Chris Swope, CMC
Lansing City Clerk
Chris Swope has a long history of public service, having served as an Ingham County Commissioner, policy analyst for the Michigan Senate, and benefits administrator for the Michigan House of Representatives. He was elected Lansing City Clerk in November 2005 and took office on January 1, 2006. He was reelected in November 2009.
Chris Swope serves as the 2nd Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks and also Chairs the Legislative Committee and represents the association on the Council of Election Officials. He is also the Past-President of the Capitol Area Municipal Clerks Association.
In 2008, after less than three years as Clerk, Chris received the designation as Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.
Chris Swope's community involvement in Lansing began with serving on Mayor David Hollister's Police/Community Relations Board. In January of 2000, he was appointed to the Clinton-Eaton-Ingham Community Mental Health Board, where he continues to serve.
Chris Swope took office as an Ingham County Commissioner in 2001, and was reelected twice before resigning to become Lansing City Clerk. His service on the Board of Commissioners included serving as Board Chairperson Pro Tem and Chairperson of the County Services Committee. He was also a member of the Michigan Association of Counties Environmental & Regulatory Affairs Committee.
Chris Swope served as a member of the Michigan Judges Retirement Board, to which he was appointed by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. As Lansing City Clerk, he serves on the Tri-County Office on Aging Consortium Board, and is past Chairperson; he also delivers Meals-On-Wheels through the organization.
Chris Swope has also devoted time and energy to community and non-profit organizations. He has served on the Boards of both the Eastside Neighborhood Organization and the Westside Neighborhood Association. He is a past President of the Lansing Association for Human Rights (LAHR). He has sat on the Board of the Lansing Branch American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He served two years as the Executive Director of Michigan Equality, a statewide LGBT advocacy organization.
