A year and a half ago, I arrived to Lansing (and Michigan) for the very first time. It was a cool August evening, and my husband and I had just driven 15 hours from North Carolina with two restless cats and all our belongings piled into a Uhaul truck. It was dusk and the State Capitol was a dark silhouette in the distance. In an effort to familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood, we drove through Old Town, where I was immediately charmed by the giant popcorn box adorning the entrance of Cravings and the colors emanating from Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant. I looked up at the building that would soon be my work home on Turner Street and wondered what the next few months would bring.
Vikki Crouse attended the women’s march at the Michigan State Capitol in 2018.
There were several discoveries I made about Michigan in those first few months. I remember the terrifying moment I learned what a Michigan left turn was, and the time I realized that Meijer was not in fact pronounced “major.” “Pop” is soda and Pączki (pronounced POON-SHKI) are delicious Polish donuts enjoyed especially on “Fat Tuesday.” I also quickly learned that the politics of shades of blue (Carolina or Duke) were non-existent. It was either go green or go home.
Most of all, I remember how it felt to befriend my colleagues in those early months. It was easy. They are the kindest and funniest bunch of people you’ll ever meet (and are currently hiring!). They strung fairy lights across my cubicle in the middle of winter declaring “hygge!” to keep the seasonal gloominess at bay, and continually filled the office kitchen with delicious baked goods to cheer up the team when work got tough.
As my time at the League comes to a close, I’m holding a lot of emotions. Gratitude is a big one. Over the past 18 months, my colleagues gave me a platform to share research and my story to advocate for positive policy changes, especially in the realm of immigration policy. They and the community partners I’ve worked with on various issues will carry that work forward and I’m so excited to see what’s in store for them in the future. My next step? I’ll just be a stone throw away in North Carolina working at NC Child, the state’s Kids Count Project, as the Children’s Environmental Health Program Associate (keep in touch!)
Have you been keeping up with our work on immigration? Here are a few highlights from the past year that I’d like to share with you:
- Building a thriving Main Street: Charting success for Michigan’s immigrant entrepreneurs
- Fact sheets: Immigrants in Michigan by County and City
- Big Macs and American Dreams
- The Dangerous Chilling Effect of the Proposed Public Charge Rule
- The Benefits of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on Immigrants in Michigan
- It’s not too late to join our Protecting Immigrant Families campaign! Join today.
Want to keep in touch? You can reach me on twitter (@vikkicrouse) or email vikki.crouse@gmail.com.
Take care, Michiganders! Thank you for warmly adopting this Southerner for a short while.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
