Succeeded by Basil W. Brown Education Wayne State University | Name John Hertel | |
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Preceded by Charles N. Youngblood, Jr. | ||
Political party Michigan Democratic Party Alma mater Wayne State University | ||
John C. Hertel is the Chairman of the Huron–Clinton Metroparks, Chairman of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, and General Manager of Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation. He served three terms as State Senator for the 2nd District in Michigan from 1974 to 1982, was appointed by Governor John Engler to run the Michigan State Fair from 1993 to 2006, and is the only person in Michigan history to serve as chairman of the county boards of commissioners in two different counties (Wayne and Macomb).
Contents
- Personal life
- Elected Office
- Huron Clinton Metroparks
- Michigan State Fair
- Southeast Michigan Transit
- Other Notable Positions
- References
Personal life
John grew up in Detroit, MI, and attended Denby High School. His brothers Dennis Hertel and Curtis Hertel, and nephews Curtis Hertel Jr. and Kevin Hertel have also been elected to legislative seats. He raised his family in Harper Woods, MI, where he served in the State Senate and Wayne County Board of Commissioners, before moving to his current home in Lenox Township, MI where he served as Macomb County Commissioner. Hertel raises Percheron horses on his farm in Lenox Township.
Elected Office
John has held three elected offices during his career:
Huron-Clinton Metroparks
John has been appointed as a Huron-Clinton Metroparks Commissioner five times, and is the current chairman:
Michigan State Fair
John Hertel was appointed General Manager of the Michigan State Fair by Governor John Engler (R) and reappointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) from 1993 to 2006. He inherited the fair after its lowest attendance in decades, and was credited by many including Governor Granholm for, "directing the rebirth of the State Fair."
Southeast Michigan Transit
John was CEO of the Regional Transit Coordinating Council (RTCC) from 2006 to 2010, where he successfully developed and shepherded the Regional Mass Transit Plan to gain approval of Macomb, Oakland, Wayne counties and the City of Detroit. In 2010, John was hired as General Manager of the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART).