GVMC Executive Director Elected Chair of Michigan Infrastructure Council

John Weiss, Executive Director, GVMC

John Weiss, Executive Director the Grand Valley Metro Council was recently elected chairperson of the new Michigan Infrastructure Council.

Under state law, the Michigan Infrastructure Council was created within the state Treasury Department to bring together local utility and infrastructure owners, regional representatives, finance and policy experts, and state department leaders to coordinate infrastructure-related goals and develop a long-term strategy for Michigan’s infrastructure assets.

The council will construct the statewide asset management database, facilitate the data collection strategy and produce a 30-year infrastructure investment and management strategy for the state of Michigan.

The council consists of nine voting members, with five who are appointed by the governor and four who are appointed by the leaders of the legislature. At the first meeting on Sept. 6, council members elected John Weiss, who serves as the executive director of the Grand Valley Metro Council in West Michigan, as chairperson and Kathleen Lomako, who serves as the executive director of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments in Southeast Michigan, as vice-chairperson.

Michigan was the first state in the nation to implement a coordinated effort to better manage the state’s drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, transportation, and private utilities.