house resolution no.417

The Speaker, on behalf of the entire membership of the House of Representatives, offered the following resolution:

A resolution of tribute for the Honorable Mary Whiteford.

Whereas, It is with great joy and appreciation that we recognize Representative Mary Whiteford as her time in the Michigan House of Representatives concludes. She has been a strong and empowering leader for her constituents in the Eightieth District; and

Whereas, Representative Whiteford brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Legislature. She earned her bachelor of science degree in nursing from Northern Illinois University before working in pediatric neurosurgery and emergency units for 15 years. She is also a small business owner; together with her husband, Kevin, Representative Whiteford operates a financial planning firm. Representative Whiteford is a passionate member of her community and has volunteered in schools, led homeowners associations, and was appointed to the Michigan Women   s Commission to raise awareness of human trafficking. She is a proud mother of three children, Scott, Alisa, and Ken, and a grandmother to Reese, Beckham, Novak, and Wellington; and

Whereas, Representative Whiteford was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2016. Her trusted expertise allowed Representative Whiteford to be appointed as the chair of the Appropriations subcommittees on both Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services as well as the vice chair of the Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Throughout her tenure, she also served on the Appropriations subcommittees of Health and Human Services; Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and Insurance and Financial Services; and Joint Capital Outlay. She has also served as a member on the Health Policy Committee. In her third term, Representative Whiteford served as both majority vice chair and chair of the Appropriations Committee. Throughout her time, Representative Whiteford staunchly advocated for the betterment of Michigan   s mental health system, as evidenced by her successful sponsorship of the law creating the Michigan Crisis and Access Line. She also sought to make lasting improvements to the child welfare system through her work on the Adoption and Foster Care Task Force. Above all, she is proud to be a role model for her children and grandchildren; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we offer this expression of tribute to commend and thank the Honorable Mary Whiteford for her notable contributions to this legislative body; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to Representative Whiteford to extend our thanks and well wishes.