Upcoming Events
Common Ground: Addressing Affordability
Date and Time
Thursday, February 26, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
RSVP
You can RSVP for this event
Location
DeVos Center, Loosemore Auditorium
Description
Everyday costs are reshaping everyday life. From groceries and housing to healthcare and utilities, affordability is no longer an abstract policy debate, it’s a reality for families across our community. That’s why we’re bringing together a panel to help us understand this complicated set of issues and explore what progress may look like. You’ll hear differing perspectives, thoughtful discussion, and practical ideas about where we go from here.
Our esteemed panel includes:
Emily Gee, Center for American Progress. Emily Gee is the senior vice president for Economic Policy and a senior fellow for Health Policy at the Center for American Progress. She oversees research, policy development, and advocacy to improve economic mobility and drive economic growth. Prior to joining American Progress, Gee was an economist at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and on the staff of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Obama White House. She is a frequent commentator on economic policy and the economics of health care. She has been quoted and her work has been cited in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, Marketplace, and other outlets. Gee holds a Ph.D. in economics from Boston University and an A.B. in government from Harvard College.
Michelle Miller-Adams, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. Miller-Adams is professor emeritus of political science at Grand Valley State University where she taught for 18 years. One of the nation’s leading experts on the tuition-free college movement, she speaks with national media and advises state policymakers and community partners on their tuition-free college initiatives. Miller-Adams also co-directs the Upjohn Institute’s Policies for Place Initiative that explores how communities can create good jobs for their residents. She holds a BA in history from the University of California Santa Barbara, a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, and a PhD in political science from Columbia University.
David Hebert, American Institute for Economic Research. Dave Hebert, Ph.D, is a senior research fellow at AIER. He was formerly a professor at Aquinas College, Troy University, and Ferris State University. He has also been a fellow with the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget and has worked for the U.S. Joint Economic Committee. Dr. Hebert’s research has been published in academic journals such as Public Choice, Constitutional Political Economy, and The Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice and popular outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Investor’s Business Daily, RealClearPolicy, RealClearMarkets, The Hill, and The Daily Caller. He also serves as an Associate Director of The Entangled Political Economy Research Network.
This event also appears on the main events calendar tagged as grandforum, and hauenstein.