Hey, Bay City!

We had a great conversation with John Kaczynski, Vice President of Governmental and Community Relations at Saginaw Valley State University on the latest episode of The Hey, Bay City! Podcast. Check out the full episode here: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gYx-u6Gt Podcast (iTunes): https://lnkd.in/g8aBnxE8 Podcast (Spotify): https://bit.ly/3VpFQPK

In the latest episode of The Hey, Bay City! Podcast, join John Kaczynski, Vice President of Governmental and Community Relations at Saginaw Valley State University, as he delves into the nuances of attraction and retention in Bay County and the Great Lakes Bay Region. John shares his personal and family anecdotes to highlight the significance of quality of life and sense of community. From discussing historical migration patterns to the modern-day challenges of attracting college students, graduates, and retirees, John offers a comprehensive overview of strategies aimed at fostering a vibrant, welcoming community. John talks about the importance of hospitality, the role of transportation and housing, and the collective effort needed to create a thriving regional identity. Watch here, on YouTube, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! ???? Time Stamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:27 Exploring Attraction and Retention 01:01 Personal Stories and Community Ties 01:22 Historical Context and Family Roots 04:18 Sense of Belonging and Regional Identity 06:27 Challenges and Opportunities in Higher Education 17:27 Mobility and Infrastructure Initiatives 30:00 Creating a Culture of Hospitality 30:50 A Story of Hospitality in Indianapolis 33:49 The Power of Perception and Kindness 34:43 The Importance of Community Ambassadors 35:41 Designing Communities for All Ages 36:07 Telling Our Story: Media and Education 36:45 Celebrating Local Schools and Achievements 38:12 The Value of Regional Assets 46:50 Creative Solutions for Community Growth 52:09 The Role of Hospitality in Community Success 01:00:11 Final Thoughts and Acknowledgements YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gYx-u6Gt Podcast (iTunes): https://lnkd.in/g8aBnxE8 Podcast (Spotify): https://bit.ly/3VpFQPK

“Saturday night’s headlining band for the Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival is a band out of Marquette called Liquid Mike. They are on a rising trajectory in the music world, and will be a band people talk about in the future saying, ‘Remember when they played HHM?’ They will be playing on Saturday at the Jefferson Building along with Waltzer out of Chicago, and Sungaze out of Cincinnati. Thursday night, JW Francis from New York performs at Old City Hall, and on Friday, Bluhm from Detroit will perform at MI Table.” —Alan LaFave, Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival HHM is from September 26th through the 29th. To see this year’s lineup, schedule, and for tickets, head to: https://lnkd.in/gMcvD2PP

SC Johnson needs a Production Technician! View and apply for the job at https://bit.ly/4goA4tf.

"Art for Everybody is a fascinating documentary on the ‘Painter of Light’, Thomas Kinkade. It goes behind-the-scenes of this man who became incredibly famous in the retail art world, what he was like as a person, and ultimately his downfall. It even shows his original art before he became famous: after he passed away, his family found a vault of his original work that is nothing like the kind of art we know him for. Tallywacker is a great buddy comedy filmed in black and white about two bandmates whose relationships is tested when one of them gets a gig touring with a major rock star. Hunting Days is an amazing French Canadian suspense thriller where a woman ends up hanging out with this group of guys who are holed up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, and they kind of take her in as becoming part of their pack. It could go a million different wrong ways, and it goes wrong in a million other wrong ways.” —Alan LaFave, Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival HHM is from September 26th through the 29th. To see this year’s lineup, schedule, and for tickets, head to: https://lnkd.in/gMcvD2PP

Bay County is looking for a Finance Officer! View and apply for the position at https://bit.ly/3zbxAxT.

“At this year’s Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival, a film everyone should see screens on Opening Night. It's called Ghost Light, and I saw it at the Cleveland International Film Festival. It’s a truly independent film that relies on spectacular performance to tell a farcical family comedy about a jerk uncle who takes advantage of a family and their plot for revenge. During the festival, there’s also an amazing Michigan-based documentary called Marquee Town. It’s a story based in Marquette about some independent theatres that have been closed for a long time and a man’s quest to reopen one of them. We’re screening 45 films this year, and the films are multigenerational, focus on different subject matter, different types of films, with all different stories. To see this year’s lineup, schedule, and for tickets, head to: https://lnkd.in/gVcaGUqf —Alan LaFave, Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival

The Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is looking for an Event Manager! View and apply for the position at https://bit.ly/3zmBwM4.

“We partner with organizations in the region to do our best to feed people, to clothe people, to offer and educate about health care. We have food giveaways at least once every two months in partnership with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, Hidden Harvest. We’ve also partnered with Last Mile United Together Lupus Foundation. We had a COVID vaccination clinic in partnership with the Bay County Health Department and a women's health fair clinic with Great Lakes Bay Health Centers. ? We give away school supplies and backpacks every year in August right before school starts to show our investment in our future. We also have a scholarship fund that we give to our teens as they finish matriculating through high school and begin to go on to whatever they have chosen to do following high school. I love being a part of a place that people love, and a place with hope. Statistics suggest that the population in our state and our region is decreasing. But I still believe that our region is going to experience a resurgence, not only in the population, but economically, with our infrastructure and more. ? I'm excited to be a part of that in the future.” ? – Pastor Marcelle T. Smith, Second Baptist Church Bay City

Want to play a part in shaping the future of Bay County? Bay Future, Inc. is looking for an Operation Manager! View and apply for the position at https://bit.ly/3MPgN6G.