Tonya Schuitmaker
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{BLP primary sources|date=July 2009}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Tonya Schuitmaker
|office = President pro tempore of the Michigan Senate
|term_start = January 12, 2011
|term_end = January 9, 2019
|predecessor = Randy Richardville
|successor = Aric Nesbitt
|state_senate1 = Michigan
|district1 = 26th
|term_start1 = January 1, 2011
|term_end1 = January 1, 2019
|predecessor1 = Tom George
|successor1 = Aric Nesbitt
|prior_term2 = 20th district (2011–2014)
|state_house2 = Michigan
|district2 = 80th
|term_start2 = January 1, 2005
|term_end2 = January 1, 2011
|predecessor2 = Mary Ann Middaugh
|successor2 = Aric Nesbitt
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|3|10}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|spouse = Steve Mucci
|education = Michigan State University {{small|(BA, JD)}}
}}
Tonya Schuitmaker (born March 10, 1968) is an American politician. She is a member of the Republican party who represented the 26th district of the Michigan Senate from 2011 to 2018. She was the President Pro Tempore of the Senate for the duration of her term in office.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/11/tonya_schuitmaker_selected_as.html|date=2010-11-09|title=Tonya Schuitmaker selected president pro tem of the incoming Michigan Senate}}
Prior to her election to the Senate, she served three terms in the Michigan State House of Representatives. She was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in November 2004, 2006, and 2008. In that time she represented Michigan's 80th House District, which included Van Buren County, the city of Otsego, and the townships of Otsego and Watson in Allegan County.
She was a candidate for Attorney General of Michigan in the 2018 election.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/state_sen_tonya_schuitmaker_se.html|title=State Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker announces candidacy for Michigan attorney general|date=2017-09-19|access-date=2018-01-29}}
Education
Schuitmaker graduated in 1986 from Mattawan High School. She earned a B.A. in business from Michigan State University in 1990 and a J.D. from the Detroit College of Law in 1993.
Professional career
Schuitmaker was a partner in her family's law firm of Schuitmaker, Cooper and Schuitmaker.{{Cite web|last=Gazette|first=Paula M. Davis {{!}} Kalamazoo|date=2010-07-11|title=Tonya Schuitmaker: An attorney who emphasizes experience, collaboration|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2010/07/post_67.html|access-date=2020-06-19|website=mlive|language=en}} At her family's firm, Schuitmaker focused on estate, family, business and governmental law. She is licensed to practice law in Michigan, Florida, and Illinois. Prior to her election to the Michigan House of Representatives, Schuitmaker unsuccessfully ran for an open Van Buren County Circuit Judge seat in 1996.
Community involvement
Schuitmaker has served on the State of Michigan Board of Medicine, the Van Buren Community Mental Health Board, and the Intercare Community Health Network. She is also a member of the Van Buren County Community Corrections Advisory Board. Schuitmaker is involved with the Paw Paw Rotary, the Paw Paw Optimist Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Farm Bureau. She has also served as president of the Van Buren County Republican Women and as Vice-Chair for Van Buren County Republicans. Schuitmaker was named a 2014 Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow.{{cite web|title=About the Rodel Fellowship Program|url=http://www.aspeninstitute.org/leadership-programs/aspen-institute-rodel-fellowships-public-le-/about-rodel-fellowship-program}}
Personal life
Schuitmaker, her husband Steve, and their two children, Jordan and Savina, live in Lawton, Michigan.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070521021138/http://www.gophouse.com/welcome.asp?District=80 Representative Tonya Schuitmaker House District 80]
- [http://www.votetonya.com/ Campaign Website]
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-mi-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=Mary Ann Middaugh}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the 80th district|years=2005–2011}}
{{s-aft|after=Aric Nesbitt}}
|-
{{s-par|us-mi-sen}}
{{s-bef|before=Tom George}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 20th district|years=2011–2015}}
{{s-aft|after=Margaret O'Brien}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=David B. Robertson}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 26th district|years=2015–2019}}
{{s-aft|after=Aric Nesbitt}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Randy Richardville}}
{{s-ttl|title=President pro tempore of the Michigan Senate|years=2011–2019}}
{{s-aft|after=Aric Nesbitt}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schuitmaker, Tonya}}
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Category:Republican Party Michigan state senators
Category:Michigan State University alumni
Category:People from Mattawan, Michigan