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Meet the Commission
The Commission is co-chaired by:
- Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II
- Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, M.D., Chief Medical Executive and DHHS Chief Deputy for Health
- Blake Griffin, Detroit Pistons
- Former Lt. Gov. Brian N. Calley, Small Business Association of Michigan
- Eva A. Garza Dewaelsche, SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc.
- Tina Freese-Decker, Spectrum Health
- Jamie Brown, Michigan Nurses Association
- Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, M.D., Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative
The Commission will establish advisory workgroups to assist the Commission in performing its duties and responsibilities. The following members of the Commission chair the advisory workgroups:
- Business Leaders workgroup: Dolf Van Amersfoort, Stellantis
- Seniors workgroup: Dr. Brenda Surae Eaton, M.D., AARP
- Youth (16-30) workgroup: Dondre Young, Community Foundation of Greater Flint
- Rural workgroup: Chuck Lippstreu, Michigan Agri-Business Association
- Latinx workgroup: Eva A. Garza Dewaelsche, SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc.
- Asian Pacific American workgroup: Dr. S. Bobby Mukkamala, M.D., Michigan State Medical Society and American Medical Association Council on Science and Public Health
- African American workgroup: Rev. Charles E. Williams, II, Historic King Solomon Baptist Church
- Middle Eastern workgroup: Dr. Zafer I. Obeid, M.D., Arab American & Chaldean Council
- Local Government workgroup: Dr. Deirdre Waterman, M.D., City of Pontiac
- Disability workgroup: Tim Hileman, Special Olympics Michigan
- Faith workgroup: Lea A. Luger, Yad Ezra
- Labor and Workforce workgroup: Mike Shoudy, Michigan Education Association
- Health Leaders workgroup: Melissa A. Holmquist, Upper Peninsula Health Plan
- Education workgroup: Kristen McDonald Rivet, Michigan Future, Inc. and city of Bay City
- Tribal workgroup: Sadie Valliere, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indian
- Women and Children workgroup: Denise L. Smith, Hope Starts Here Detroit
- Colleges and Universities: Dan Hurley, Michigan Association of State Universities
- Financial Services: Karin Gyger, Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services
- Veterans: Erika Hoover, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency
In addition, the governor appointed the following people to the Protect Michigan Commission:
- Aamina Ahmed, Rising Voices of Asian American Families and New American Leaders
- Dr. Colleen Allen, Ph.D., Autism Alliance of Michigan
- Suzanne Miller Allen, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
- Sandy Baruah, Detroit Regional Chamber
- Najah Bazzy, Zaman International
- Mark Behnke, City of Battle Creek
- Amber Bellazaire, Michigan League for Public Policy
- Evan Bonsall, City of Marquette
- Dr. Nirali Bora, M.D., Kent County Health Department
- April Bowen, Planned Parenthood of Michigan
- Hodari Brown, National Business League Detroit Chapter
- Laurel Burchfield, Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness
- Robyn Burlingham, Tribal Council for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi
- Anna Byberg, National Association of Social Workers
- Kyle Caldwell, Council of Michigan Foundations
- Chong-Anna Canfora, Michigan Community Action Association
- Jim Carruthers, City of Traverse City
- Carlo L. Castiglione, Plumbers Union Local 98
- Guillermo Cisneros, West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Steve Currie, Michigan Association of Counties
- Derek J. Dobies, Michigan AFL-CIO and City of Jackson
- Jeff Donofrio, Business Leaders for Michigan
- John E. Duckworth, Baptist Council of Michigan
- Dr. Brenda Surae Eaton, M.D., AARP
- Karla Fales, CareWell Services Southwest, the Region 3B Area Agency on Aging in Barry and Calhoun Counties
- Jennifer Fiedler, Michigan Townships Association
- Diane N. Fleser, Disability Network of Michigan
- Steve Grigorian, Detroit Economic Club
- Kate Guzman, Oakland County
- Ken L. Haney, Jr., SEIU Healthcare Michigan
- Dan Hurley, Michigan Association of State Universities
- Farah Jalloul, Michigan Pharmacists Association
- Dr. Tina Kerr, Ph.D., Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators
- Erin Knott, Equality Michigan
- Kelley J. Kuhn, Michigan Nonprofit Association
- John P. LaMacchia, Michigan Municipal League
- Mike Larson, Michigan Association of United Ways
- Laura LeBlanc, Volunteers of America Michigan
- Robert LeFevre, Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities
- Chuck Lippstreu, Michigan Agri-Business Association
- Dr. Matt M. Longjohn, M.D., Western Michigan University Stryker School of Medicine
- Dr. Felipe Lopez Sustaita, Ed.D., Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan
- Jimena Loveluck, Washtenaw County
- Mark Miller, Jewish Federation of Michigan
- Joseph P. Murray, City of Dearborn
- Bill Nowling, Wayne County
- Dr. Zafer I. Obeid, M.D., Arab American & Chaldean Council
- Jacqueline Ouvry, State of Michigan State Appellate Defender Office
- Dominick J. Pallone, Michigan Association of Health Plans
- Soumit Pendharkar, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
- Dr. Delicia J. Pruitt, M.D., Saginaw County Health Department
- Rico Razo, City of Detroit
- Dr. Lawrence A. Reynolds, M.D., City of Flint
- Melissa K. Samuel, Health Care Association of Michigan
- Erin Schor, Michigan Community College Association
- Mike Shoudy, Michigan Education Association
- Dr. Constance B. Simon, Ed.D., NAACP
- Dorian Slaybod, Farmworker Legal Services
- Cindy Spurlock, AFSCME
- Richard K. Studley, Michigan Chamber of Commerce
- Ruthanne K. Sudderth, Michigan Health & Hospital Association
- Madiha Tariq, ACCESS
- Jeremy Tripp, Michigan Public Employees SEIU Local 517M
- Linda Vail, Ingham County Health Department
- Sadie Valliere, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indian
- John J. Walsh, Michigan Manufacturers Association
- Dr. Sook Wilkinson, Ph.D., Council of Asian Pacific Americans of Michigan
- Vicki Wolber, Macomb County
- Rev. Dr. Jimmy Womack, M.D., Plymouth United Church of Christ
The Commission will include the following members of the Legislature: Sen. Winnie Brinks nominated by the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Curt VanderWall nominated by the Senate Majority Leader, Rep. Felicia Brabec nominated by the House Minority Leader, and Rep. John Roth nominated by the Speaker of the House.