How Do We Keep Michigan's Winning Streak Going? Lt. Gov. Brian Calley Speaks at MCUL GAC

Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley was invited to the 2017 MCUL GAC to offer a political forecast for Michigan. Calley was first elected in 2010 as the youngest lieutenant governor in the country.

As a previous lender, he has a banking background and a good understanding of the credit union industry.

"Thank you for what you do in our communities," Calley opened before taking a look back to when he was elected into office.

“On January 1, 2011, Michigan was down and out, but Michigan is all about winning,” he said, and that has been his goal since starting, to reignite the state, shifting the focus to create an environment for success.

Moving into 2017, Calley said that Michigan’s “rainy day fund” could have over a billion dollars this year. “We've also reduced our liabilities by about 20 billion dollars.” He also touted 5,000 new sector jobs in Michigan, as well as a healthy real estate.

“What's next, how do we keep the winning streak going?” Calley asked.

“Today, talent is the new currency of development. Our people are giving us an edge up on other regions and countries around the world. Michigan is leading the way for the rest of the world,” he said, shifting to talk about the value of skilled trades and traditional education paths.

His message was that we, as individuals, need to make sure that we are taking an approach where kids are making choices based on their passions, not just a preconceived post-high school choice.

In order to continue Michigan’s winning streak for years to come, we need to offer our future leaders an opportunity to “not only do what they want to do, but choose what they're good at.” Calley believes that students, coming out of high school, need to build their life around their strengths, and it’s on us to spread that message to them.

After being posed a question about his future in politics, Calley teased an announcement on May 30 that will give us a better idea of his political ambitions in Michigan.