Grooming Cooperation: The Michigan Political Leadership Program

The Michigan Political Leadership Program (MPLP), a yearlong nonpartisan fellowship designed for those seeking greater involvement in Michigan's public policy process was started in 1992. Every year, the program accepts 24 fellows (with equal representation from both parties) to participate in a year-long curriculum oriented toward political leadership, cooperation and development. 

Every aspect of Michigan's political process is studied, discussed and dissected, cultivating a class of future political leaders who not only understand the issues facing our state, but also understand how to work together toward a common goal -- no small proposition given Michigan's unforgiving term limits.

To date, the MPLP has seen over 100 of its alumni attain political office. The hope is that these politically ambitious former fellows will take what they learned during their time with the program and foster a less partisan and more solutions oriented form of government.

The bipartisan organization has appointed a pair of experienced co-directors from both sides of the political aisle, reflecting the MPLP's underlying spirit of cooperation and good government. Dianne Byrum, who served in both the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate represents the Democratic Party. Anne Mervenne, stands in for the Republicans. 

Tonight, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, which supports the MPLP (along with Michigan State University), will be holding its annual fundraising dinner in celebration of the 2008 graduating class. It's guests are the GOP's media guru Mike Murphy and Harold Ford Jr, the former Congressman from Tennessee and current chair of the Democratic Leadership Council.

Metromode sat down with 2008 Detroit fellow Yvette McElroy to discuss her experiences with the program, her political aspirations and what role she sees for the MPLP in guiding Michigan's political future.

YVETTE MCELROY: I found out about the MPLP from the director of the NAACP Detroit branch, Hester Wheeler. Along with your bio, resume and quite a few forms you are supposed to to submit a vision for a policy you believe needs to be improved or changed. For me it was voter identification and I titled it something along the lines of "A Problem With No Solution." Basically I chose to address the state's voter ID requirement that was recently implemented, which in my opinion was unsubstantiated.

While this was something I was very interested in, social justice is really my main focus. I have worked extensively with Fanny Hamer PAC and in fact I'm the field director for the program. I was appopinted to that position in 2006.

My aspiration is, well, to be the first black female Secretary of State. I worked for the Secretary of State [Office] for 23 years before leaving the department for education to work for Wayne County Community College district in 2007.

The MPLP is a terrific, well organized program with tremendous resources. It's a springboard for any one who participates to be well prepared for the political landscape in Michigan and to run for political office in Michigan.

MODE: With partisanship still running high and the state's term limits undermining institutional experience, what role do do you see the fellowship program taking on in Michigan's political future? Do you think these future leaders will do a better job of working together than recent members of the state legislature?

MCELROY: Well, yes. I do. In the program of the 24 participants 12 were republican and 12 were democrat. It was fascinating to see how much similarity we had on the issues. Our positions were more similar than they were oppositional. It was very eye opening to see how many interests we shared, how there were many instances where we were not so far apart. But I believe that no matter what side of the aisle you're on, you're always going to have two or three things you believe in and we can work together no matter which side of the aisle we're on. Participating in the fellowship made me realize how much common ground there was, how much more of a possibility it was.

MODE: Michigan has always struggled with an East vs West mentality when it comes to resources, assistance and cooperation. As fellows from all over the state you spend a year working through policies and problems. Do you think there will be real world results for those of you who go on to serve on the state level? Did you find yourself learning new things about the rest of the state?

MCELROY: I think your frame of reference changes as a result of the MPLP. For example, myself, I carried the banner for Detroit and I tried to make my co-fellows understand that when you have a major metropolitan city like Detroit if it isn't okay the surrounding communities can't be okay. Detroit is the anchor and so we need to maintain and encourage job growth.

I truly do believe we were better for the experience, fostering bipartisanship. I think future political leaders in the state house and state senate and county commissioners will be better served by participating in the program because they willk be more sensitive to communities outside their own and benefit from a broader scope.

For my own part, I found that they have some of the very same problems with economic vitality and job losses that we've experienced in detroit.

On the flipside of that --and I know your question was what new perspective did I gain-- the other fellows, who came from Traverse City and Ontonagon and West Michigan, really had a different perspective on Detroit and what it looks like and that there weren't any jewels there, that it was just a depressed city. We spent a couple of our sessions in Detroit and toured the city and they were just amazed at all the jewels, all the history, all the development that has taken place. They saw the promise of future in the Detroit area.

MODE: How do you think your 'ambassadorship' for detroit was recieved by the other fellows?

MCELROY: Being an African American and a female and involved in politics and community service like I am, consciously or unconsciously, people always expect that you're representing the black voice, that you represent African Americans all the time. And that's not always true. I have my own perspectives about things and some people are very surprised to learn that there are people in our community that have, say, strong republican values.

MODE: In the spirit of political cooperation that the fellowship encourages, was there any one topic or issue you found yourself rethinking your position on?

MCELROY: Yes, regionalization of services. I definitely rethought my position on that one. We visited Grand Rapids and looked at the kinds of things they were able to do regionally that was win-win for the whole community. Where I live in Detroit, that regional cooperation could be implemented through Oakland County, Wayne County and Macomb County to combine our resources together, enabling us to provide things like regional transportation, which could get communities to the job markets along the M-59 corridor in particular. That's where a lot of the growth has been and it just makes sense to provide better access. I even believe we could even go so far as our services, not necessarily police and fire, but other city services could definitely benefit from regional cooperation. Even if were just Wayne County with some of the surrounding communities.

MODE: Your fellowship occurred during last year's presidential campaign, which signalled a dramatic political shift. How did the program address those changes and events? Where did fellows on opposing sides of the aisle find common ground and where did they differ?

MCELROY: You know, it was a real surprise to most people --dems and repubs-- that barack obama got the nomination. you know, some of the democrats were hillary supporters or were working other campaigns. our understanding of how policies are made and what goes into running a successful campaign, all of these things helped us to see more clearly what it takes. I don't know that necessarily our positions changed, but it was instructive. you know, one of the ladies from grand rapids was for president obama right from the beginning and she was probably the greatest advocate among the fellows and a lot of us --Democrats-- we were 'we don't know.'

The fellowship made it possible for us to better evaluate the election, better know all of the elements. but while the campaign shaped many of our conversations, we still had a specific curriculum outlined for each session. the conversations mostly occurred in hospitality afterwards, in informal conversations and especially in the back and forth of our informal email blogs.

MODE: We're entering hard economic times for both the state and country. Michigan, in particular, is in rather dire straits. How does this effect the conversations and positions the fellowship tackles? Did you detect it was different from previous years?

MCELROY: Yeah, I do believe there was and will be a different focus because of the demise of the manufacturing that has occurred here and the job losses and the education that will be needed for the new jobs that are coming here. In the latter part of fellowship there was a definite shift in the conversation and I think that shift is going to impact the 2009 curriculum and shape the fellowship for years to come. I think there'll be more emphasis on education, more emphasis on the strategies and models of inter-govermental cooperation. I think those have to be prevailing topics. There'll be more support and more resources seeking to represent info to the fellows that accomplish those goals. 

MODE: Michigan's film incentive package and the resulting Hollywood productions that have come to the state have been a big conversation in southeast Michigan. Was this a topic discussed in the fellowship? What was the view of the fellows and how secure does its future seem to you?

MCELROY: I don't recall us talking a whole lot about it but overall people seemed enthusiastic. Personally, I think it's a great thing for Michigan. Being in education, as I am, I look at the opportunities we have to develop programs that allow us to shift or retool people in manufacturing to a new industry. Those new background jobs that support the film industry are so critical to helping us grow Michigan's economy.