve Tobocman of Global Detroit and WE Global Network to Toledo Monday, March 30, 2015 for a day of events, including as guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Toledo’s noon luncheon in downtown Toledo. Tobocman is a national and regional expert on immigrants and economic impact. He has been featured in publications and radio programs such as The Economist, Washington Post, Bloomberg News, National Journal, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Detroit Free Press, and Michigan Radio. The title of Tobocman’s Rotary Club of Toledo luncheon speech is “Immigration: The 21st Century Re-Charge for America’s Rust Belt.” The noon luncheon will be held at Park Inn Hotel, 101 N. Summit St., Toledo Ohio 43604.
Steve Tobocman has spent the past five years spearheading Global Detroit, a regional economic revitalization strategy for the Detroit area focused on immigration and global connections. The Global Detroit study (www.globaldetroit.com), published in May 2010, has helped to leverage more than $7 million in philanthropic and government funding into Welcoming Michigan, the Michigan Global Talent Retention Initiative (America’s first and only international student retention program), Welcoming Michigan, ProsperUS Detroit, Welcome Mat Detroit, and a Detroit office for Upwardly Global. Global Detroit has served as the foundation for Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s Global Michigan effort, an attempt to build upon these strategies on a statewide basis. Steve also has been the driving force behind the WE Global Network (www.weglobalnetwork.org) a 10-state network of local immigrant economic development initiatives.
From 2003-2008, Tobocman served as a State Representative in Michigan’s 12th House District in Detroit. He ended his most recent term as the Majority Floor Leader, the second-ranking position in the House. Currently, Tobocman co-directs the Michigan Political Leadership Program, one of the nation’s premiere bipartisan political leadership training programs. He is the Managing Partner at New Solutions Group, LLC, a consulting firm in Detroit that provides innovative and creative solutions for the common good, and has extensive experience in community economic development, urban policies, and, of course, immigrant integration and economic development.
The Board of Lucas County Commissioners has invited Tobocman to Toledo as part of the Welcome Toledo-Lucas County Initiative, an initiative that is working to build a vibrant and welcoming community that celebrates the region’s migration and immigrant heritage; focuses efforts on talent attraction, retention, and immigrant integration; and enhances social and economic opportunities for all. Welcome Toledo-Lucas County was established in 2014 in partnership with the Lucas County Land Bank, City of Toledo Board of Community Relations, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, Toledo LISC, and Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) and is currently housed in the Board of Lucas County Commissioners. Welcome Toledo-Lucas County is a member of the WE Global Network and Brittany Ford, Executive Assistant to Commissioner Gerken and staff member to Welcome Toledo-Lucas County, is a steering committee member of WE Global Network.
Tobocman will be available for press questions and interviews immediately following Monday’s Rotary Club of Toledo luncheon (approximately 1:05 p.m.) at the Park Inn Hotel in downtown Toledo.
Press Availability Details
Who: Steve Tobocman, Global Detroit and WE Global Network
Commissioner Pete Gerken
Where: Park Inn Hotel
101 N. Summit St.
Toledo OH 43604
When: Monday, March 30, 2015
Luncheon Speech at 12:00 p.m.
Press Availability immediately following luncheon at 1:05 p.m.