Voters Not Politicians boasts an impressive track record of success and leadership when it comes to voting rights reforms in Michigan. And we’re proud to say that Board Member Dana Thompson boasts the same level of proven experience and leadership in public service and community building.
Dana Thompson first learned about Voters Not Politicians during the 2017-18 campaign to end gerrymandering, and in May of 2020, she was invited to join the Board of Directors.
As a Governor for the Wayne State University Board of Governors, Dana sits on three committees and chairs the Audit Subcommittee as well as serving on the Executive Committee of TechTown. And now she brings her deep governance experience to VNP’s Board where she sits on our Governance Committee.
Dana also brings significant experience in community building, as she founded and co-directs the University of Michigan Law School’s Zell Entrepreneurship Clinic, which connects law students with start-ups from U of M and Southeast Michigan, giving law students opportunities to provide free legal assistance that benefits real people in our community. She also runs Michigan Law’s Community Enterprise Clinic, where students provide free legal assistance to nonprofit and small business clients working in disinvested communities in Detroit and other marginalized urban communities in Michigan.
Dana wants to use that community building experience to continue growing Voters Not Politicians. She hopes to show a “diverse array of Michiganders” that Voters Not Politicians is “a nonpartisan group working to secure voting access and transparency in government that will benefit all Michigan citizens, regardless of their political party.”
Everyone at Voters Not Politicians, from the volunteers to the staff to her fellow Board Members, is on board with that goal! And Dana wants others to know how much being a part of Voters Not Politicians and our work means to her.
I am inspired by Nancy, Jamie, and all of the VNP staff, volunteers, and board members and their work and passion to protect our democracy, especially during these challenging times.