Garlin Gilchrist II

Husband, Father, and Servant in Detroit, Michigan

Garlin Gilchrist II

Husband, Father, and Servant in Detroit, Michigan

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I am proud to be the Michigan's 64th Lieutenant Governor alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer. In all that we do, we seek to enable imagination, possibility, and innovation in Michigan.

I was the founding Executive Director of the Center for Social Media Responsibility at the University of Michigan School of Information. Social media is the lens through which many people view the world. The Center's purpose is to help media platforms like Facebook and Twitter meet their public responsibilities.

I ran for Detroit City Clerk in 2017, rising from 2% in early primary polls to losing the general election by less than 1,500 votes. We implemented a never-seen-in-Detroit multi-platform engagement plan that used highly targeted social media, text messaging, phone calls, radio commercials, TV ads, and door-knocking to earn votes, volunteers, and donors.

Prior to that, I was the City of Detroit's first ever Director of Innovation & Emerging Technology. My job was to open up the city's public data and information, and solve problems for the benefit of all Detroiters.

I created Detroit Diaspora, and was formerly the National Campaign Director at MoveOn.org. I also co-hosted The #WinReport on "The Good Fight," an award winning, nationally syndicated radio show that was one of Apple's Best of 2013.

After graduating with degrees in Computer Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Michigan, I became a Software Engineer at Microsoft, helping build SharePoint into the fastest growth product in the company's history. At the same time, I sought out opportunities to connect my technical skills with community building efforts across the country. I co-founded The SuperSpade: Black Thought at the Highest Level, a leading Black political blog. I served as Social Media Manager for the 2008 Obama campaign in Washington, and then became Director of New Media at the Center for Community Change.

  • Work
    • State of Michigan
  • Education
    • University of Michigan College of Engineering