Updates About People

On Wednesday, January 4, Justice Elizabeth Clement was unanimously elected to serve as chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court for the two-year term following the resignation of former Chief Justice Bridget McCormack.

Chief Justice Clement was first appointed to the bench by former Republican Governor Rick Snyder. She will lead the 4-3 Democratic-appointed majority that will also be majority female with the recent addition of Justice Kyra Harris Bolden.

Following approval from federal officials, Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) has officially named Amy Hovey as the executive director.

Hovey served as a contract consultant for MSHDA while awaiting the finalization of her appointment as executive director. Hovey’s priorities include collaborating with the Housing Partnership Advisory Board to implement their housing goal of creating 75,000 new housing units across Michigan over the next five years. This is in accordance with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order signed in September which created the Housing Partnership Advisory Board to ensure federal funding for affordable housing and housing equity.

On November 22, Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed State Representative Kyra Harris Bolden (D-Southfield) to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court.

Bolden is set to make history as the first Black woman to serve on the high court. This will also be the Governor’s first appointment to the Supreme Court. This appointment comes following the announcement of Chief Justice Bridget McCormack’s retirement earlier this fall after ten years on the bench.

In related news, Justice Elizabeth Clement was unanimously elected as the new chief justice and will take over for the remainder of Chief Justice Bridget McCormack’s term. Justice Clement was appointed by former Governor Rick Synder and elected to an eight-year term in 2018. Following her election as chief justice, Clement said she is committed to a judiciary that focuses on civility, transparency, and accountability.