JoAnne Huls’s entry into the political arena was so subtle she didn’t even realize at first it had happened.
A fresh graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in child development Huls, seeking an internship after completing her student teaching, sought out a position with Debbie Stabenow in 1994, hoping to learn how state government impacted teachers of young children, wanting to be one herself.
What Huls didn’t know was that Stabenow was running for governor at the time, and she had inadvertently called Stabenow’s campaign. She ended up driving Stabenow around that day and – long story short – began her career in the political and government world.
“I was with Stabenow all the way through her 2000 race … and then I worked for (former governor) Jennifer Granholm, took eight years off and worked in the private sector.”
When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won six years ago, she asked Huls to come aboard to run her transition, and Huls is still there, having become Whitmer’s chief of staff.
“This governor asked me to come back and run her transition, and I did,” Huls said. “And now I’m still here.”
With March being Women’s History Month, it’s interesting to note that Huls is part of an administration that features a number of women, starting with the top three elected officials – Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Among many others, key officials include:
- Huls, who is Whitmer’s chief of staff. She also served as Granholm’s deputy chief of staff and worked in the private sector at Chemical Bank and the Sterling Group.
- Christina Grassi, chief legal counsel. Grassi gives legal advice to the governor and her staff on a range of topics, including major litigation facing the state, reviewing and analyzing proposed legislation, drafting executive orders and directives, reviewing policy initiatives and participating in the judicial appointment process. Before that, she spent 12 years in the attorney general’s office. Also an MSU graduate, Grassi was a lawyer at Saginaw-based Gilbert, Smith & Borrello.
- Tracy Winston, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist’s chief of staff. She’s a member of the state bars of Texas and Michigan, served as Head of Government Affairs for Waste Management and policy advisor to law firms, committees, and legislative caucuses in both states. Winston received her juris doctor degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and her undergraduate degree from Hope College.
- Tricia L. Foster, chief operating officer. Was director of Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget, where she directed a staff of nearly 3,000 employees who provide business, information technology, procurement, retirement, financial and other administrative services for state government and oversees the department’s $1.3 billion budget. Foster graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in accounting from Michigan State University.
Like Huls, Grassi’s entry into government was a little accidental. Having worked in the private sector for a firm that represented municipalities, Grassi learned she had a taste for that kind of work. Moving back to Ingham County where she worked for the Department of the Attorney General.
“I tried to find a place where I could continue to represent government because I loved it so much,” Grassi said. “I started looking at it because of my love for the public interest type of law and found that it is the place to do public interest law. So I found my way into government accidentally, and it turned out to be really impactful and the most meaningful thing that I’ve done because I love government work in a way that I didn’t love other kinds of practice.”
Foster had a long career in the real estate world before retiring after 24 years in 2016 to care for her mother. Shortly thereafter, Whitmer asked her if she was “ready to get back in the game.”
She was appointed to Whitmer’s cabinet and, a year later, promoted to the newly created position of chief operating officer.
“And lo and behold, here I am,” Foster said. “So it was a non-traditional path for most folks. In fact, I remember during the interview process to be cabinet director, there was a lot of concerns that I had no state government (experience) and therefore might not do very well in the job, but hopefully my hard work and results have proved everybody wrong.”
Winston also got involved in government by happenstance. Trying to determine what she wanted to do as a new lawyer, Winston heeded the advice of a professor and checked out an opening in the Texas Legislature.
She soon made the decision to stay in government.
“I realized that the decisions being made by the government are being made without people who look like me being represented and how powerful the government is,” Winston said. “I wanted to be a part of positive change for people.”
Huls notes the amount of experience around economic development is represented here, which she says gives them experience to “understand about how economic development works,” how it impacts families and workers as well as the communities that each business is in.
They see things “from a 360-degree view,” Huls points out, because they’ve been inside of state government and outside of state government and therefore “understand it from all sides.”
“So that’s certainly something we’ve been working a lot on, supporting women and families,” Huls said. “I think this administration has been leading the way on many of those initiatives, but I wouldn’t call those women’s issues necessarily. They’re just supporting all of the families that we have.”
Winston thinks the success of the women in the administration is easy to define.
“Mostly because they are capable,” she said. “Women in government have consistently demonstrated their expertise, leadership and ability to get things done. Their presence in key roles is a reflection of their qualifications, dedication, and the results they deliver.”
In today’s political climate, particularly at the federal level where officials are trying to eliminate vestiges of diversity, equity and inclusion, the accomplishments may not count as much.
Huls and her colleagues think eliminating aspects of DEI is a mistake.
“It’s a mistake to keep people out of the room,” Huls said. “And it’s a mistake to think that any of us are hired because we’re a pity hire. And it’s a mistake to think that Tracy as a black woman is a pity hire. We’re qualified to be here. And so that’s a big mistake to think that we’re only here because of DEI.”
For Winston, diversity isn’t “just a talking point, it’s a proven factor in success.”
“Countless studies show that organizations and companies that have a diverse membership are more successful and drive stronger outcomes,” she said. “I got involved in government because I saw how decisions were being made for people who looked like me, without people who look like me in the room. That lack of representation has real consequences.
“Diversity is paramount for success and to ensure that government is working for everyone,” she said. “Efforts to eliminate DEI don’t change the reality that representation leads to better governance and a stronger future for all.”
Foster pointed out that “people of power” have been “trying to keep other people down” for a long time. She agrees it’s a mistake to keep people out.
“Line our resumes up against anyone, and you would be hard pressed to pick the man over the humans that are right here,” Foster said. “We found a way to drive through all of the challenges that were faced where women shouldn’t be in the boardroom. And then we have the resume.”
While they feel they’ve been very successful in their current roles, those jobs are likely to go away after the 2026 election, when Whitmer is term-limited out of office. What happens then? They agree something else will be on the horizon.
“I’ve been so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in government,” Grassi said. “I think it will be nice for me to end my time with Governor Whitmer and go on to something else outside of government.”
