Cynthia Wilbanks, Univer-
sity of Michigan vice presi-
dent for government relations,
announced her plans to retire in
December 2020. She served as
the vice president at the Univer-
sity for 22 years, and is the long-
est-serving executive officer.
In her tenure as vice presi-
dent,
Wilbanks
worked
to
develop University responses to
proposed local, state and feder-
al legislation. She also worked
with government officials at all
levels and oversaw several state
outreach programs.
In a statement, University
President Mark Schlissel praised
Wilbanks for her deep know-
ledge and tireless work ethic.
“In my view, her vast know-
ledge of our state, its issues, his-
tory, people and, of course, those
elected to serve is unparalleled,”
Schlissel said. “Cynthia has
always applied her keen under-
standing when advocating for
our students, faculty and staff in
city hall, Lansing, Congress or
the White House.”
Beyond her role as vice presi-
dent, Wilbanks served in a
leadership capacity in many
other University programs and
projects including the Bentley
Historical
Library
Executive
Committee, Bicentennial Plan-
ning Committee 2011-12, Gins-
berg Center Board, Hospital
and Health Centers Executive
Board, Honorary Degree Com-
mittee, Michigan in Washing-
ton Program Faculty Advisory
Committee and the Residency
Appeals Committee.
In an interview with The
Daily, Wilbanks cited the power
and strength of her relationships
with colleagues, elected officials
and organizations near and far
as the hallmark of her role.
“The key to me, and it’s always
been this, is the value of strong
relationships,” Wilbanks said.
“Fundamentally, this work isn’t
possible without a commitment
to
building
strong
relation-
ships.”
LSA alum Nadav Neuman,
who worked as a Government
Relations Intern in the Office of
the Vice President for Govern-
ment Relations, told The Daily
Wilbanks is a leader who com-
mands respect and recognizes
the power in cultivating rela-
tionships.
“Everyone in the office has
nothing but good to say about
her,” Neuman said. “She’s an
amazing person and she’s defin-
itely served the University very
well over her 20-plus years.”
Though
Neuman
worked
under the State Relations Office,
a subsidiary of the Government
Relations Office, he told The
Daily Wilbanks made sure to
recognize and give attention
to employees at all levels of the
organization.
“She really showed a keen
interest in students and helping
them develop,” Neuman said.
“When you’re working at any
place, having the head boss come
in and ask you what you’re doing
is always an awesome experi-
ence and it makes you feel good.”
Wilbanks served as an advis-
or to Schlissel on the University
Research Corridor, a project
linking the state of Michigan’s
three
research
universities:
the University of Michigan,
Michigan State University and
Wayne State University. She said
the project was born out of the
desire to showcase Michigan’s
research universities as an eco-
nomic powerhouse and benefi-
cial for the state.
“(The
University
Research
Corridor) was born out of the
strong belief that the state of
Michigan was among just a
handful of states where there
were three very strong research
universities,”
Wilbanks
said.
“We believe that the asset that
it represents for the state is an
enormously powerful asset.”
Amid the COVID-19 pan-
demic, Wilbanks said the uni-
versities have collaborated in
the fields of epidemiology, pub-
lic health and education.
2
Thursday, July 23, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS
VP for government
relations retires
The Washtenaw County Board
of Health declared racism a public
health crisis in a resolution passed
in a June 30 meeting. The move
follows numerous other states and
cities, including Ypsilanti, which
passed its own resolution on June
2. In a press release, James Carty,
the chair of the Board of Health,
explained the rationale behind this
decision.
“We know that racism has helped
drive unequal economic, cultural,
and medical circumstances that
each, and in concert, lead to poorer
health outcomes for people of color
throughout America,” Carty said.
“The only way to change this is
to acknowledge it and center it as
we try to learn from the mistakes
of our past and build a better
community where all residents
of Washtenaw County are served
fairly and equally.”
The move follows several high-
profile cases of police brutality,
which
have
sparked
protests
and outrage nationwide all in
the midst of a pandemic that
disproportionately impacts African
Americans in Washtenaw County
and around the country. Felicia
Brabec, a member of the Board of
Health, made it clear that solving
the
inequities
in
health
care
requires more than words.
“This
declaration
and
commitment to health equity – as
well as the expected action from
the Board of Commissioners are
critical to our ability to move
forward together,” Brabec said in
the press release. “Naming racism
and truly working together are
vital steps, but we must commit
to doing more. We must show our
commitment at every level, put
resources behind our intentions and
work collectively to see meaningful
and lasting change.”
Brabec also sits on the Board
of Commissioners for Washtenaw
County, which is expected to pass
a similar resolution at its next
meeting on August 5.
Washtenaw
County
ranked
81st out of 83 Michigan counties
for income inequality in 2018,
which prompted the Board of
Commissioners
to
unanimously
pass a new equity policy for the
county.
The
policy
created
a
Racial Equity Office and required
departments to draft Racial Equity
Action Plans. Despite these efforts,
32% of COVID-19 cases are Black
residents, who make up 12.3% of
Washtenaw County. Zip codes
48197 and 49198 in Ypsilanti, whose
population is 27.3 percent Black
residents, have over 800 combined
cases of COVID-19. By contrast,
the four zip codes encompassing
Ann Arbor, which is only 6.5
percent Black, have over 500 cases
combined. Black residents have
cited numerous factors, including
poverty and housing instability, as
contributing to the disparate impact
of COVID-19 on their communities.
Belinda Needham, Public Health
associate professor, said she felt
this resolution was a start towards
mending the inequalities in the
community in an email to The
Daily.
Racism declared a
public health crisis
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Washtenaw County
community discusses
impacts of decision
After 22 years of service,
Cynthia Wilbanks
announces her leave