Governor names CMU Detroit Outreach leader to state council

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has reappointed Rhonda Welsh, executive director for Detroit Outreach at Central Michigan University, to the Michigan Arts and Culture Council. Welsh will serve a term that runs through August of 2027. She was first appointed to the group in 2021.

"I am honored to serve in this role and deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to our state's cultural and civic landscape,” Welsh said. “This reappointment is a reflection of my lifelong passion for arts and culture, and I look forward to making a meaningful impact alongside my council members."

The Michigan Arts and Culture Council serves to encourage, develop, and facilitate an enriched environment of creative and cultural activity in Michigan. According to the governor’s office, the council “envisions a Michigan where every citizen celebrates the state's cultural treasures and arts, and cultural experiences are accessible to all its citizens.” 

In her role at CMU’s Detroit office on Woodward Ave., Welsh serves as a liaison between the Mount Pleasant campus and the Detroit community. She leads community engagement through strategic internal programming, external sponsorships and events for the university’s stakeholders. CMU Detroit is a division of the president’s office.

Welsh, a recipient of the 2021 Michigan Chronicle Women of Excellence recognition, volunteers and has served on the boards of several organizations, including Read to a Child, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Teen HYPE, the Rhonda Walker Foundation and Volunteers of America. She also is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

"Serving my community and the state is not just a responsibility — it is a privilege,” Welsh said. “I believe in the power of collaboration, storytelling and advocacy to create lasting change. Through arts, education and community engagement, my personal mission is to uplift and empower those around me — an essential part of the work we do as the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.”