Send “people” news for Turnstiles to Dome.
As if Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel needed anything else to make a trip there more special! But the Michigan Political History Society will take it up a notch for its members when it hosts a fun and educational outing that includes a welcome reception and guided tour by the Musser family, the Grand’s owners and ultimate hosts.
The July 24–26 weekend event marks the second time the Mussers have agreed to play tour guides for history society members, complete with behind-the-scenes stories of the many political leaders who have visited the island and historic hotel. The initial tour brought requests that they do it again in the future.
Reservations are due June 25. For information and reservations, contact the history society’s Linda Cleary at 517.333.7996 or linda.cleary@sbcglobal.net.
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Speaking of grand tours, it’s hard to beat Sam Singh’s past 16 months. The former East Lansing mayor and former head of the Michigan Nonprofit Association returned to the Lansing area after a trip around the world that included out-of-America experiences on all seven continents. Most of him returned, that is. All the walking and fresh food, he says, helped him drop nearly 40 pounds during his sabbatical, making “suit shopping” one of his first back-to-routine priorities. He’s now wearing those new suits at policy research firm Public Policy Associates in Lansing, where he was named senior policy consultant.
Singh told morning radio host Walt Sorg of WILS-AM in Lansing that there were so many distinctive memories and special places he visited that he couldn’t narrow the choice to the most outstanding. But what left the biggest overall impression, he said, was “seeing America through other people’s eyes” and other countries’ news media. That was even more significant, he added, because he was out of the U.S. during the history-making campaign and election of President Obama and a reminder “how special being an American is and how special the election process is for the rest of the world.”
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Jeff Mason leaves the post of senior vice president and chief business development officer for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to become the University Research Corridor’s first executive director. The corridor is composed of the state’s three largest research universities, University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University, which have banded together to maximize their resources and impact on Michigan’s economy. Mason begins July 6.
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Michigan is losing AT&T Michigan President Gail Torreano to Dallas, where she is now AT&T senior vice president. Torreano has been a fixture on Michigan’s civic, corporate and political scenes for years, including service on the boards of Central Michigan University, Detroit Renaissance, Detroit Regional Chamber and Detroit Medical Center. Moving up to interim Michigan president is Jim Murray, vice president of government affairs.
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Chuck Yob, former GOP national committee vice chair, joined his son John Patrick Yob’s political consulting firm, Strategic National, MIRS reports. He’s serving as senior advisor and focusing on state conventions and state House candidate recruitment.
Deaths
Carl Pursell, who served on the Wayne County Commission and in the Michigan Senate before winning election to Congress in 1976, died June 11 after a long illness. He was 76. Mr. Pursell also served as a trustee of Eastern Michigan University, his alma mater, following eight terms in the U.S. House. An Army veteran, he was a graduate of Plymouth High School and a teacher and businessman before entering politics as a Republican.
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