Bully Pulpit

Join the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance for one of its cornerstone advocacy events to hear Lansing insiders take on past and current political events. For this year’s event, we welcome the return of our political pundits John Sellek, founder and CEO of Harbor Strategic Public Affairs and Adrian Hemond, CEO of Grassroots Midwest for a conversation facilitated by Kyle Melinn, editor of MIRS, Michigan Information & Research Service. This panel will cover discussion points within the following topics: 

1. Current national political environment 
2. 2024 Presidential and Senate Election
3. Michigan State House Elections

Sponsored by:

SPEAKERS

JOHN SELLEK FOUNDER & CEO HARBOR STRATEGIC	John Sellek is founder and CEO of Harbor Strategic, a Michigan-based public affairs and public relations firm with offices in Lansing and S.E. Michigan.   Using a wide-reaching state capitol and local government network, and strong understanding of the intersection of the media, policy and politics, Harbor Strategic teams up with citizens and organizations seeking to inform and influence public opinion.   John opened Harbor’s doors in 2017 after a career spanning positions in the Michigan legislature, attorney general’s office and governor’s office. He has also led and advised state political campaigns for president, governor and attorney general.  John’s knowledge of the Michigan political, legislative and media scenes, commitment to networking with all sides of the political divide, and reputation as a straight shooter has made him a sought-after news analyst as well, with hundreds of media appearances in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Buzzfeed, Vanity Fair, The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, MLive, Le Temps, Bloomberg Quint, NPR and much more. Find out how John and Harbor Strategic can help you at harborstrategic.com.
ADRIAN HEMOND PARTNER & CEO GRASSROOTS MIDWEST	Adrian Hemond is a seasoned political professional with a broad range of experience and expertise. A former political science instructor at Saginaw Valley State University, Hemond served as a lobbyist with Governmental Consultant Services, Inc (GCSI) from 2007 to 2012, specializing in appropriations, local government, regulatory affairs, and procurement. Prior to GCSI, Hemond was lead staff to the Michigan House Appropriations Committee under then Chairman Rep. George Cushingberry, Jr. (D-Detroit), as well as staff to State Rep. Marsha Cheeks (D-Detroit). He is also a former account executive with Energy Systems Group (ESG), an energy performance contractor. Most recently, Hemond was Chief of Staff to the Michigan House Democratic Leader. Hemond holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Michigan State University, both in political science. In his spare time he is an avid traveler and reader of history, as well as a middling basketball player. Born in Detroit, he resides in Mason with his wife.
KYLE MELINN EDITOR & VICE PRESIDENT MICHIGAN INFORMATION & RESEARCH SERVICE (MIRS)	Kyle Melinn is the editor and vice president of the Michigan Information & Research Service (MIRS), a daily online political news service covering state government and politics. A professional journalist for 25 years, Melinn has covered the state Capitol for the last 20 with MIRS. He’s been named by readers as the Capitol’s Most Effective Reporter in 2021, 2019, 2017 and 2015. Kyle regularly appears on Off The Record, “Michigan’s Big Show with Michael Patrick Shiels,” The Morning Wake Up with Dave Akerly and MTN, among other media outlets. He pens a weekly column for the Lansing City Pulse and produces a weekly podcast called MIRS Monday, which is available on iTunes and other platforms.Prior to MIRS, Kyle was a freelance writer for the Boston Herald, and editor for SchoolSports.com, city reporter for the Daily Citizens News (Dalton, Ga.), general assignment reporter for the Yuma Daily Sun (Yuma, AZ) and the Towne Courier (East Lansing, Mich.). He is a graduate of Michigan State University and Byron Center High School.

$35 Per Person – Open Seating