Constitution Day

Hear a lecture from guest speaker Mr. Christopher Thomas at Lake Michigan College's Benton Harbor campus in the Hanson Technology Center- Room 123.

Mr. Thomas retired from the Michigan Department of State on June 30 after 40 years of election administration service. He administered the Michigan election law, campaign finance act and lobbyist disclosure law. He began his election administration career in 1974 in Washington D.C. with the U.S. House of Representatives and the Federal Election Commission.
He is a founding member of the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) and was elected NASED's President in 1997 and again in 2013. He represented NASED on the Board of Advisors to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission from 2004 to 2017 and served as the Board Chair from 2006-2008. At the NASED Summer Conference in 2012, he was honored to receive NASED's Distinguished Service Award.
In 2013, Thomas was appointed by President Barack Obama as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, which made recommendations to improve the election day experience of America's voters.

Thomas earned a B.A. in Political Science from Michigan State University, a M.A. in Urban Affairs from St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO, and a J.D. from Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing. In retirement, Thomas has returned to his hometown of St. Joseph where he resides with his wife Kristin who is a working artist. -- Judy Sokolowski