Donald J. Trump is the very definition of an American success story, continually setting the standards of excellence for real estate, sports and entertainment. In New York City and around the world, the Trump signature is synonymous with the most prestigious addresses in the world.
Mr. Trump was born in Queens, New York, and is married to Melania Trump and father to Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, and Barron. He is a proud grandfather of seven. A graduate of the Wharton School of Finance, and an accomplished author — having authored over fifteen bestsellers, Mr. Trump has devoted his life to growing a company and expanding prosperity for his family and the tens of thousands of Americans he has employed.
Mr. Trump began his business career in an office he shared with this father in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. He worked with his father for five years during which time his father often stated, “some of my best deals were made by my son, Donald…everything he touches seems to turn to gold.”
The Trump organization owns some of the world’s top properties. Mr. Trump has been recognized for both his business accomplishments and his deep passion for the country. He has long been a devoted supporter of veterans’ causes, and has been honored by the Pentagon for his commitment to restoring the dignity of the New York City’s Veterans Day Parade after it had been neglected and poorly managed.
Mr. Trump entered the 2016 presidential campaign because he was deeply concerned about the direction of the country. His motto has been to “Make America Great Again” by bringing jobs back to Americans through renegotiated trade deals and a reformed tax code, securing our borders and restoring the rule of law, repealing and replacing Obamacare, strengthening our military, caring for our veterans, and unifying Americans. He believes that the United States of America is the greatest country in the world, and that the American people unified and working toward a common goal can restore our standing around the world as a beacon of freedom, strength and prosperity.
Mike Pence is a native Indiana Hoosier who has dedicated his public service life to issues pertaining to fiscal responsibility, economic development and educational opportunity. He is a dedicated husband to Second Lady Karen Pence, and father to their three adult children, Michael, Charlotte and Audrey. Vice President Pence most recently served as the 50th Governor of the State of Indiana before accepting the invitation from President Trump to serve as his running mate.
Vice President Pence was one of six children born to Edward and Nancy Pence. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Hanover College in 1981 and a law degree from Indiana University in 1986. After working for the Indiana Policy Review Foundation he hosted The Mike Pence Show — a syndicated radio show that aired on 18 stations throughout Indiana.
Beginning in 2000, Vice President Pence was elected six times to represent the Sixth District of Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives where he championed legislation that promoted smaller government and economic growth for the nation. His colleagues quickly recognized his leadership acumen and legislative accomplishments and unanimously elected him to serve as House Republican Conference Chairman and Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee.
The Governor has worked with the Indiana General Assembly to craft an honestly balanced budget that maintains strong reserves for the State and continues to generate a surplus. This fiscal discipline has helped Indiana maintain its AAA credit rating and earn a global reputation as a great place to do business.
As Governor, Vice President Pence managed a State employee workforce of approximately 28,000 and a State budget of $30.6 billion. He oversaw the duties of the executive branch as the State’s chief executive officer, recommended and reviewed legislation with members of the Indiana General Assembly, and served as the commander-in-chief of the Indiana National Guard.
A strong supporter of the military, Pence has made a priority of reducing veteran unemployment and, while in Congress, he visited Hoosier soldiers in Iraq and/or Afghanistan every year since hostilities began.
Rick Snyder is the state’s 48th Governor. Rick Snyder has built a career on successfully creating jobs.
After graduating from Battle Creek Lakeview High School a semester early, Rick earned three degrees from the University of Michigan, all by the age of 23. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree with high distinction in 1977, his MBA with distinction in 1979 and a JD in 1982.
Following a successful career with Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), where he became a partner in six years, Rick left his home state of Michigan to help manage Gateway computers. As the 763rd employee to join the company, he guided the growth of Gateway until it became a Fortune 500 company with over 10,000 employees. During these years of rapid growth, Rick was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of the company. He ran the day-to-day operations of Gateway and worked directly with Ted Waitt – the founder of the company.
Rick’s record of job creation didn’t stop when he left Gateway in 1997. After proving he can help build and run a multibillion dollar publicly traded company he chose to return to Michigan and focus his efforts on building new businesses from the ground up.
