Featured photos: Left: Genesee County Commission Vice Chair, Dale Weighill Right: State Senator John Cherry
Written by Tanya Terry
Community Candor LIVE started right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“When COVID happened, we ended up moving the format online,” said Glenn Wilson, president and CEO of Communities First, Inc.
“We literally had our session in February of 2020, then we found out about COVID,” Wilson added.
The first in-person Community Candor LIVE! takes place from 8-9:30 a.m., on Friday, June 9, at GM’s Factory One, located at 303 W Water St. Flint, MI 48503. The event consists of panel discussion and a question and answer session. In addition, a complimentary breakfast will be served.
State, county and city policies will be discussed during the session.
“We’ll talk about the state budget,” Wilson said. “We’ll talk about local policies and countywide policies. We’ll also provide a link for people to provide questions they have for their legislators.”
State Senator John Cherry and Genesee County Commission Vice Chair, Dale Weighill will be present for the event.
“We did hear back from the mayor’s office from Lottie Ferguson, the chief resilience officer. She’ll be there representing the City of Flint.”
According to Wilson, Communities First is expecting guests for Community Candor LIVE! in the future from large Fortune 500 companies and federal legislators. There will also be guests in the fields of philanthropy and education.
The goal of Community Candor LIVE is to enhance inclusive, equitable communities.
“It’s consistent to who we are, with our mission and vision. We want to make sure we build healthy, vibrant communities. In order to build a healthy, vibrant community, you have to bring people together to have conversations. You also have to create access for people that don’t normally have access to their legislators to try to create a time and a space where people can come participate and be part of something that provides accessible information that’s given with clarity.”
According to Wilson, people have been asking questions about Community Candor LIVE, and they want to know what’s going on.
“People seem to be very excited about it.”
Wilson talked to the Courier about what he feels is the importance of civic engagement.
“I always tell people either you’re at the table or you’re on the table. So, what we’re trying to do is create a situation where people can be at the table so they can have some say and understand what’s happening in their lives and the things people are proposing that’s going to impact them on an everyday basis. It’s not just for people that are wealthy. It’s not just for people that are poor. It’s for everyone.”
This event is sponsored in part by General Motors.
Registration is required. To register, visit tinyurl.com/CCLiveJune23
