Whitmer taps Bay Mills tribal leader for LSSU Board of Trustees

Whitney Gravelle speaks at "Enbridge eviction" celebration, Conkling Park, Mackinaw City | Laina G. Stebbins

On Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced two appointments to the Lake Superior State University Board of Trustees, including a tribal leader who’s a well-known anti-Line 5 activist.

“I am proud to appoint Whitney Gravelle and Kevin Cooper to the LSSU Board,” said Whitmer. “They are both dedicated members of the community and bring years of diverse experience to their new roles. I am confident they will serve the students, faculty, and staff well and continue making higher education in Michigan more accessible and affordable.”  

The Lake Superior State University Board of Trustees is the governing body of Lake Superior State University. The board is granted the power of control and direction of all expenditures from the university’s funds.   

Gravelle, president of the Executive Council of the Bay Mills Indian Community, has led that tribal nation in its fight against Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project in the Straits of Mackinac. Prior to public office, she was the Chief Judge of the Bay Mills Tribal Court and also served as an Honors Clerk for the Justice Department in the Indian Resource Section, as well as in-house counsel within the Bay Mills Indian Community. 

Gravelle’s leadership within the Bay Mills Indian Community has included more than just opposition to Line 5, which she has long argued is a violation of the tribe’s long-held treaty rights. She also presided over the recent purchase of birch bark scrolls engraved by Ojibwe ancestors more than a century ago, returning them from private collections.

From Brimley, Gravelle holds a B.A. in social science and a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law. She was previously appointed as a member of the Michigan Women’s Commission and currently serves as the chairperson of the Bay Mills Community College Board of Regents. According to a release, Bay Mills Community College and LSSU work together closely to support students in the Sault region and beyond.   

“I am deeply honored to be appointed to the Lake Superior State University Board of Trustees,” said Gravelle. “Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding area has a long and rich history with both Bay Mills Indian Community and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. I am committed to contributing my expertise and passion to help all succeed in their pursuit of education, as well as bridge communities, enhance educational policies, and promote inclusivity and respect across all levels of academic engagement that actively includes and represents indigenous perspectives and leadership in higher education.” 

Kevin Cooper | Courtesy photo

Cooper is the owner of Cooper Dental and a lifelong resident of the Sault region. Cooper currently serves on the Board of Directors of Old Mission Bank. As a part of his dentistry practice, he serves the Chippewa County Health Department. 

Cooper, from Sault Sainte Marie, holds a B.S. in biology and chemistry from Lake Superior State University and a D.D.S. from the University of Michigan. He is an LSSU alumnus, previously serving as chair of both the university’s Foundation Board of Directors and Alumni Foundation. 

“I am so honored to have been selected to serve on [the] Lake Superior State University Board of Trustees,” said Cooper. “Lake Superior has played a significant role in my life and the Cooper family for three generations from the Soo Tech branch of MTU to present day. I look forward to working with the administration, fellow board members, faculty staff, and local [residents] to make Lake Superior State University the best University it can be.” 

Both Gravelle’s and Cooper’s terms, which are subject to the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate, commenced Thursday and expire on Jan. 27, 2032.   

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