MACKINAC CENTER LEGAL FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Operations
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Clifford Taylor is chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Taylor, former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and J.D. from George Washington University. He served as a Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court from 1997 to 2008 and twice served as Chief Justice. Before service on the Supreme Court he was a Judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals for five years. Prior to his judicial service, Taylor was a lawyer in Ingham County, where he practiced for 20 years with the final 16 as a partner in the firm of Denfield, Timmer and Taylor. In his professional career, Taylor served on the Michigan Board of Law Examiners, the Michigan Commission on the Courts in the 21st Century, and the Board of Directors of the National Conference of Chief Justices. He has served his community in many capacities including on the executive and financial committees for the Chief Okemos Council of the Boy Scouts and on the board of directors for the Michigan Dyslexia Institute.
Job Titles:
- Information Systems Administrator
Job Titles:
- Chartered Financial Analyst
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Daniel Graf is a member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Mr. Graf is a Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA. He received a Bachelor of Liberal Studies in accounting and history from Hillsdale College (1986) and his Masters in Finance degree from Walsh College (1993). He completed the Associate in Accounting and Finance, AIAF, insurance designation and the Management of Managers program at the University of Michigan.
Mr. Graf began his career with Amerisure in 1986 and has held several management positions in the Accounting, Treasury, Credit Collections, and Investments departments since. In addition to Graf's current responsibilities of overseeing the $2-billion investment portfolio of Amerisure Mutual Holdings, Inc. and its insurance subsidiaries, his strong strategic focus and knowledge of the insurance industry will also prove to be valuable as he serves on the Company's key strategic Committees.
Job Titles:
- Senior Strategist for State Affairs
Job Titles:
- Member / Member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
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- Director of Public Relations
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- Information Systems Developer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
- Member of the Mackinac Center 's Board of Directors
J.C. Huizenga is a member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Huizenga is an entrepreneur, education reformer and business leader. He is the chairman of and founder of Huizenga Group, which operates seven diverse manufacturing companies, a commercial contracting firm, and a consumer products packaging company.
In 1995, Huizenga began (and presently chairs) National Heritage Academies, now serving over 51,000 students in 76 schools across nine states. National Heritage was founded out of Huizenga's conviction that every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their dreams. National Heritage was listed in Inc. magazine's "500 Fastest Growing Private Companies" four consecutive years.
In 2008, Huizenga launched a high school initiative, PrepNet, which operates 4 charter high schools serving over 1,600 students in Michigan. These high schools have been recognized for high achievement with challenged students. In 2013, PrepNet was listed in Inc. Magazine's "500 Fastest Growing Private Companies."
In Michigan, Huizenga is known for his active volunteer leadership and philanthropy, serving on boards such as the Seidman School of Business advisory board, the Grand Valley State University Foundation board, and the Salvation Army Divisional Advisory board.
In addition to being a member of the Mackinac Center's Board of Directors, Huizenga has also chaired the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, served as a national judge for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition and is a member of the Acton Institute board of trustees.
Beyond Michigan, Huizenga's volunteerism can be seen in his work as past chair of the Haggai Institute International Board and chair of the U.S. board of Stephen's Children, a Middle East organization dedicated to serving the needs of underprivileged children in Cairo, Egypt.
Through the years, Huizenga has been recognized for his accomplishments in business as well as his leadership in school reform and his worldwide philanthropy.
Huizenga earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Hope College in Holland, Michigan and his MBA from Michigan State University. J.C. and his wife, Tammy, live in the Grand Rapids area. He has one son, David.
Job Titles:
- Public Policy 's Senior Legislative Analyst and Editor
- Senior Legislative Analyst
Jack McHugh is the Mackinac Center for Public Policy's senior legislative analyst and editor of MichiganVotes.org, a unique Web site that puts the activities of the Michigan Legislature at citizens' fingertips. Since the site was launched in 2001, McHugh has written or edited concise, plain-English descriptions of every bill, vote and amendment in the state House and Senate: 12,000 bills; 10,000 roll call votes; 8,000 amendments; and 2,400 new laws. These can all be searched and sorted on the MichiganVotes.org Web site.
McHugh's experience prior to joining the Center is wide and varied. He has been a floor trader in the treasury bond and gold futures "pits" of the Chicago commodity exchanges, writer and real estate developer. He entered the Michigan political and public policy scene in 1994, spending six years as a legislative chief of staff in the House of Representatives.
McHugh has a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in political science from Central Michigan University (where he completed two highly relevant research projects, "Analyzing Michigan House Voting Records Using the ‘MichiganVotes.org' Database" and "Analysis of Appropriations to Michigan's Public Four-Year Universities, with Recommendations").
Jack McHugh's essays on public policy issues have appeared in The Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, The Oakland Press, The Grand Rapids Press and many other newspapers. He is also co-author of a book on Midwest mountain bike trails.
Job Titles:
- Managing Editor of Michigan Capitol Confidential
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- Director of Fiscal Policy
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- Assistant Managing Editor of Michigan Capitol Confidential
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- Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
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- Director of Environmental Policy
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- Assistant Director of Advancement
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- President & CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce
Jim Barrett served for 32 years as President & CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, an advocate for private enterprise in the legislative, regulatory, political and judicial process.
