November 24, 2020
On Wednesday, November 18, the MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership honored U.S. Congressman Fred Upton and three winners who have distinguished themselves in the areas of auto and labor heritage with its 7th annual Awards of Excellence.
A winner in each of the three categories -- revitalization, education and tourism – was announced during Michigan Auto Heritage Day, a virtual event that was combined with MotorCities 2019-2020 Annual Membership Meeting.
Congressman Upton was honored with MotorCities’ annual Milestone Award. He has been a stalwart supporter of MotorCities from its beginning, co-sponsoring the original authorizing legislation in 1998 and playing a critical role in expanding the Heritage Area westward to include Kalamazoo, where Checker Cabs were made, and the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners.
The winner of the Award of Excellence for Revitalization was Steve Shotwell, Board President of the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit. In addition, the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant also took the award in the Interpretation and Education category as well for their new Early Ford Dealerships 1903-1927 exhibit.
Finally, Bailey Sisoy-Moore, owner of Detroit History Tours, LLC, was the recipient of the award for Heritage Tourism. Her company has provided tours to over 125,000 people since its founding in 2014.
Michigan Automotive Heritage Day and the Awards of Excellence began in 2014 and have become an annual opportunity to celebrate the story that can only be told in Michigan: how this area "Put The World On Wheels."