Mackinac Center Promotes Skorup and Guenthner

MIDLAND, Mich. — The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is pleased to announce two staff promotions. David Guenthner is promoted to vice president for government affairs, and Jarrett Skorup is promoted to vice president for marketing and communications.

Guenthner joined the Mackinac Center five years ago to serve as its first full-time government affairs lead and to head up the Center’s Lansing Embassy office. Beyond overall leadership of government affairs, he also manages the Center’s criminal justice policy portfolio.

Guenthner previously spent more than eleven successful years at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Mackinac Center’s counterpart in Texas. He initially served as director of media and government relations before being promoted to senior communications director in January 2011, and then to senior director for public affairs in August 2012.

Skorup is a native of Sandwich, Illinois and a graduate of Grove City College in Pennsylvania but has called Michigan home for nearly 14 years. He started at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in 2009 and has authored policy studies on occupational licensing, civil asset forfeiture, internet broadband and measuring poverty. His work has been published by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fox News, Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News and many others.

Skorup lives in Midland, Michigan with his wife and four children. He spends his free time watching Chicago sports teams, officiating high school wrestling, fishing and building construction projects. He serves with his church and at a variety of non-profits.

“We are proud to elevate these two leaders at the Mackinac Center,” said Michael Reitz, executive vice president of the Center. “David and Jarrett have been instrumental in public policy changes that expand liberty and opportunity for the people of Michigan. I am proud to call them my colleagues and look forward to advancing the Mackinac Center’s ideas with them.”