 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! Related Links
|
Gaming News
Jim Townsend named Chair of the Michigan Gaming Control Board24 July 2026(PRESS RELEASE) -- Michigan Gaming Control Board Executive Director Henry Williams today announced that Governor Gretchen Whitmer has appointed James H. Townsend, of Royal Oak, to serve as the new Chair of the Michigan Gaming Control Board, effective 1 August 2026. Townsend succeeds Jim Ananich, who is resigning at the end of this month. He will serve a term representing Democrats on the Board commencing 1 August 2026, and expiring December 31, 2028. He will be designated as Chair for a term commencing 1 August 2026, and expiring at the pleasure of the Governor. His appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate. “Jim Townsend is a proven leader whose legal, legislative, and economic development experience make him exceptionally well-suited to lead the Board,” said Henry Williams, Executive Director of the MGCB. “I look forward to working alongside him as the Board carries out its critical mission on behalf of Michigan residents.” Townsend is the director of the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy at Wayne State University. He previously practiced law in the Detroit office of Butzel Long as a member of its Corporate and Real Estate Practice Group, and represented the 26th District in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017. Townsend graduated with Highest Honors in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earned a Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, and earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Wayne State University Law School. Townsend will serve as Board Chair alongside current Board members Joni M. Thrower Davis, Mark Evenson, Deidre A. Lambert-Bounds, and Andrew T. Palms. |