The Henry Marsh Institute for Public Policy is administered by the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs at Saginaw Valley State University with the guidance of the Advisory Faculty Board and the Advisory Fund Development Board.
Gavin W. Goetz currently serves as the Legislative Director for AT&T Michigan. Gavin oversees all AT&T local, state and federal lobbying on telecommunication issues. Gavin also covers a territory that currently includes the Great Lakes Bay Region in Bay, Saginaw counties and oversees AT&T foundation giving and community interaction across the state.
Gavin serves on many boards and committees including across his territory including the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce, Saginaw Future Inc., and The Henry Marsh Institute for Public Policy.
Gavin has worked for AT&T (formerly Michigan Bell / Ameritech / SBC) since 1990, 34 years. During that time, he has held positions in Customer Service, Retail Sales, Large business Account Sales and Winback. Gavin has been in External and Legislative Affairs since 2000.
Gavin and his wife Laura have four young boys – Alexander (24), Zachary (20), Spencer (20) and Evan (17) and lives in Bay County.
John L. Kaczynski serves as the Executive Director of Governmental and Community Affairs at Saginaw Valley State University. In this role, he represents SVSU in Washington DC and Lansing, as well as in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Prior to his role in Governmental Affairs, he served as an Assistant Professor of Political Science, as well as the Director of the Center for Public Policy & Service. He been serving on the team at SVSU since 2005. Since serving in his current role, Mr. Kaczynski has been able to advocate for many programs and projects at SVSU. These include funding for the Carmona College of Business, Brown Hall and the Lake Huron Environmental Sciences Research Station. As well, he has been able to advocate for many financial aid programs including the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, MI Future Teachers Fellowship and funding to improve the transfer pipeline for nursing students between community colleges and universities. Outside of advocacy efforts in Lansing and Washington DC, John helps lead the SVSU Public Affairs Council, SVSU Board of Fellows and various other community functions with the Governmental and Community Affairs Team. Mr. Kaczynski currently serves as Chairperson for the Michigan Works Association Statewide Board of Directors and Vice-Chair for the Michigan Political History Society. He also serves on the Michigan College Access Network Board of Directors, as well as on the Michigan Political Leadership Program Advisory Board. In the Great Lakes Bay Region, he serves on the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce and the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Boards of Directors. He is also a member of Frankenmuth Rotary and serves on the Frankenmuth City Council. John is a current student in the Higher Education Administration Ph.D. program at the University of Toledo. He also holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Public Administration from Central Michigan University; and is a graduate of the Michigan Political Leadership Program. He resides in Frankenmuth with his spouse, Martha and their son, George.
Raquel Ledesma Pérez is the Diversity & Community Liaison at Hemlock Semiconductor. In this role, she works closely with leaders and community stakeholders to identify and support initiatives that make a significant impact on the region. She also leads the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy.
Raquel graduated from the Henry Marsh Institute for Public Policy in 2018. Before joining Hemlock Semiconductor, she accumulated valuable experience in both the non-profit and higher education sectors. Raised in mid-Michigan, Raquel is passionate about enhancing her community and empowering others. She sees herself as a servant-based leader and is actively involved in various volunteer capacities. She serves on the boards of Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works!, the YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region, as well as the Central Michigan University Research Corporation. She is also among the founders and a steering committee member of Saginaw’s Community Engagement Inclusion Council
Raquel holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Administrative Science from Saginaw Valley State University and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Central Michigan University. She lives in Saginaw with her husband, their two sons, daughter, and their dog, Concha.
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