Ken Rogers, longtime director of Automation Alley and deputy county executive, has died
Ken Rogers, the longtime executive director of Troy-based Automation Alley and deputy Oakland County executive, has died.
The death was confirmed by an Automation Alley spokesperson. At this time, the cause of death is not known. He was 81.
In 1993, former county executive L. Brooks Patterson hired Rogers, a Pontiac native, to serve as one of his deputy county executives. In 1999, Patterson created Automation Alley and tapped Rogers to lead the organization as the tech, automotive, and manufacturing sectors struggled to retain employees and find the talented and trained pool of applicants needed to fill those jobs.
During his 17 years as executive director, Automation Alley grew from a county government startup with 42 member firms to a statewide, independently operating organization with nearly 1,000 member firms. The organization supports economic development and innovation efforts across the state’s business community, specifically in the region’s auto technology industry.
Tom Kelly, who succeeded Rogers as executive director in 2017, released the following statement:
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ken Rogers, who served as executive director of Automation Alley for 17 years. Appointed to lead Automation Alley by then Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson when the organization was founded in 1999, Ken proved to be one of Michigan’s most influential leaders. His efforts resulted in the growth of Automation Alley from 42 original member companies to 1,000 technology and manufacturing businesses across the region. Ken was a charismatic and energetic leader whose business accomplishments were only outshined by how genuinely he cared for his staff and our members.”
In 2015, Rogers retired his county post to focus full-time on Automation Alley. In August 2016, he retired as executive director, but continued serving in his role as chairman of the board for Clarkston State Bank until 2019.
Oakland County Executive David Coulter released the following statement:
“I am deeply saddened by the death of Ken Rogers. He faithfully served Oakland County residents for 22 years as deputy county executive. I got to know him best when I was a county commissioner and he was leading Automation Alley. Ken’s legacy will be his unwavering commitment to ensuring our region remained competitive for technology jobs, including expanding Automation Alley’s presence outside Oakland County. I send my thoughts and prayers to the Rogers family and friends.”
Prior to joining the county, Rogers was the president of the Oakland County Chamber of Commerce and served as a director for the North Oakland County Board of Realtors.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Flu cases in Michigan continue to remain low during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 24 patient visits due to influenza like illness (ILI) was reported out of 7,193 office visits in Michigan for the week ended Feb. 6. That is a 0.3 ILI activity rate for the state which is a considerable drop from last week’s 0.7 percent. A year ago on Feb. 8, 2020, it was at 4.0 percent when there were 482 patient visits out of 12,034 office visits.
Comparatively, the number nationally is 1.1 percent of outpatient visits which is the same as last week. It’s substantially lower than it was a year ago when it stood at 4.0 percent.
The Centers for Disease Control reports that seasonal flu activity is lower than usual this year nationally.
ILI is defined as a fever (higher than 100 degrees) and a cough and/or a sore throat without a known cause other than influenza.
Nationally one pediatric death due to the flu has been confirmed for the 2020-2021 flu season. No pediatric deaths have been reported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. At this
time last year 92 pediatric deaths due to the flu had been reported nationally with two confirmed by the MDHHS.
If you have flu symptoms and are at high risk of serious flu complications, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Your provider may decide to treat you with flu antiviral medications.
A flu shot is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older with rare exceptions. It is not too late to be vaccinated.
To find a place near you for a flu vaccine go to Michigan.gov/flu. Many drug store chains and retailers offer flu shots.
Michigan’s goal is to vaccinate more than 4.3 million residents during the 2020-2021 flu season. As of Jan. 16, there have been 3,268,841 million doses administered (75.52% towards
goal) for the 20202021 flu season.
According to the CDC, getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, however flu vaccination has many other important benefits. Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization and death.
Much like COVID-19, influenza viruses are spread when a person who has influenza coughs, sneezes, or speaks which releases viruses into the air where other people can inhale the viruses. When these viruses enter the nose, throat, or lungs of a person, they begin to multiply, causing disease. The viruses may also be spread when a person touches a surface with flu viruses on it and then touches their nose or mouth, according to the MDHHS.