Michigan News

Benson hits the ground running

Announces leadership council and key transition positions

Governor-elect Benson hits the ground running, announces leadership council and key transition positions to be ready for Day One

DETROIT, Mich. -- Governor-elect Jocelyn Benson today announced a leadership council of 15 accomplished leaders from across Michigan who will help guide her transition and prepare her administration to hit the ground running on Day One.

The council brings together leaders with deep experience in education, healthcare, public service, philanthropy, labor, business, and law. Together, they will provide expertise and guidance as the incoming administration prepares to deliver on the priorities Michiganders voted for: lowering costs, raising wages, and making government work for the people.

"I am bringing together some of the most experienced and respected leaders in our state to help us prepare for the work ahead," said Governor-elect Benson. "Michiganders expect a government that works for them, and that starts with making sure we’re ready to deliver from Day One. I’m grateful these leaders are stepping up to help us build an administration focused on lowering costs, growing our economy, and making government work better for families across Michigan."

THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CHAIRS:

Dan Kildee served Michigan as a member of Congress from 2013 to 2025 and is the current President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. Prior to being elected to Congress, Mr. Kildee co-founded and served as President of the Center for Community Progress and founded Michigan's first land bank--the Genesee County Land Bank--which is responsible for over $100 million in redevelopment in the city of Flint. He is the current Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government at Central Michigan University.

Kym Worthy is the prosecutor of Wayne County, the first African American and the first female to hold the position. As county prosecutor, Ms. Worthy created the first Elder Abuse Unit in the history of the office. Additionally, she implemented a "Change the Culture" initiative that focuses on educational training and community policing in an effort to reduce gun violence. She has also been an adjunct professor of criminal law at the University of Detroit Mercy.

Gary Torgow is a Detroit business and civic leader who serves as Chair of Huntington Bank and Founder and Executive Chairman of The Sterling Group. He chairs the Board of Business Leaders For Michigan and the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America and serves on the boards of the Pope Francis Center and The Henry Ford.

Cindy Pasky is the President and CEO of Strategic Staffing Solutions. Ms. Pasky serves as chair of the Detroit Downtown Partnership Board of Directors and is a member of Business Leaders for Michigan Board of Directors. She is the Founding Chair of the American-Lithuanian Business Council and serves on the Investor Advisory Committee of the Government of Lithuania. Ms. Pasky has also served as past chair of the Eastern Market Partnership Board of Directors, Michigan Humane Board of Directors, and the Michigan and Detroit Workforce Development Boards.

THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBERS:

Rosalynn Bliss is currently the assistant dean and chief external relations officer at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Prior to joining MSU, Ms. Bliss served the City of Grand Rapids as an elected official for 19 years - first as a city commissioner and then as mayor. She has also served on several boards, including the Downtown Development Authority, the Kent County Convention/Arena Authority, Smartzone Authority, Community Rebuilders, Grand Rapids Chamber Foundation Board, Michigan Future Inc., the Citizens Research Council, Macatawa Bank, and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

Laura Dickerson is the Vice President of the UAW International Executive Board. Ms. Dickerson is the first African American woman in the history of the UAW to be elected to the International Executive Board, and the first African American woman to serve as Vice President. Ms. Dickerson serves as the Director of the UAW Ford, Agricultural Implement, and Chaplaincy Departments.

Fadwa Hammoud is the managing member of Miller Johnson's Detroit office. Before joining Miller Johnson, Ms. Hammoud served as Michigan's Solicitor General--the youngest and first Arab American Muslim in the role--representing the State in critical appellate matters. In 2021, she made history as the first Arab American Muslim woman to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court. Ms. Hammoud has held leadership positions in the Department of Attorney General and is a former Wayne County prosecutor. She has also contributed to the Michigan Middle Eastern American Affairs Commission and advisory committees focused on historically underrepresented communities.

Austin Lowes is the elected chairperson of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians and also serves as president of the United Tribes of Michigan. Mr. Lowes previously worked as a medical social worker in several communities, including the Sault tribe, the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, and the Bay Mills Indian Community. He was awarded a fellowship to the National Congress of American Indians for his commitment to addressing tribal issues.

Chandra Madafferi is president of the Michigan Education Association (MEA). Ms. Madafferi has almost 20 years of experience in the classroom, having taught special education, online credit recovery and health, including health for English language learners. She has served as a delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly, the MEA RA and the MEA Region 7 Coordinating Council, and she has served on the MEA Communications Committee and as member liaison to the Student MEA Advisory Committee.

Terrence Martin is the first African American president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Michigan, leading a union of 35,000 educators and healthcare providers across the state. From 2018 to 2023, Mr. Martin served as president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers. Mr. Martin also serves on the Michigan Education Justice Coalition and Michigan's Black Leadership Advisory Council.

Marcus Muhammad has served as mayor of Benton Harbor since 2016. Most recently, Mr. Muhammad secured a federal BUILD grant for a major Riverview Drive redevelopment, the largest investment in the area's history.

Brent Pilarski is the Business Manager of the Michigan Laborers' District Council (MLDC). Mr. Pilarski is a long-time member of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) and has served in multiple leadership roles across Michigan's construction and energy sectors.

Mary Sheffield is the first woman to serve as mayor of the City of Detroit. She previously served as the Detroit City Council's President and was the youngest person ever elected to the position. Ms. Sheffield has a record of championing impactful policies and initiatives, including the Inclusionary Housing, Property Tax Reform, Community Input Over Government Surveillance, Home Repair Grant Funding, Neighborhood Improvement Fund, Homeowner Property Tax Exemption (HOPE), Right to Counsel, Responsible Contracting, the Neighborhood Angels Program, Homelessness and Affordable Housing Taskforce, Detroit Reparations Taskforce, and the Detroit Girls of Destiny mentoring program.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin currently serves Michigan in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Slotkin was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025, and previously worked in national security roles at the Pentagon and White House during the Bush and Obama administrations. Sen. Slotkin is devoted to expanding access to affordable healthcare, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and bringing critical supply chains and manufacturing back to Michigan.

Linh Song is co-founder and chair of The Song Foundation. Ms. Song has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years, supporting child advocacy, public schools, anti-trafficking within international adoption, and tech startups. She co-chairs Michigan Reproductive Rights for All and is a board member for Jewish Family Services Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Art Center, Abundant Housing Michigan, Skillman Foundation, Great Lakes Housing Services, and the State Land Bank Authority.

In addition to the leadership council, Governor-elect Benson has named President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Nicole Sherard-Freeman, CEO of the Greater Flint Health Coalition Jim Ananich, and President and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan Jeff Donofrio as co-chairs for the transition. They will provide strategic direction and ensure the incoming administration is prepared to deliver on its commitments to Michiganders.

The transition will be further supported by Chief Operations Officer Maria Martinez, Chief Legal Counsel Christina Grossi, Senior Strategist Mel Brown, and Senior Advisor Assad Turfe.

Martinez comes to the transition with nearly six years of experience in the Executive Office of the Governor, overseeing various legal and operational matters. Grossi is a partner in Honigman's Government Relations & Regulatory Practice Group and a veteran of state government having served as chief legal counsel in the Whitmer administration and in leadership roles in the Department of Attorney General.

Brown is the managing director of government solutions at Miller Johnson and a longtime veteran of Michigan public service with prior roles in the Granholm administration and in the office of U.S. Congressman Sander Levin. Turfe is a Dearborn native who began his career as a deputy in the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and now serves as deputy county executive for Wayne County.

For more information about the transition, visit mi2027transition.com.