Governor Rick Snyder has appointed Luke Shaefer to the Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity. Shaefer’s appointment, announced on June 7, 2018, will last three years, until June 21, 2021.
The commission serves to advise the governor, the state legislature, and Michigan’s congressional delegation on poverty-related issues in the state. It also makes recommendations to policymakers on changes needed in state and federal programs.
Rick Snyder thanked the new members, saying, “This commission is important to our state because it aims to not only end poverty, but also to give Michiganders the tools and opportunities to become more self-reliant.” The commission is comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders and experts, with elected officials, low-income individuals, and private sector individuals each making up one-third of the membership. Luke Shaefer will represent the private sector, as he replaces Marcella Wilson, the CEO of Transition to Success.
Luke Shaefer is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, Associate Professor of Social Work, and also the director of Policy Solutions at the University of Michigan, where he and his team study, “innovative solutions for the prevention and alleviation of poverty.” He is the author, with Kathryn Edin, of $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 2015.