Charis Lee, U.S. Army Veteran, Michigan State alumna, and lawyer proudly announces her candidacy for the 2020 Special Election on Tuesday, January 7 for the 34th District State Representative seat. Lee’s announcement is already garnering excitement among constituent communities eager for a fresh voice who’s ready to advocate for their best interests. 

“Charis is a very hard working and caring person who wants to make a difference in our community.  She is a good listener and strives to solve problems. She has obviously accomplished a lot in a short time and I look forward to seeing what she could do as our State Representative. I think we would be fortunate to have her in the position.”

Stephanie K. Confer, Sloan Museum Annual Fundraiser Co-Committee Member.

While serving as 34th District’s State Representative, Lee plans to advocate to empower the area’s workforce for a more diverse economy.  “We have the ball rolling downtown, but we need to bring economic development to the neighborhoods by investing in entrepreneurship, supporting small businesses and ensuring that residents earn a livable wage – which is critical,” says Lee.

Lee is vocal about and focused on economic development, including entrepreneurship, renewable energy and assisting local residents on marijuana expungements.

“We can’t miss this window for renewable energy, the Flint area has infrastructure that must be replaced. Everything we build should be energy efficient and our residents can get training to be a part of the economic upswing that will come from it. ”

A Scholar and Career Leader

Lee’s fervor for educational development stems from her student and career journey. While attending high school, Lee dual enrolled at Mott Community College earning a cumulative 4.0 GPA. At 17, Charis joined the United States Army Reserve, serving the country while working to earn a Human Resources Certification before enrolling at Michigan State University. Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a Specialization in Peace and Justice Affairs. 

Professionally, Lee has provided legal counsel for several corporations. Charis earned a Juris Doctor with cum laude honors from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas. While in law school, Charis was a judicial clerk at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and analyzed critical employment issues. 

In 2017, Lee joined Lockheed Martin Aeronautics providing consulting and training on labor and employment issues, served as Arbitration Lead, and was a member of the corporate arbitration team. Additionally, Charis wrote proposal language for several collective bargaining agreements and served as Chief Negotiator for the 2019 IAM Security Guards Agreement, which was accepted and ratified. While employed at Lockheed, in her true fighter spirit, Charis continued to represent pro-bono clients in civil and criminal matters. 

Currently, Charis is an Assistant Director for Career Development at Michigan State University College of Law. In 2019, Charis founded the Flint Professional Development Institute which helps Flint area residents with professional development, charitable giving, and helps cultivate life skills.

Announcing her run for the 34^thdistrict is surely a full-circle moment. Among excitement to give back and represent the most urgent needs of the district, Lee is looking forward to using her experience, tenacity and passion to the house seat and inspire others to learn and lead. 

The Special Election day is Tuesday, January 7, 2020. 

Learn more about Charis Lee and her campaign by visiting www.Lee4StateRep2020.com.