In this episode, Donna and Sam welcome the Deputy Director for Prosperity for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) to discuss her work guiding and building support for efforts to boost the economic security of Michigan citizens. 

As Deputy Director for Prosperity for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, (LEO), Kim Trent is charged with guiding and building support for efforts to boost the economic security of Michigan citizens through policy, strategic initiatives, programs and partnerships. Her leadership duties at LEO include serving as the key staffer to the Michigan Poverty Task Force. She leads the department’s prosperity division, which includes the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office, Office of Global Michigan, Michigan Women’s Commission,  Michigan Community Service Commission, MI-STEM Council, and Black Leadership Advisory Council. She also serves as LEO’s Equity and Inclusion Officer.  

A native Detroiter with Michigan roots that stretch back to the 1830s, Trent holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wayne State University. She also completed graduate studies at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa. She has completed fellowships with the American Political Science Association in Washington D.C. and the Michigan Political Leadership Program at Michigan State University and is a graduate of the Detroit Regional Chamber's Leadership Detroit program.

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DETROIT BY THE NUMBERS WITH ALEX B. HILL:

• 2,000

• Tree plantings planned by City of Detroit this spring (GSD)

• 25

• ICE arrests in the last week of March that local groups have responded to, if that is a weekly standard that is close to 100 Detroiters a month (Peoples Assembly Detroit)

• $3 billion

• Balanced budget proposal presented by Mayor Sheffield

• 65%

• Detroit landlords have a Detroit address (not sure if that is just the LLC though?) 93% own 1 or 2 properties, 62% are not associated with bad actor or speculator behavior

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