And thank you Glenn and Teresa for your leadership and commitment to the OU-Pontiac Initiative.
Welcome to Oakland University.
We are so proud to be hosting today’s town hall meeting. Glenn and Teresa were expecting 100 attendees, but over 150 registered. Outstanding!!
Welcome to Mayor Tim Greimel, Deputy Mayor Khalfani Stephens, Dr. Tom Kimble, Pastor Douglas Jones, and participants in today’s round table discussions.
Those of you here to participate in the discussions about the next steps of the OU-Pontiac Initiative will play a key role in ensuring the advancement of the six pillars of the OU-Pontiac Initiative.
Here at Oakland. we see our relationship to the city of Pontiac as more than just neighbors, we are partners and collaborators in an effort to transform the lives of Pontiac residents, and the lives and work of Oakland’s faculty, staff and students.
The essence of our partnership is trust….
And how do each of us measure the depth of trust?
We are here for each other.
We share.
We care.
We work together for a common purpose.
And that common purpose is constructing a present and future filled with opportunity, vibrant neighborhoods, thriving small businesses, an inspiring culture and prosperity.
How do we get there?
Look around…. This is how.
The talent in this room.
The vision and work of those of us committed to Pontiac.
And power of possibility that comes from our collaboration.
Bringing together the many different interests of Pontiac… and partnering with Oakland University faculty and staff creates a dynamic approach to foster a strategy, a shared vision and the type of collaborative spirit that is the impetus for long-term change.
We are so proud that for eight years our partnership has created many positive changes.
Through the OU-Pontiac Initiative we have made connections and forged partnerships with more than 75 community organizations.
At Oakland University, we believe that we can work side by side with our communities to make our communities more economically resilient.
Why is this so important?
Few communities were hurt economically as much by America’s manufacturing decline over the decades as Pontiac.
But there’s a new chapter being written.
Through education, key partnerships and innovation, the city of Pontiac can become a hallmark of today’s thriving cities – economic diversity, a thriving culture and flexibility with a commitment to ongoing education at its core.
We look forward to the many positive outcomes as the culmination of our efforts, and working together to bring a transformation to Pontiac that benefits all residents.
