(The Center Square) – After widespread criticism, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has appointed a more diverse group of people to her Growing Michigan Council,.
The GMC is asked to stop statewide population loss.
On Wednesday, The Center Square reported Whitmer’s committee is co-lead by a Florida resident, includes no one under 25, despite group rules saying otherwise, and included no one from the Upper Peninsula.
On Thursday, Whitmer appointed appointees, including representation from the Upper Peninsula, communities of color, and Michiganders under 35.
She divided the council into four workgroups: PreK-12 Education, Higher Education, Infrastructure, and Jobs, Talent, and People, and the chairs of those workgroups.
“The Growing Michigan Together Council’s appointees will bring a diverse range of skills, experiences, and perspectives to the table,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Led by four workgroups, the council will hold several meetings over the next few months, hearing from Michiganders firsthand. They will then collaborate and continue working towards presenting a comprehensive strategy to help anyone make it in Michigan.”
New council appointees include Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, Rep. Pauline Wendzel, R-Watervliet, Rep. Alabas Farhat, D-Dearborn, who is a voting member under 25.
Other members include Dr. Jaclyn Butler, the state demographer for the State of Michigan within the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics; Dr. Ronald Fisher, a Michigan State University professor of economics, specializing in state and local government fiscal; Chandra Madafferi the incoming president of the Michigan Education Association; Karen McPhee an education leadership consultant.
The Higher Education Workgroup Chairs are Dr. Bill Pink, the President of Ferris State University and Russell Kavalhuna, the President of Henry Ford College.
The Infrastructure workgroup chairs are Terri Lynn Land a current member of the Wayne State University Board of Governors and former two-term Michigan Secretary of State, and Regine Beauboeuf, senior vice president and program equity advisor at HNTB Corporation.
The Jobs, Talent, and People Workgroup Chairs are Portia Roberson, of Detroit, the CEO of Focus: HOPE, a 55-year-old organization with a focus on workforce development and education, and Marty Fittante, of Kingsford, the CEO of InvestUP.
After 40,000 people left the state since 2020, Whitmer formed the The Growing Michigan Together Council. A new report estimates another 270,000 will leave the state by 2050.
