Campaigns create interesting promises…Winning an election creates incredible opportunities for the victors. But the vastness of change that occurs when we elect a new chief executive is unimaginable to the normal person. Put yourself in the position of taking over a company with nearly $60 billion in annual revenue as well as tens of thousands of employees.

It would be like taking over…

• • Disney – $55 billion annual revenue
  • FedEx – $60 billion
  • PepsiCo – $63 billion

Then imagine having less than 60 days to prepare – from the time you’re selected to do the job to taking the helm.  Having to switch from campaigning to governing; having to build a very large team – including all new department directors to help carry out your mission and message.

All the while the media and voters want to know your top policy and budget priorities and when you’ll start implementing them.  And yes, they are also watching and denoting when you stumble.  It’s a lot of pressure.  However, with our new governor’s deep experience in state and local government – having helped lead the Senate – serving as a prosecutor and a professor and a proud mother- this seems a bit easier of an endeavor for her.

April 10^th was Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s 100^th day as the chief executive.  Here’s a snapshot of some of the things she’s done during this period:

• • Appointed 12 state department directors;
  • Named hundreds of staff to critical positions;
  • Hosted weekly meetings with the four legislative leaders;
  • Delivered her first state of the state address to a joint convention of the Legislature;
  • Prepared and announced the robust FY 2019-20 $60 billion state budget;
  • Attended and sat next to President Trump at a formal White House dinner for new governors;
  • Fulfilled a New Year’s resolution to be in a 5K each month. So far so good.  She was found at the Chill at the Mills in Rochester, the Super Wild Wings Bowl 5K, and the Paczki Run in Hamtramck;
  • Visited every state department office, including meeting with thousands of state workers;
  • Launched the “Home for Opportunity Tour”, a 50-event tour across Michigan with a focus on fixing the roads and making sure the workforce is adequately trained. She’s already traversed the whole state with more cities on the list;
  • Redesigned the Department of Environmental Quality as the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy;
  • Helped announce the new Fiat Chrysler’s investment in Michigan with a new jeep factory creating 5,000 jobs;
  • Issued an Executive Order establishing a new marijuana regulatory agency
  • Joined her transportation department in launching a new online dashboard to make information about the condition of all bridges on the Michigan state and local road system easily accessible to the public;
  • Signed her first bill into law.

This is the tip of the iceberg.  The job is bigger than most of us are aware.  Would you be up to the task? How much have you checked off your to-do list since January 1?

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.