Oakland County Hires Steudle To Lead Mobility Expansion

PONTIAC, MI — Oakland County has hired a nationally recognized leader in the development of connected and automated vehicle technologies and a former state transportation director to lead the development of its strategic initiative for mobility, officials announced in a news release Wednesday.

American Center for Mobility President and CEO Kirk Steudle will head the county's plan of focusing on expanding its existing and new businesses in "this emerging and vital sector of the automotive economy," Oakland County Executive David Coulter said in a news release.

“Oakland County has a long history of innovation and leadership in emerging research and development,” Coulter said. “As the county responsible for one-fifth of Michigan’s economic output, it is vital that Oakland County is actively engaged in mobility to ensure our state remains a leader in the next generation of transportation technology. Kirk Steudle is the right leader at the right time to assist us in the development of a transformational strategy for mobility.”

Steudle will work with Oakland County, industry leaders and organizations to build a collaborative plan that will encourage innovation, expansion and diversification, according to the news release.

“Oakland County has a tremendous private and public mobility ecosystem that is an integral part of the regions and statewide mobility efforts,” Steudle said. “I’m proud to work with Oakland County to develop a strategic approach to leveraging the county mobility strengths to leverage the best value for citizens.”

The focus on mobility strategy will give Oakland County companies an opportunity to have a seat at the table and access resources to enter the mobility market, the county said.

Strategic planning will take place over the spring and summer, when Steudle, business leaders, community partners, state officials and mobility experts will advise Coulter’s administration on how Oakland County can grow its leadership role in mobility, the news release says.