Bob Riney: Welcome to Detroit, NFL Draft-goers

To the hundreds of thousands of people who’ve come to Detroit this week to enjoy the thrill, excitement, spectacle and ceremony of the much-anticipated NFL Draft, I want to extend a proud and hearty "welcome" to our great city. Whether you’ve come from West Bloomfield or the West Coast, we’re so glad you’re here.

This is the perfect time for Detroit to host the Draft and for you to discover, or re-discover, our city. There’s a magnetic momentum underway, an electrical current that’s undeniable. We all feel it. I’m sure it’s due in part to our beloved, gritty Detroit Lions — a team we never gave up on — whose incredible resurgence brought the country to its feet in ovation. At the same time, our beloved city — which we also never gave up on — is attracting and commanding attention on a level we haven’t seen in decades.

I’m sure you noticed: there’s a lot going on in this city you won’t find anywhere else.

We are a city of innovation. It’s tightly woven into our DNA. Our foundation was built by the auto industry, and more than a century later, that genetic spirit of innovation is driving us to new heights. Some of the biggest names in tech, healthcare and mobility are looking to this city as incubators of inspiration and are investing all over Detroit. We have voices, minds, perspectives and a richness of diversity you won’t find elsewhere, and our future-focused community is changing our city, state and world.

We are a city of creativity. From the architecture you see in storied structures such as the Fisher Building and the Guardian Building, to the historic and intricately built homes that line our streets. From the art that brings every corner of this city to life, from alley ways to the sides of our skyscrapers, to the soul-bearing food that features fare from East Africa, Vietnam, Lebanon and more, to the rejuvenation of some of our most beloved landmarks like the Hudson site and Michigan Central. Detroit and its creative, beautifully diverse culture are inextricably linked.

And we are a city of collaboration. The unique partnership that our organization, Henry Ford Health, is forging alongside the Detroit Pistons, Michigan State University and the Gilbert Family Foundation, among others, is going to completely redefine what health and wellbeing means for this community.

As we prepare to embark on a $3 billion vision to bring our major hospital expansion, the world-renowned Shirley Ryan AbilityLab rehabilitation hospital, groundbreaking medical research facility, residential and green space, and more to the New Center area of Detroit, we are also showing the world what’s possible when unexpected organizations come together for the betterment of their community. It’s unconventional, but isn’t that what meaningful collaboration looks like?

I’ve spent my entire life, including all 45-plus years of my career, in and around Detroit, and now lead an organization that’s been based in the city since 1915. None of this is by accident. I believe in Detroit. The more I travel, the more I am reminded why I love it. In Detroit, what you see is what you get. The city doesn’t wake up every day needing stage makeup. We go for it — waking up every day to work hard, make a difference and do the right thing. To me, there’s no city that champions this spirit more than Detroit.

My sincere hope is that your experience attending the NFL Draft in Detroit is one that leaves a lasting impression that goes far beyond our beautiful hotels and thriving entertainment scene. I hope it challenges what you thought, or heard, about the Motor City. I hope it leaves you wanting more, because this city and its people have so much to give.

Come back again, we’re just getting started!

Bob Riney is president and CEO of Henry Ford Health.