Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently appointed two attorneys to her executive staff.
Maria Martinez has been promoted to deputy chief of staff.
Martinez joined the executive office in December 2020 as deputy legal counsel and was promoted to chief compliance officer in October 2021.
She also formerly led the governor's legal team as acting chief legal counsel in addition to her role as chief compliance officer.
She has experience as a former in-house counsel for a Michigan business and working as an attorney at Bodman PLC.
Martinez received both her J.D. and undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. She will oversee the appointments, community engagement, constituent services, and special projects divisions.
Mikhail Perkins joins the team as legislative affairs specialist. He recently served as a policy adviser for the Michigan Senate Majority Democratic Staff, specializing in finance, economic and community development, and civil rights.
Before that, he worked as a legal extern at the Saginaw Defenders Office, led former state Representative Byrd’s office as chief of staff and policy director, and was a law clerk at White & Wojda Attorneys and Counselors.
Perkins received his J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law and undergraduate degree in political science from Michigan State University.
