October 12, 2023
MotorCities National Heritage Area is pleased to announce our keynote speaker for the 25th Anniversary Gala on Wednesday, November 8 at Ford House. He is Frank Markus of Motor Trend magazine, and he will be discussing “Trends Driving the Automotive Future.”
Markus is Technical Director in the Detroit office of Motor Trend magazine. He graduated from the Chrysler Institute of Engineering and earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He worked at Chrysler Corporation, and Car and Driver magazine, before joining Motor Trend magazine as Technical Director in Detroit. He has published over 2000 articles on automotive technology and manufacturing. His recent articles discuss innovations which will change automobiles forever.
Tickets are now available for MotorCities’ 25th Anniversary Gala event, scheduled for Wednesday, November 8, 2023 from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. at the Ford House Visitors Center, located at 1100 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Shores.
Guests will enjoy dinner, drinks, a silent auction, the opportunity to view exhibits and stroll the grounds, special guests including MotorCities’ annual Milestone Award winner, the announcement of the 25th anniversary Awards of Excellence, and a tribute to a quarter century of MotorCities’ achievements. This celebration also marks the observance of MotorCities’ 10th annual Michigan Auto Heritage Day, with special recognition from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature.
Tickets for the Gala are $100 for MotorCities members and $125 for nonmembers. RSVPs are required by October 25, so reserve your place now at www.motorcities.org/25th-anniversary-events. Proceeds will help MotorCities continue to fulfill its mission of preserving and promoting Michigan auto and labor heritage.
Visit Detroit is the Presenting Sponsor for the Gala. General Motors is a Founding Partner/Award of Excellence Sponsor. The UAW International Union is our Michigan Auto Heritage Day Sponsor. Ford House is an Award of Excellence Sponsor. Supporting Sponsors include Albert Kahn Associates, Choose Lansing, Destination Ann Arbor, and The Henry Ford. Event Sponsors include Doeren Mayhew, Don Nicholson Enterprises, Gilmore Car Museum, Grigg Graphics, and Project Arts and Humanities.
The Automobile National Heritage Act was authored, co-sponsored and championed by former Congressman John Dingell and former Senator Carl Levin and signed by President Bill Clinton on November 6, 1998. The law created what is now known as the MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership, one of 62 organizations that are part of the National Heritage Area System of the National Park Service. Its mission is to preserve, interpret and promote the region’s rich automotive and labor heritage while enabling, supporting and respecting its diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Regional programs inspire residents and visitors with an appreciation for how the automobile changed Michigan, the nation, and the world.
Each year, MotorCities generates $489.7 million in economic impact, supporting 5,343 jobs and producing $40 million in tax revenue in Michigan. Over its 25-year history, MotorCities has awarded more than 300 grants for a total investment in local programs of more than $1.7 million.
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