He raised an unprecedented $200 million in venture capital funds to invest in building startup businesses, taking ideas and translating them into exciting companies. One of Rick’s many success stories is the creation of HealthMedia, Inc., which provides internet based wellness and disease management tools. HealthMedia’s business plan was crafted on a whiteboard with Rick and a University of Michigan professor, Vic Strecher. With Rick’s investment and leadership, the company has created over 130 jobs in Michigan.
In many cases, Rick has helped diversify Michigan’s economy by bringing global companies to the state. HealthMedia was acquired by Johnson & Johnson, giving the large company a presence in Michigan. HandyLab, in which Rick’s company was an early investor, and for which Rick was board chairman, makes revolutionary medical diagnostic testing equipment and currently employs nearly 50 Michiganders. The company was recently acquired by Becton, Dickenson and Company (BD), a $6 billion medical equipment company. Not only is HandyLab staying in Michigan, but BD announced in a press release that HandyLab’s “novel platform will allow further expansion of the BD molecular diagnostic menu.”
Rick has provided early investment and start up assistance for a number of other successful businesses, including Esperion Therapeutics, which was later purchased by Pfizer.
In addition to creating new businesses, Rick has been actively involved in economic development on a statewide and local level in Michigan. Governor Engler appointed Rick to serve as the first Chair of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in 1999. Rick quickly put in place a strong business model that became one of the nation’s leading public-private economic development programs. From 1997 to 2000, Michigan won the prestigious Governor’s Cup award from Site Selection magazine every year. This award is presented to the state with the highest number of new or expanded facilities in Site Selection’s database. Also under Rick’s leadership, in 1999 the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor was launched. During Rick’s tenure as Chair, the MEDC initiated legislative efforts for SmartZones to support technology startups. These programs contributed to the formation of new companies across the state.
Rick has also been an economic development leader in Washtenaw County for the past decade. Rick wrote the business plan and was the first Chair for Ann Arbor SPARK – one of the most successful economic development programs in the country. Ann Arbor SPARK’s mission is to “advance the development of innovation-based businesses in the Ann Arbor region by offering programs, resources, and proactive support to business at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations looking for expansion opportunities.” Using their Open Source approach to economic development, Ann ArborSPARK has been instrumental in growing new businesses and attracting existing businesses. Programs include Michigan’s SmartZone network, the Michigan Life Science and Innovation Center, the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, the Michigan Innovation Equipment Depot and the Economic Development Coalition of Southeastern Michigan. SPARK recently reported that in 2009 it helped secure $147 million in investments for the region, while helping 33 companies announce expansions with plans to hire a total of 2,118.
Creating more and better jobs was the number one issue for Rick Snyder in his campaign. He understands what it takes to plan and launch a new business. He has the vision and plan for creating jobs throughout the state. Michigan needs businesses to start, grow and flourish in order to be a great state again – and as Governor, Rick leads the way.
Brian Calley is the second youngest lieutenant governor in Michigan’s history.
Before being elected to this position, Calley served two terms in the Michigan Legislature as a state representative. In that role, Calley served as minority vice chair of the House Tax Policy Committee where he worked with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. Calley is committed to continuing this spirit of bipartisanship to bring an end to the bitter fighting and divisiveness that has held Michigan back for so long.
Prior to his time as a state lawmaker, Calley worked 10 years as a community banker and small business lender. He was also elected to the Ionia County Board of Commissioners, serving from 2003 to 2006 as the vice chairman for all four years of his tenure there. Calley graduated from Michigan State University in 1998 with a B.A. in business administration and received his MBA from Grand Valley State University in 2000.
Calley is an active member of the Portland Baptist Church where he is a song leader and pianist as well as serving on the deacon board. His wife Julie teaches Sunday school to middle school age children and was elected in 2016 as a State Representative. Together, they have three young children: Collin, Reagan and Karagan.
Ruth Johnson was elected as Michigan’s 42nd secretary of state in November 2010 and serves as chief motor vehicle administrator and chief election officer for the state’s nearly 10 million residents. She also maintains the state’s official repository of records and certifies documents as Keeper of the Great Seal and is second in line of succession to the governor.
As Secretary, Johnson is committed to streamlining operations, improving customer service and safeguarding election integrity. She strongly believes that by using technology and common sense and by fostering partnerships between the private and public sectors, her team at the Department of State can cut costs and improve efficiency for the people of Michigan.