Jim was named by the Michigan Political History Society in 2003 as the most effective association leader in State politics over the last 50 years. In 2008 the Mackinac Center for Public Policy presented him with the Thomas Jefferson Award for a career marked by exceptional commitment to protecting taxpayers, fostering enterprise and improving the quality of life in Michigan.
Since 2008, Jim has been an investor with Plymouth Growth Ventures, an Ann Arbor-based venture capital firm. He serves as Chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee for one of Plymouth's Funds.
Jim is currently Chairman of the Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP), Director of the National Charter Schools Institute, Chairman of McLaren-Greater Lansing Hospital and Director and Treasurer of McLaren Health Care Corporation. He is also an appointee of Governor Snyder to the Michigan Civil Service Commission where he is Vice Chairman.
Jim holds a bachelor's degree in Financial Administration from Michigan State University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Advancement
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- Director of Strategic Partnerships
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- Contributing Editor
- Senior Fellow
- Contributing Editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
John LaPlante is a contributing editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, where he gives input for various publications, including Michigan Capitol Confidential and IMPACT magazine.
In addition to his contributions to the Mackinac Center, he has done editorial work for a number of state-focused think tanks and national advocates for policy change. He has written or edited reports and commentaries about government pensions, health care, K-12 education and other topics in public policy.
LaPlante has been published by media outlets such as the Detroit News, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The Hill, USA Today and the Wichita Eagle. He has occasionally appeared on radio programs, including on Detroit's WJR-AM.
After earning a bachelor's degree in economics from Kalamazoo College, LaPlante earned a master's degree in political science from the Ohio State University.
Job Titles:
- Creative Projects Manager
Job Titles:
- Leader
- President
- President of the Board of Directors
- President of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Joseph G. Lehman is president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, an independent, nonprofit research and educational institute in Michigan. The Mackinac Center is one of the largest of 65 independent think tanks across the country that focus primarily on state-level policies that affect peoples' freedom and quality of life.
Lehman first joined the Mackinac Center in 1995. He later became vice president for communications at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., before returning to the Mackinac Center as its executive vice president. He became president in 2008.
Lehman's commentary on public policy has been carried by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, National Journal, National Review, Investor's Business Daily, Wired magazine and nearly every daily Michigan newspaper.
He has addressed audiences at the National Conference of State Legislatures annual meeting, the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference and gatherings of economists and policy experts in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
He is vice chair of the National Taxpayers Union and is a member of the Atlas Network's Global Council of CEOs Team.
Lehman is a leader among state-based public policy experts. In 2013 the State Policy Network recognized him with its Roe Award for leadership, innovation and accomplishments in public policy. He has trained more than 600 think tank executives from nearly every state and more than 50 countries in strategic planning, communications and fundraising. Lehman is the leading instructor on the Overton Window theory developed by late Mackinac Center vice president Joseph Overton and has trained people around the world to understand this model of policy change.
Prior to his public policy career, Lehman was an engineer and project manager for nine years at The Dow Chemical Co. He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Engineering and is a registered professional engineer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
- President of Wolverine Development Corporation
Joseph Maguire holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Northwestern and an M.S. in Real Estate Development from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He serves on numerous other boards including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.
Job Titles:
- Assistant to the President
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- Vice President for Strategy and Communications
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Advancement
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- Senior Director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative
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- Vice President for Operations
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- Vice President for Legal Affairs
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- Secretary of the Board of Directors
- Secretary / Member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Member, McLellan Law Offices. McLellan was named the Best Lawyers' 2012 Lansing Administrative/Regulatory Law Lawyer of the Year in October 2011.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Dick Haworth is a member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Haworth began his career in the contract furniture industry in 1964, when he joined his family's business (then Modern Products, Inc.) as assistant sales manager after receiving a bachelor's degree in business from Western Michigan University. He held various positions in the company until he was named executive vice president in 1969. The company name was changed to Haworth, Inc. in 1975, and in 1976, Haworth became the company's president and chief executive officer. As president, Haworth participated in the development and introduction of the industry's first electrified, panel-based systems office furniture, ERA 1R. He holds 14 patents.
In 1994, Haworth became chairman of the board and has continued that role through today. He led the organization from a single product line with sales of $10 million and 225 employees to build a broad based, multi product line company with sales of $1.5 billion and 8,000 members worldwide in 2007. Today Dick continues as the chairman of the board, setting strategic direction for the global organization. He is a native of Holland, Michigan, where he is a member of the Michigan Business Roundtable, and is closely involved in various local community initiatives.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Chairman / CEO of the Lockwood Companies
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Rodney M. Lockwood, Jr. is a member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Lockwood is the Chairman/CEO of the Lockwood Companies, which develops, constructs and manages new multi-family apartments and senior citizen communities. Lockwood has been involved in the construction of over 10,000 housing units. He is former Chairman of the Board of the Michigan Housing Council and also serves on the boards of the National Housing and Rehabilitation Association and First Independence National Bank of Detroit.
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategic Partnerships
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- Director of Workers for Opportunity
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- Manager of Information Systems
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow for Advocacy and Strategic Counsel