LANSING ? The Michigan Economic Development Corp. has hosted three Michigan Again road shows to Boston, Chicago and Washington D.C. with a fourth job-recruitment trip scheduled for Silicon Valley this November. Amy Cell, Senior Vice President, Talent Enhancement for the MEDC, said a dozens of professionals, with Michigan roots, have expressed interest in coming home.

?People in Michigan hate leaving,? she said. ?But someone who has never been in Michigan is reluctant to consider the state. Our easiest market is people with an association with Michigan. We?re also looking for smart people to fill jobs at our corporations. So we?re partnering with university alumni associations because they track their graduates.?

This novel way of marketing the state was developed at Ann Arbor SPARK, the Washtenaw County economic development group. Cell played the same talent recruitment role for SPARK before Gov. Rick Snyder took office in January. She was recruited to her current job by MEDC President Michael Finney, the former SPARK president. Finney also recruited Cell?s former SPARK associate, Elizabeth Parkinson, now MEDC Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Parkinson played the same role at SPARK. Now they work together on the MichAgain campaign.

?In 2007, we recognized a miss match on high-end demand occupations and the skill set available in Washtenaw County,? Cell said. ?Our corporate partners wanted the best and brightest from around the world to come to Ann Arbor. We wanted a national attraction strategy.?

Now this regional attraction strategy is working on a statewide level for Cell and Parkinson at the MEDC. But the SPARK strategy has been fine tuned to leverage economic development organizations statewide to tap their connections outside the state to find attractive job candidates. Tactics also have been honed to include stronger partnerships with trade and industry groups.

?This program is not only about bringing great talent back to Michigan, but making great connections with alumni, site selectors and businesses looking to expand.?

Cell said more than 200 people RSVPed for the Washington DC event. The Boston and Chicago road trips also went well, she said.

?We got 10 to 20 talent leads of people who want to come back to Michigan from those cities,? she said. ?We also had some Venture Capital leads from some that wanted to invest in companies here. We even got a business attraction lead; someone wanting to expand into Michigan.?

What?s the biggest selling point for MichAgain? Cell said the state?s quality of life.

?People pick where they want to live based on quality of place, low-cost living, great recreational opportunities, the four seasons, plus a smart and talented group of people who live in Michigan,? Cell said. ?We have the whole package in Michigan.?

Heartstrings play a role as well.

?It?s an easier sell for people who have Michigan ties,? she said. ?They want to be closer to family members and friends. There is a personal connection to a community. They want to raise their children in the same environment. All we need to do is show the quality of the opportunity. We just show them MichAgain.

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