Johnson’s election as Secretary continues a distinguished career in public service. As a three-term member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1999 through 2004, she served as assistant majority whip. She also helped improve the quality of life in the state through her efforts on the Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, Education, Health Policy and Transportation Committees.
During her time as a legislator, Johnson led investigations into the misappropriation of funds at the Oakland County Intermediate School District that resulted in the conviction of a public official and restored money earmarked for kids.
Secretary Johnson has provided innovative and effective leadership at the local government level as well. From 1988 to 1998, she was a member of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, including six years as vice chairperson. As commissioner, she tackled such issues as putting prisoners to work and instituting countywide performance audits that provide accountability in government.
From 2005 through 2010, Johnson served as clerk/register of deeds for Oakland County, the state’s second-largest county. A fiscal conservative, she cut more than $1 million in costs from the county budget and reduced her staff by 20 percent. She also successfully fought a 700 percent increase in fees proposed by the state, because she understands that government must do more for less.
Among her achievements, Johnson greatly expanded the county’s online services. She launched an absentee ballot tracker, introduced online marriage license applications, made campaign donation records available over the Internet and worked with the circuit court to enable virtually paperless court cases and the ability to search and order public court records online. Johnson also made several reforms to fight identity theft and fraud, removed obstacles to voting by overseas military personnel and began a program that recycles used voting machines into schools so kids can learn hands-on about voting.
As clerk/register of deeds, Johnson won 14 national awards for innovative services that provide transparency and save money. In 2004, the National Federation of Independent Businesses named her a “Guardian of Small Business,” the most prestigious honor the NFIB bestows on legislators to recognize their efforts to support small business issues. Johnson has been a frequent speaker at local Optimist and Rotary Club events, and was a charter member of the Holly Area Optimists. She is a former member of the American Business Women’s Association and various chambers of commerce and was chair of the Aging and Social Services Committee as a member of the Michigan Association of Counties.
A lifelong resident of northern Oakland County, Johnson is also a former small business owner. She is a graduate of Waterford Township High School and has an associate's degree from Oakland Community College, a bachelor's degree from Oakland University and a master's degree from Wayne State University, with honors. She lives in Holly with her daughter, Emily.
Bill Schuette is Michigan’s 53rd Attorney General.
Upon taking office, Schuette launched a new Public Integrity Unit to crack down on corruption at all levels of government. Already, it has filed 115 charges and secured six convictions.
For the first time in state history, Schuette appointed a Crime Victims’ Rights Advocate, to serve as a voice and an advocate for the victims of crime, who all too often are forgotten.
Schuette helped engineer a landmark mortgage foreclosure settlement that includes more than half-a-billion dollars in relief to struggling homeowners in Michigan.
Schuette is a national leader in the fight against Asian Carp and other invasive species threatening the five Great Lakes. He is also leading a lawsuit against the federal government for stronger ballast water standards, to help clean up the Great Lakes.
In his role as Consumer Watchdog, Schuette has secured an historic 5-year rate freeze for seniors who purchase Medigap insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Bill Schuette and his wife Cynthia created the Michigan Harvest Gathering, a food and fund drive to help feed hungry people in Michigan that has raised more than $7.7 million and 8 million pounds of food.
Bill Schuette is one of the few individuals to have served in all three branches of government – executive, legislative and judicial – as well as at both the state and federal levels. He and his wife Cynthia are the parents of two children, Heidi and Billy, and they reside in Midland, Michigan.
State Board of Education
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Tom McMillin
In November 2016, Tom McMillin was elected to an 8 year term as a member of the Michigan State Board of Education. Tom is a former State Representative, who served in the Michigan House of Representatives from January 2009 through December 2014, when he was term-limited. Tom served as chairman of the House Oversight committee, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and the House Education committee. Tom has served as an Oakland County Commissioner, Mayor of Auburn Hills and Auburn Hills City Councilman for 9 years. He was also President of the Board of Prevail Academy charter school in Mt. Clemens from its inception in 2004 until he started in the legislature in 2009. Tom currently serves on the Board of Directors and as Treasurer of Crossroads Pregnancy Center in Auburn Hills. Tom is a Certified Public Accountant and owns a small CPA firm. He has done consulting work, serving as a part-time Chief Financial Officer for several clients. Tom is married to Dalila McMillin and has three daughters. Tom has been a strong advocate for local control of education and has been a leader in the ongoing fight against those who want to centralize education at the state and federal level. Over the years, Tom has fought against such centralization schemes as Outcome Based Education, Goals 2000, School to Work and now Common Core. As a state representative, Tom led the effort in the legislature to repeal Common Core and to stop the drive to make the statewide assessment more high-stakes. He was also a leader in giving parents more choices in education through the lifting of the charter school cap.
