On Dec. 19 2024, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed two new members of Eastern Michigan University’s Board of Regents.
Sean Gray, vice president of Small Business Services at the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., and Jenita Moore, director of the Office of Community Engagement for the Governor, will replace Eunice Jeffries and Alexander Simpson, respectively.
The EMU Board of Regents is the university’s governing body, as established by the Michigan Constitution of 1963. The regents monitor and approve the university’s spending, along with presiding over general affairs. Each regent serves an eight-year term, with new appointments made by the governor as necessary. Both Jeffries and Simpson’s terms are set to conclude at the end of 2024.
Gray is a licensed professional small business consultant for Michigan’s Small Business Development Center. Before his current role as vice president, he served as an economic development specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in management and a master's degree in educational leadership, both from Eastern Michigan University.
Moore has served in a variety of government positions in the past, including chief of staff for Sen. Sarah Anthony, legislative liaison for Michigan’s Department of State, and senior advisor of policy and legislation for the state’s Department of Insurance and Financial Services. She is a graduate of EMU, holding a Bachelor of Science in public law and government. She then went on to earn her master's degree in public management and agency administration from Western Michigan University.
These appointees are part of larger recommendations from Whitmer to boards and commissions across the state of Michigan. In a written statement from the governor's office, Whitmer said they represent Michigan’s young professionals, communities of color, seniors, and more.
“The appointees announced this week build on Gov. Whitmer’s work to ensure appointees reflect Michigan’s diverse population,” a governor's spokesman said in the statement.
Gray and Moore’s appointments are still subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. If approved, they will begin working on the board in January and are set to serve until 2032.
