Today, at the Mackinac Policy Conference, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez met with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, and local leaders to underscore the U.S. Department of State's support of the newly announced "Michigan City and State Diplomacy Initiative," housed by the Michigan Municipal League and Foundation.
The initiative will help build capacity for Michigan local governments to engage more on the international stage. The Department of State applauds Michigan in its innovative leadership in amplifying the importance of foreign policy for all Americans by connecting local communities to American foreign policy To this end, the Department's Subnational Diplomacy Unit (SDU) will collaborate with Michigan on subnational diplomacy, including advising on tools and efforts and facilitating introductions to key stakeholders at DoS, other agencies, and to like-minded local leaders across the global to further enhance the benefits of American foreign policy.
This collaboration on this initiative allows the U.S. Department of State to strengthen its work with city and state leaders across the country. As the first state in the U.S. to officially stand up a task force of this kind, Michigan is leading the way on effectively utilizing the benefits of international engagement and more.
The Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy Ambassador Nina Hachigian and Under Secretary Fernandez signed a letter of support for this initiative earlier this year.
To learn more about SDU at: https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-economic-growth-energy-and-the-environment/the-special-representative-for-subnational-diplomacy/. To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X: @State_E, LinkedIn: @State-E
