RELEASE: Gov. Whitmer Announces New Updates to Cabinet & Agency Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 21, 2023

Gov. Whitmer Announces New Updates to Cabinet & Agency Leadership

Thanks Colonel Gasper and Director Hawks for 25 years of service, wishes them a happy retirement.

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has selected Marlon Brown to serve as acting director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Jessica Weare to serve as acting commissioner at the Michigan Bureau of State Lottery, and Justine Johnson to lead the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) within the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The governor thanked Colonel Joe Gasper and Director Orlene Hawks who announced their retirements after decades of service.

“I’ve always said that the people who call this great state home are what makes Michigan a great place to live, work, and play,” said Governor Whitmer. “That couldn’t be more true for the two outstanding public servants who have announced the end of their decades-long service in state government. I want to thank Colonel Gasper for making Michigan a safer place. And I want to thank Director Hawks for her leadership in supporting businesses and entrepreneurs across the state. We still have a lot of work to get done, so let’s keep our foot on the accelerator.”

Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Marlon Brown, Acting Director of LARA

Marlon Brown will serve as the acting director at LARA. He is currently LARA's chief administrative officer (CAO) and oversees the central services of the department including communications, finance and administration, human resources, policy and legislative affairs, and equity and inclusion initiatives. As CAO, he also works to develop and implement strategic priorities, policies, and procedures for the department. Brown most recently served as director of LARA's Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs. Prior to joining LARA, he served in various positions within state government, including working for the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Department of Transportation, and the State Budget Office. Brown earned a bachelor's degree in political science from American University, a master's degree in public administration from the University of Delaware, and a doctorate in public administration from Valdosta State University.

“I offer my deepest gratitude to Governor Whitmer for entrusting me with the opportunity to serve our state in this important role,” said incoming Acting Director Brown. “The work that we do at LARA impacts the quality of life for all Michiganders and I look forward to working with our talented and dedicated team to continue advancing our mission of protecting people and promoting business. I also want to express my appreciation to Director Hawks for her leadership, her vision, and her friendship. She will be sorely missed, not just at LARA but throughout state government. Michiganders will benefit from her tenure in public service for decades to come.”

Director Orlene Hawks has announced her retirement after 25 years serving in state government.

As the first black woman and immigrant to lead the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Director Orlene Hawks has had an historic tenure in office. She is also one of the longest serving LARA directors in recent history. Under Director Hawks's leadership, LARA has been a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and enacted administrative rules that require health professionals to take implicit bias training as a condition of licensure or registration. The department also established a Child Care Licensing Bureau to help address the need for more child care providers throughout the state. Additionally, LARA implemented several minimum standards to improve indigent defense services within Michigan’s criminal justice system, and the department became a gold-level veteran friendly employer enacting policies to provide license reciprocity and fee waivers for veterans and their families.

“It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve Governor Whitmer and the people of Michigan,” said Director Hawks. “I have dedicated 25 years of my life to public service because I truly believe in the good work that we do. It’s hard to summarize all that we have accomplished at LARA, especially during unprecedented times for our state and our nation. I am so proud to have led this department of more than 1,600 employees who never missed a beat and continually demonstrate their commitment to improving the lives of others and creating opportunities for everyone in this state. I want to thank Governor Whitmer for supporting me and the entire LARA team who tirelessly works to deliver positive results for Michigan.

Director Hawks’s last day is July 30. Marlon Brown will become acting director upon her departure.

Michigan Bureau of State Lottery

Jessica Karbowski Weare, Acting Commissioner of Lottery

Jessica Weare will serve as the acting commissioner of Lottery. She is currently deputy legal counsel to Governor Whitmer, advising on a range of legal issues confronting the State of Michigan including lottery, gaming, and Tribal affairs. Prior to returning to her home state, Jessica was associate general counsel for Global Trade Compliance at Facebook (now Meta). Earlier in her legal career, Jessica spent nearly a decade as an attorney-adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State. Immediately after law school, she served as a judicial clerk to Justice Dana Fabe on the Alaska Supreme Court. Jessica received her BA from Alma College, where she was a Truman and Fulbright Scholar, and her JD from Yale Law School.

