Speaker of the House Joe Tate has the distinction of being the first Black Speaker of the House in Michigan. He is currently serving his third term in the House and his first term as the Speaker, having been elected to the post by his peers at the end of last year.
A natural athlete, Speaker Tate played football at Michigan State University, followed by a time in the NFL. After retiring from football, Speaker Tate served in the U.S. Marine Corps, deploying twice to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Following an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, he earned both an MBA and a master’s in environmental policy and planning from the University of Michigan. He then went on to work as a program manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp, helping small businesses grow their capacity.
Speaker Tate represents the 10th Michigan District in Wayne County. His district includes the Village of Grosse Point Shores, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe City, Grosse Pointe Park, and a portion of Harper Woods.
Similar to its counterpart, the Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the House is responsible for oversight of operations of the House of Representatives. Including, overseeing staff, naming committees and membership, having oversight of the movement of legislation, in addition to a number of other responsibilities.
You can keep up-to-date on news from Speaker Tate by following him on Facebook and Twitter.
