I was incredibly honored to have been chosen to help Governor Whitmer lay the foundation for her State of the State address. This past Tuesday, I facilitated one of two small roundtable discussions of Michigan residents in Brighton as they shared how they are impacted by the economy, inflation, education and a few other topics. I got to ask questions about the central issues affecting our state, and the participants got to share with the Governor why these issues mattered to them, and to share their hopes for Michigan. They came from different walks of life and different political parties, but the time was spent having an authentic, civil conversation on the fundamentals that are sadly often missing these days.

The Governor’s statement during the State of the State of chasing our bright future with “hustle” and “grit” resonated strongly at our session as well – we all must have the courage, confidence, self-belief, and self-determination to go out there and work it out – to make Michigan a thriving place to live, work, raise a family, and do business. “Let’s Get it Done!” I have no doubt that as her second term begins that we will see her put every ounce of energy into making Michigan shine with her partners in the House and Senate as we build a brighter future.

MLA has a lot to do and an incredible opportunity during the next legislative session to live up to our own idea of “Getting it Done!” and I hope you’ll join me to put the library community squarely into the equation.

Deborah E. Mikula
Executive Director