“It is an honor to carry forward the mission of the Michigan Lottery alongside the countless public servants and Lottery retailers, many of which are small businesses,” said incoming Acting Commissioner Weare. “The Lottery has been a vital source of funding for Michigan’s public schools for decades, including recent years when it has delivered over $1 billion of revenue to support students. This will continue to drive our focus as we support schools across the state.”

Under Commissioner Brian Neill’s leadership, the Lottery contributed more than $6 billion to the School Aid Fund, supporting public education in Michigan. The Lottery also set several records, including posting an all-time high School Aid Fund contribution of $1.419 billion.

“I am honored to have served in Gov. Whitmer’s cabinet as Lottery Commissioner for the last five years,” said Commissioner Neill. “The success of Lottery would not be possible without the support of our players, retailers, vendors, and dedicated public-service professionals across state government. I am proud to have played a role in the success of Lottery since joining the team in 2013, and look forward to serving the citizens of Grand Rapids on the 61st District Court.”

Commissioner Neill’s last day is July 30 as he is set to take his role on the bench of the 61st District Court in Grand Rapids on July 31. Jessica Weare will become acting commissioner upon his departure.

Michigan State Police

Colonel Joe Gasper has announced his retirement after 25 years serving at MSP.

Under Colonel Gasper’s leadership, the MSP has hired nearly 500 troopers, advanced equipment and technologies in furtherance of public safety, invested in modern training and professional development, and increased transparency and accountability.

“I am thankful and grateful to Governor Whitmer for entrusting me with this role,” said Colonel Gasper. “Leading the men and women of the Michigan State Police as we work to build a Michigan where everyone feels safe and secure has been the honor of my 25-year policing career. With the Governor’s support over the last five years, we have built a solid foundation for modern policing.”

Colonel Gasper’s retirement will take effect in September. The State of Michigan will conduct a search to select the next MSP director.

Office of Future Mobility and Electrification

Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer of OFME

“I’m thrilled to welcome Justine to Team Michigan and am grateful for Kathryn and Trevor’s efforts to build our state’s position as a renowned leader in this new generation of mobility and transportation technologies,” said Governor Whitmer. “Under Justine’s leadership, we’ll continue to put the world on notice that if you seek a place to research, innovate, test and deploy the next generation of mobility technologies, we welcome you to make it in Michigan.”

Justine Johnson is an accomplished economic development and mobility executive with more than 10 years of experience in external affairs, strategy and government and community relations. Most recently, Ms. Johnson was appointed to the Los Angeles County Aviation Commission to advise the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on the operations and development of the County’s five airports. In addition to this role, she served as the Director of Member Engagement at the California Mobility Center (CMC) which is a non-profit that promotes commercial interactions with new mobility companies and industry-leading entities to deploy new products, programs, and services in clean mobility in the State of California, and beyond. Previously, Ms. Johnson served as the Head of Mobility Engagement for the SoCal/Southwest Region at Ford Motor Company. This promotion was a result of her successful tenure as Ford’s Mobility Strategist. During her time in New York City, she served as Vice President of Government & Community Relations for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, managing government and community relations for Mayor de Blasio’s innovative commuter ferry system. However, her impact on transportation initiatives within NYC was initially established during her time with the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission where she worked on the “Boro Taxi” project, also known as the Green Taxi program, which created a new for-hire vehicle and driver classification.

While she spent many years in NYC, Ms. Johnson is a proud native of Los Angeles, CA, and believes in giving back to her community through her service. She was the Board Co-Chair of BlackSpace Urbanist Collective, an organization that challenges urban designers, planners, artists, and architects to build spaces that honor the culture and cultivate the talent of Black people. She also served as Board Chair of Urban Movement Labs, an organization that focuses on bringing new mobility innovation to Los Angeles by working at the intersection of government, technology innovation, and community. Most notably, she served as an adjunct instructor at USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. Ms. Johnson holds two Master of Arts degrees from the University of Southern California in Urban Planning and Public Administration. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampton University in Political Science and Government. Ms. Johnson succeeds Kathryn Snorrason as Interim Chief Mobility Officer and Trevor Pawl as Chief Mobility Officer for the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, effective on August 21, 2023.

The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification works across state government, academia and private industry to enhance Michigan’s mobility ecosystem, including developing dynamic mobility and electrification policies and supporting the startup and scale up of emerging technologies and businesses. Michigan's competitive advantages make the state a place where mobility solutions are born and where companies find long-term success and support.

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