Dick Posthumus
| Dick Posthumus | |||
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| Basic facts | |||
| Role: | Former chief of staff | ||
| Location: | Lansing, Mich. | ||
| Affiliation: | Republican | ||
| Education: | Michigan State University | ||
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Dick Posthumus is a Republican politician and political advisor in the state of Michigan. He was the chief of staff for Gov. Rick Snyder (R) from 2017 to 2019. Posthumus was also the lieutenant governor of Michigan, having served under Gov. John Engler (R), and was the majority leader in the Michigan State Senate from 1990 to 1998.[1]
Career
Early career
While still a student at Michigan State University, Posthumus managed the successful campaign of fellow student John Engler, who was running for Michigan House of Representatives in 1971.[2]
Michigan State Senate
Posthumus was first elected to the state senate in 1982. In 1990, when Engler was elected governor, Posthumus was elected the majority leader in the chamber. According to his biography with the state of Michigan, Posthumus was part of the legislative push to get Proposal A on the ballot in 1994, a measure that was approved and, in part, limited annual increases in property taxes for Michigan residents.[1]
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
In 1998, Posthumus ran on the gubernatorial ticket with Engler. He served as Engler's lieutenant governor for Engler's final term, until 2003. As lieutenant governor, one of Posthumus' initiatives was to develop the Michigan Education Savings Program, which aimed to help families save for college or technical school.[3]
In 2002, he ran for governor, losing the campaign to Jennifer Granholm (D).[4] After losing the election, he was hired as the CEO of Compatico, a furniture company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He retired as CEO in 2010.[5]
Rick Snyder advisor
Legislative director
After Rick Snyder (R) was elected governor of Michigan in 2010, Posthumus became Snyder's legislative director. According to The Associated Press, Posthumus had been in contact with Snyder during the campaign and had been an informal advisor on government affairs. After the election, Snyder convinced Posthumus to join the administration to guide the governor's office on the legislative process in Michigan. He said, "Dick Posthumus has as much or more knowledge of how state government works than anyone in Michigan, and he also knows what it takes to run a business."[5]
Chief of staff
On February 9, 2017, Posthumus was named Snyder's chief of staff, taking over for Jarrod Agen, who left the Snyder administration to work as Vice President Mike Pence's (R) communications director. Upon promoting Posthumus, Snyder said, "Dick is an unwavering public servant whose positive attitude and commitment to teamwork and the reinvention of Michigan have already helped steer Michigan’s comeback over the past six years."[6]
Upon his appointment, Posthumus told West Michigan's WoodTV of his priorities as chief of staff to Snyder, saying, "There are people’s pensions that are working for local governments that are in trouble because they’re not funded. We’ve got to work to save those pensions for their sake. ... We’ve got an educational system we’ve got to bring into the 21st century to prepare kids for the carriers that are out there. We have an infrastructure that is old and we need to begin investing in that."[2]
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2017, Ballotpedia identified Dick Posthumus as a gubernatorial chief of staff. A chief of staff is the lead staff member of an administration and is responsible for implementing the governor's agenda.
The role is both a managerial and advisory position, although specific duties vary by administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to the National Governors Association (NGA):[7]
- Control access to the governor and manage the governor's calendar;
- Monitor the flow of information to the governor on policy issues;
- Oversee gubernatorial Cabinet and staff; and
- Manage and communicate the governor's policy agenda to the state legislature and the public.
In terms of policymaking, the NGA notes that a chief of staff is responsible for bringing policy and communications together: "The chief is responsible for overseeing the development of the governor’s policy agenda. The policy director or advisor is typically responsible for shaping the general concepts and specific details of the agenda with input from the communications director, policy staff and cabinet members. The chief often must take charge and bring the pieces together coherently."[7]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Dick Posthumus'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 State of Michigan, "Former Goverors," accessed August 28, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wood TV, "Dick Posthumus named Snyder’s new chief of staff," February 9, 2017
- ↑ The Business Roundtable, "Leadership Event Speakers," accessed August 28, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "The 2002 Elections: Midwest; Michigan," November 7, 2002
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Associated Press, "Dick Posthumus brings veteran experience to Rick Snyder team," November 27, 2010
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Gov. Snyder taps Dick Posthumus as new chief of staff," February 9, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 National Governors Association, "The Many Roles of the Governor’s Chief of Staff," accessed April 20, 2021
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