Julie Maday

Julie Maday was born in Detroit, Michigan. She earned a high school diploma from Churchill High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, