By Chris Jackson, Pontiac City Councilmember
For nearly 30 years, Pontiac (my hometown) has been recovering from our version of an economic depression.
There is plenty of room to debate and speculate around why Pontiac, and communities like it, have had issues with figuring out the formula for combatting intentional and unintentional harm caused by corporate self-interest and years of compounded, short-sighted decision making. In my role as Pontiac City Councilman, I can only speak to what I have experienced and observed here – though our story mirrors many others.
Pontiac has often tried to be too many things to too many people at the same time. That’s not to say we should limit opportunity or options available to residents as Pontiac is a great example of a modern melting pot of ethnicities, skills, and lived experiences that contribute to the rich fabric of our community. We are still finding our way while remaining proudly and historically a predominantly Black community. Diversity is certainly a strength, but clarity of identity is equally important.
If there is ever a time and need for specialization, that time is now. Specialization isn’t new to Pontiac. General Motors once played that role as our economic anchor. The problem was not specialization itself; the problem was overreliance on a single corporate partner to sustain it.
If we are serious about learning from the past, we must acknowledge two realities: specialization provided a pathway to economic stability for generations of Pontiac families, and specialization cannot depend on a sole source of employment. It’s imperative that Pontiac identifies an industry we can intentionally build an identity around. I believe that industry is healthcare.
The healthcare sector offers a unique opportunity for branding, economic development, and long-term stability. Pontiac’s median household income places many of our residents at or near the poverty line, depending on the source, and a real problem is that Pontiac is in Oakland County – one of the wealthiest counties in Michigan.
The demand for healthcare services is growing and most of the new jobs added to the U.S. economy recently were healthcare or healthcare-related positions. This isn’t a temporary trend based on demographics, technology and public health needs. There are two areas where Pontiac can “claim” meaningful territory.
The first is that Pontiac faces a very real public health crisis. Addressing it requires continuous support and resources. In recent years, Oakland County has invested in partnerships with local organizations to move the needle in the right direction. That indicates an appetite to continue investing in finding solutions to public health concerns.
Second, we intentionally build career pathways within the healthcare ecosystem. That includes creating pipelines that begin with early exposure for our youth and extend to accessible on-ramps for adults seeking new opportunities – including returning citizens and individuals impacted by social injustice.
From certified nursing assistants and medical technicians to health IT and administrative roles, healthcare offers layered entry points that can scale with the right training and support. To my earlier point, an ecosystem approach safeguards against dependency on a single institution by cultivating a diversified, interconnected network of employers and entrepreneurs.
In many ways, Pontiac already has the infrastructure, institutional partners and civic enthusiasm to support Pontiac becoming a regional healthcare hub. As a top-five employment sector in Pontiac, healthcare is the invisible engine of Pontiac’s growth that needs to be made more visible. We have begun taking deliberate steps to activate Pontiac’s medical and healthcare ecosystem, convening partners to establishpriorities and implement action plans.
With the support of my City Council colleagues and in collaboration with our new Mayor, we are prepared to move from vision to implementation. Beginning with District 1 and expanding outward, Pontiac will be able to tap into a space of profound possibility and opportunity.
