Secretary of Staff-elect Ruth Johnson announced today her senior staff that will help her manage the department when she takes the oath on Jan. 1.

Mike Senyko, current Oakland County deputy clerk/register of deeds, will be her chief of staff and Renee Thompson, also an Oakland County deputy clerk, will direct the executive office. Chris Hackbarth, legislative liaison for the Michigan Municipal League, will serve as government affairs director. Alan Filip, E-campaign director for the Michigan Republican Party, will be the director of external affairs and Randall Thompson, senior advisor to U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Livonia), will be communications director.

Senate Minority Leader-elect Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) announced on Tuesday several senior staff appointments to the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Mark Burton will serve as Chief of Staff, Scotty Barton will be Whitmer's scheduler and Malcolm Kletke will aid her in committee, floor and constituent work. John Mulcrone will be the caucus' legal counsel and Sam Rockwell will handle human resources for the caucus.

Katie Carey will be the new press secretary for the Senate Democratic Caucus. In addition to Carey, Alex Rossman and Jessica Tramontana will continue to be a part of the communications staff, as well as former Department of Environmental Quality spokesman Bob McCann.

Gov.-elect Snyder Inaugural Tickets Now Available Online
Tickets to Gov.-elect Snyder's evening Inaugural reception are now available online at https://www.governorelectricksnyder.com/civicrm/event/register?id=1&reset=1. Tickets are $125 and will not be available for purchase at the door. The reception will be held from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Cocktail attire is recommended. For complete inaugural details, visit www.governorelectricksnyder.com/inauguration.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Announces Staff
Senate Majority Floor Leader-elect Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive) recently named Bob DeVries Chief of Staff, Jeff Cobb Director of Floor Operations, Rachel Hoekstra Legislative Director, and Penny Blair Office Administrator.

Senate Majority Policy Office Director Named
Senate Majority Leader-elect Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) recently announced the hiring of Jamie Clover Adams as director of the Senate Majority Policy Office. Adams is currently director of policy development for outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester). Before joining the Senate Republican staff, Adam’s served as Director of the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

On Jan. 15, former Michigan Gov. John Engler will take over as president of Business Roundtable, a powerful association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies that works to promote business policies. Engler succeeds John Castellani, who became president and CEO of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) in September.

Engler has been president of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for the past six years. Replacing Engler as NAM chief executive is Jay Timmons, who served as Engler's executive vice president.

The 95th Legislature will not officially adjourn until Dec. 29; however, many lawmakers are already considering reintroducing legislation in the next session that did not get completed over the last two years. Among the key, or more highly visible, issues likely to reemerge in the 96th Legislature are:

• altering teacher tenure policies
• approval to build a second Windsor-Detroit bridge border crossing (D.R.I.C. or Detroit River International Crossing)
• ending health care coverage for retiring state lawmakers
• requiring health insurers to cover treatments for autism
• uniform health insurance pooling for government employees

Members of the 96th Legislature will be officially sworn into office on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011. The first order of business for the new lawmakers will be balancing the state budget which is approximately $1.6 billion in the red.

Gov.-elect Rick Snyder announced on Wednesday that he will retain Kirk Steudle as Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Gov. Granholm originally appointed him director in March of 2006.

Steudle began his career with the MDOT in 1987, serving as Chief Deputy Director, Bay Region Engineer, and Deputy Region Engineer for the Metro Detroit Region. He is a graduate of Lawrence Technological University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Engineering.

Lt. Col. Kristi Etue was also selected to head the Michigan State Police (MSP). Etue will be the first woman director of the MSP and is currently budget director for the department. She began her career with the MSP in 1987 as a trooper and quickly worked her way up the ranks, working on crime prevention, emergency management and homeland security issues.

Additionally, Snyder appointed a panel to examine law enforcement issues across the state. Etue will serve on the panel, chaired by Ottawa County Sheriff Gary Rosema, which will examine ways to cut costs and improve public safety in Michigan.