Nikki Snyder
Serving her first term as a Member of the State Board of Education, Nikki is an Eastern Michigan University graduate serving first as a Registered Nurse and then as a Nurse Educator. Nikki is a Mother of three children in the traditional public school system. She also comes with experience as a disability advocate.
Eileen Weiser
Eileen Weiser was elected to her second term in 2010 after serving from 1988-2006. She holds piano performance degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. Ms. Weiser has served on the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Midwest Higher Education Compact and the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for The Nation's Report Card (NAEP). She currently serves on the Education Commission of the States (ECS) and the Governor's 21st Century Education Commission.
Richard Zeile
Rev. Dr. Richard A. Zeile was elected to the board in 2010. He has served as Pastor & Headmaster at St. John's Lutheran Church & School in Taylor, as well as Adjunct Professor of Education at Concordia University, Ann Arbor. Ordained in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, he has served Lutheran Parochial schools for most of his professional life, and also a year as Chaplain Resident at Detroit's Sinai-Grace Hospital.
University of Michigan Board of Regents
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Andrea Fischer Newman
A University of Michigan graduate, Regent Newman is a Vice President of the Detroit Economic Club and a Senior Vice President for Delta Airlines. First elected to the board in 1994, she also holds a law degree from George Washington University.
Andrew C. Richner
The Chair of the Board of Regents, Mr. Richner was elected in 2002. He graduated from the University of Michigan Business School and Law School, while writing for the Michigan Law Review, and is a practicing lawyer and a former State Representative.
Ron Weiser
Regent Weiser is from Ann Arbor. He received his bachelor's degree in business from the University of Michigan in 1966. Regent Weiser founded McKinley Associates Inc., a national real estate investment company, in 1968 and was its chairman and chief executive officer until 2001. From 2001-05 under President George W. Bush, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Slovak Republic. Regent Weiser served on the board of directors of numerous non-profit organizations, including the national board of the Ginsberg Center at UM, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the UNCF of Washtenaw County, the Michigan Theater, Artrain USA, and The Henry Ford Museum. He served on the advisory boards of the Zell Lurie Institute in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the University’s Food Allergy Center. In 1984, together with his wife, Eileen, he created the McKinley Foundation, a public community foundation that built the NEW Center. He and his wife also founded two educational institutes at UM: the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies and the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia. They are also deputy chairs of the University’s Victors for Michigan Campaign. He is a trustee or director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and The Henry Ford, a member of the endowment committee of the Detroit Institute of Arts, a member of the campaign for the University’s Health System, and the chair of an effort to raise resources for a pediatric brain cancer research initiative at the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in honor of the late Chad Carr. Regent Weiser was elected to the Board of Regents in 2016.
Michigan State University Board of Trustees
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Brian Breslin
Brian Breslin was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2010. He earned his bachelor’s degree in food systems economics and management from MSU in 1977, while playing basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. Until his retirement in 2006, Breslin worked as the senior vice president of human resources and government relations at Michigan-based Meijer Inc. in Grand Rapids. Having been with Meijer since 1977, Breslin also served as the vice president for public and consumer affairs and as a company spokesperson.
Melanie Foster
Elected to the Board of Trustees in 2004 and again in 2014, Melanie Foster has served as vice chair for six years and also has served on the MSU Foundation Board. For 15 years, she served as president and CEO of a commercial landscape company she built into a nationally acclaimed firm. For 10 years, Foster also was president and CEO of a commercial landscape firm in Orlando, Florida, that specialized in theme park and entertainment-related landscaping. She is a former member of the MSU Wharton Advisory Council, serving for six years, and the Michigan Dyslexia Association. Former directorships include Charter National Bank, Artrain, the State of Michigan Board of Landscape Architecture Registration, and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America.
Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly was elected to the Michigan State University Board of Trustees for an eight year term that began on January 1, 2017. Previously, Dan served six years on the Oakland Community College Board of Trustees as both a Trustee and the Board Chair. Additionally, Dan was elected to two four year terms on the Independence Township Board of Trustees, where he also served as a member of the Township’s Planning Commission. Mr. Kelly is a practicing attorney and Member of the Board of Directors of the Troy based law firm of Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C., where he serves as chair of the firm’s municipal department. Given his 25 plus years of litigation experience on behalf of municipalities, school districts and various corporate clients, Dan has been asked to speak on numerous occasions in the areas of risk management and governmental liability. He is a court appointed mediator and certified in Risk Management and Risk Management for Public Entities by the AICPCU. Dan is a graduate of Michigan State University’s fellowship in Political Leadership, Western Michigan University and obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Dan resides in Clarkston, Michigan with his wife, Kathleen, and their four children.
Mitch Lyons
Mitch Lyons was elected to the Board of Trustees for an eight-year term beginning January 1, 2011. In 1988, he attended Michigan State on a football scholarship, from 1988 to 1992. Upon graduation from MSU in 1992 with a degree in general business administration, Lyons continued his football career in the NFL from 1993 to 1999. Upon the completion of his NFL career, Lyons moved back to Rockford full time and began his financial services career in 2000. Together with his partners at Woodbury Financial, he works with individuals and businesses in the areas of wealth accumulation, protection, and distribution, offering investment management as well as life and disability insurance strategies.
Wayne State University Board of Governors
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Diane L. Dunaskiss
A graduate of Wayne State University and current Elementary School Principal, Mrs. Dunaskiss has been active at several levels of education. Elected in 1994, she also specializes in special education, working with students who have special needs to enhance the education experience.
David A. Nicholson
David Nicholson graduated with a BA in Political Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992 and obtained a MBA from the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business. David Nicholson is Chief Executive Officer of PVS Chemical’s Sulfur and Distribution Groups. Mr. Nicholson serves as Chairman of the Board of Forgotten Harvest, and he is a board member of the DMC Legacy Board and Kids Kicking Cancer. He resides in Grosse Pointe, Michigan with his wife Kristin and two sons.
Michael Busuito
Michael Joseph Busuito is a lifelong Detroit area resident. Born in Detroit, he is a second generation descendent of Sicilian Catholic immigrants and a product of the public education system in Michigan. He received his B.S. degree in 1976, from the University of Michigan, and his M.D. from the Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1981. Following medical school, he completed a five-year residency in General Surgery and a two year residency in Plastic Surgery. He was chosen to be the Chief Administrative Resident in both of these training programs at the Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center Affiliated Program, and subsequently earned his board certification from both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Busuito has dedicated his life to serving his profession and training future physicians. Since beginning his practice, he has continually been involved in research as well as teaching medical students and surgery residents. He is proud of his affiliation with Wayne State University, and currently serves as Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, a voluntary position, at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. In addition to his busy practice of plastic and reconstructive surgery, Dr. Busuito frequently lectures in his specialty and is internationally published.
Dr. Busuito has held and currently holds seats on several boards. His board experience includes a bank board and community and charitable foundations, among others. He has been very active in service in philanthropy for causes he supports, including the Wayne State School of Medicine.
Dr. Busuito currently holds several leadership positions in the hospitals where he practices. His practice is split between both disciplines of plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Busuito has been the recipient of many honors and awards for his surgical accomplishments as well as his teaching endeavors, his community service and his charitable work. He is the father of six children, all of whom participate in community service.
Dr. Busuito has performed thousands of charitable surgical procedures on children around the world through Operation KINDNESS (Kids In Need Deserve Necessary Essential Surgical Services), a charitable surgical organization of which he is a co-founder. Operation KINDNESS provides surgical services to infants and children who live in areas of the world where the expertise and/or technology is not available to treat the terrible deformities with which they are born. Most of these congenital defects involve cleft lip and palate deformities. Dr. Busuito and his team have been performing these surgeries for more than 25 years and they donate their time, services and supplies free of charge to those in need.
