16 MiMfg Magazine January / February 2023
Meet MMA ’ s Government Affairs Team
MMA ’ s Government Affairs Team takes pride in being the voice for manufacturers large and small . Whether your company has a wealth of internal advocacy resources or you ’ re part of a small shop focused on securing your future , the collective voice of manufacturing is powerful . The power of MMA is in the thousands of manufacturers across the state and the more than 600,000 Michiganders they employ . Regardless of your size , you have the power to influence policy that will impact your future success .
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Mike Johnston Executive Vice President of Government Affairs & Workforce Development johnston @ mimfg . org 517-487-8554
Mike has represented MMA at the Capitol since 1999 , focusing on MMA ’ s government affairs efforts including tax and energy policy issues .
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Caroline Liethen Director of Environmental & Regulatory Policy liethen @ mimfg . org 517-487-8543
With strong legislative and public policy experience , Caroline works to identify and advance solutions for the complex environmental and regulatory challenges facing the industry .
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David Q . Worthams Director of Employment Policy worthams @ mimfg . org 517-487-8511
Dave focuses on workplace and human resource policy issues . His remarkable experience and wellregarded reputation serves as the industry continues to innovate , invest and create jobs .
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Eleanor Surtman Government Affairs Coordinator surtman @ mimfg . org 517-487-8552
Coordinating the frantic pace of MMA ’ s Government Affairs team , Ellie supports member engagement in policy matters .
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research and development investment because the future of growth comes out of innovation ,” he says .
Energy Policy
Because energy is such a significant line item in a manufacturer ’ s budget , implementing sound energy policies will ensure manufacturers can produce products at prices competitive with the rest of the world . Energy policy must be innovative and adaptive — free of specific source mandates and barriers that raise costs and reduce reliability , according to Johnston .
Technology will continue to revolutionize how Michigan powers its industrial economy , whether it involves natural gas , coal , nuclear , wind , solar or the evolution of battery technology . Michigan ’ s energy policy must constantly search for the best opportunities to find the balance between lower costs and greater reliability while maintaining the opportunity for choice in the electric market .
“ One of the biggest cost inputs is the cost of energy , usually electric energy ,” Johnston says .
“ Manufacturing is different than other sectors of the economy in that we don ’ t compete across city streets or down the block or even across county
Get More ! The 2023-2023 Legislative Agenda is available online . Learn more on page 26 or download your copy .
lines ,” continues Johnston . “ We compete with the lowest-cost location anywhere in the world . We ’ re a globally competitive sector by definition . Our companies must be able to compete globally on the basis of price from their Michigan location .”
Compounding the issue is that Michigan tends to have slightly higher energy rates because it is a peninsula as opposed to a landlocked state , Johnston says .
“ Michigan is two peninsulas , so energy can only come in from one end but the Upper Peninsula and the Lower Peninsula are essentially separate states for power policy ,” Johnston says .
At the same time , energy must be reliable enough that manufacturers have uninterrupted power to continue to make products , he says .
“ We have to find an energy policy that balances price with reliability ,” Johnston says .
Moving Forward
Whether it ’ s formulating sound energy policy or ensuring manufacturers have the right resources to grow and attract new talent , MMA ’ s Government Affairs team remains the tip-of-the-spear when it comes to creating a supportive environment for the manufacturing sector . When manufacturers speak with their collective voice , we can hit at our weight as the largest sector of the Michigan economy . 6
Have a manufacturing story to tell ? E-mail communications @ mimfg . org .