Bringing the U.P. to Lansing

Posted by on May 6, 2013

The Marquette County Ambassadors are a privately funded group of business, education, community and government leaders from across Marquette County. Their mission is to promote and foster economic vitality throughout Marquette County and the Upper Peninsula, to carry the story of the Marquette County area to others, and salute those who deserve recognition.



For over two decades the Marquette County Ambassadors have made an annual trip to Lansing to meet with legislators and state department personnel. The purpose of the trip is three fold:

  •     To inform our legislators of relevant issues affecting the Upper Peninsula, in particular Marquette County
  •       To hear their perspectives on activities related to state government
  •       To share with them our position on critical issues related to the Upper Peninsula

The Ambassadors research and produce position papers for the event that focus on current priorities for the region.  This year the focus was on talent and infrastructure.  Talent, from early childhood education to post-secondary education/training, is necessary to meet the workforce needs of our employers.  Infrastructure, includes energy, transportation, broadband and cellular access.


Many, if not all, of the issues raised or initiatives supported are not specific to Marquette County, but rather the Upper Peninsula as a whole. Regional cooperation continues to play a vital role in the betterment of the Upper Peninsula and U.P. communities have a long history of working together. The above priorities set the direction for the group’s activities during their Lansing visit and beyond.


This year 24 Ambassadors attended the two-day trip attending 24 meetings with legislators and key state personnel.  On Tuesday evening, 50 people attended our reception which is a way to informally network with our Lansing friends and provide some U.P. hospitality. 


Meetings this year included time with the U.P. delegation, Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Attorney General, Travel Michigan, Department of Education, Department of Community Health, Department of Corrections, Michigan Public Service Commission and even Governor Snyder!  Our message on many fronts was simple, each region in the state is unique and there is no “one size fits all” when creating statewide policies and reform.  We encouraged those we met with to include us in the planning, as we are very interested in the outcomes.


Speaking of statewide policies, the LSCP Energy Task Force recently testified at the Michigan Public Service Commission regarding the development of a statewide energy policy.  Look for our written testimony at www.marquette.org under Business Resources and Government Relations.


For more information on the LSCP or any information above, please visit our website at www.marquette.org.

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