MBN On The Road | Megan Spanitz, Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit Policy Conference 2026 Overview

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, MBN was on the road at the Hudson's site in Detroit, for this year's Detroit Policy Conference, put on by the Detroit Regional Chamber. The event centered on the "New Leadership Era," featuring discussions on the city's future, economic development, and regional policy. This interview was with Megan Spanitz, the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Strategy Officer for the Detroit Regional Chamber, as of July 2025, taking over for long-time leader Tammy Carnrike. She shared how the rest of 2025 had gone, what she's focusing on for 2026, and highlights of what was going on that day with the conference. Spanitz moderated a key panel on philanthropy at the 2026 Detroit Policy Conference, which focused on the region's new leadership era, economic growth, and cross-sector collaboration. 2026 Role: Spanitz, as COO and Chief Strategy Officer, provided leadership and context for the 2026 conference, which was a sold-out event. The conference brought together approximately 1300 regional leaders to address crucial economic and community challenges in the Detroit region.