Dear Neighbor,

Happy Autism Awareness Month! I am honored to serve as the state representative for the 53rd House District and proud to be a strong advocate in Lansing for our community. Please encourage your friends and family to stay connected and subscribe to this e-newsletter. The e-news keeps everyone up-to-date on legislation and policies coming from the Capitol, coffee hours and other virtual and in-person community events.

As always, feel free to get in touch:

In service,

Brenda Carter
State Representative
53rd District

In this Issue:

  • Upcoming Events
  • Small Business Town Hall & Resource Fair
  • 2024 Oakland County State of the County
  • Capacity Building Grant for Minority Owned Food and Agriculture Businesses

Upcoming Events

  • Goldner Walsh Coffee Hour: Hybrid
  • Waterford Senior Center Coffee Hour: In-Person
  • Small Business Town Hall & Resource Fair: In-Person
    • Saturday, April 20, from 2-3:30 p.m.
    • Bowens Senior Citizens Center, 52 Bagley St. in Pontiac
    • Facebook Event Link

Small Business Town Hall

A graphic with details for Rep. Brenda Carter's Small Business Town Hall and Resource Fair.

Please join me and a panel of experts for my Small Business Town Hall & Resource Fair on Saturday, April 20, from 2-3:30 p.m. at Bowens Senior Citizens Center, 52 Bagley St. in Pontiac.

I’m excited to hear from the small-business community. Whether you’re already an established entrepreneur or if you are seeking information on community and statewide resources for how to start a small business — this town hall is for you!

Speakers from the following organizations or statewide departments will be in attendance:

  • Michigan Economic Development Corp.
  • Small Business Association of Michigan.
  • U.S. Small Business Administration.
  • Pontiac Chamber of Commerce.
  • City of Pontiac Economic Development.
  • Greater Pontiac Community Coalition.

2024 Oakland County State of the County

Last night, I had the pleasure of joining with Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter and the rest of the Oakland County team, including my colleagues at the local, state and federal level as well as community members and business leaders, to highlight the progress and achievements our county has seen over the last year. I would like to thank the county executive for his recognition of state Sen. Jeremy Moss and myself, and I look forward to continuing to work with this great team to strengthen our community.

One of the projects highlighted by County Executive Coulter that I am most proud of is the Phoenix Center redevelopment in downtown Pontiac. I am happy to have been a part of securing the $50 million provided by the state to fund this project. This enterprise will see downtown Pontiac transformed, bringing at least 500 city employees back to downtown, consolidating city buildings and assets to reduce costs, and opening new spaces to commercial opportunities. Over the next few years as this project progresses, Pontiac residents will see the difference redevelopments and revitalizations like these can do to a community like ours.

This year’s State of the County was an exciting moment for our community. It highlighted the great work we have been able to achieve over the past year and emphasized the upcoming projects that will redefine Oakland County. I hope you had the chance to tune in! If not, you can catch up here: https://www.oakgov.com/government/county-executive/state-of-the-county

Capacity Building Grant for Minority-Owned Food and Agriculture Businesses

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development recently announced a grant program that would provide eligible organizations with up to $50,000 in funding in order to grow their businesses through capacity building, development readiness, and partnership and planning implementation. Essentially, this grant would give minority-owned businesses the funding needed to plan and implement the expansion of their business, bringing jobs and economic growth to communities that feature plenty of vibrant businesses, but lack the capital to expand within or beyond their communities.

Applications for the program are due April 18 at 3 p.m., and applicants will be notified as soon as May of their award status. If you are interested or want to learn more, please go to www.Michigan.gov/MDARDGrants.