Van Dusen Urban Leadership Forum
The Wayne State University Richard C. Van Dusen Urban Leadership Forum invites you to the Home Repair Solutions Lab on Thursday, March 27, at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center. This full-day forum will convene housing practitioners, funders, corporate and philanthropic partners, and Wayne State students and faculty to explore innovative strategies for expanding home repair programs in Detroit.
The forum will feature a keynote address from Todd Swanstrom, Ph.D., the Des Lee Professor of Community Collaboration and Public Policy Administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and co-author of a Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University report on home repair programs. Expert panels and interactive workgroups will examine universal home repair assessment tools, the Detroit Home Repair Fund, and strategies for funding and program coordination.
The day will conclude with a networking reception, offering attendees the opportunity to connect with housing professionals, funders, and community leaders.
The Home Repair Solutions Lab is presented in partnership with the Coalition for Home Repair, the Detroit Citywide Home Repair Task Force, and the Gilbert Family Foundation. Register today.
The Van Dusen Urban Leadership Forum brings together national experts with existing and emerging local leadership to: demonstrate new ways of thinking, sharing and problem-solving; inspire individuals towards action; and provoke intergenerational knowledge transfer by intentionally driving diverse audiences into the same room.
Richard C. Van Dusen had a lifetime concern for and commitment to urban communities, particularly metropolitan Detroit. His life was characterized by distinguished public service in national, state and local affairs. Mr. Van Dusen served as undersecretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives and chaired the Detroit Regional Chamber. Van Dusen also served as a distinguished governor of Wayne State University.
A graduate of Harvard Law School, he spent his professional legal career at the Detroit law firm of Dickinson, Wright PLLC. Van Dusen's life reflected his belief that the private sector as much as the public sector could provide leadership and implement initiatives to enhance the quality of urban life.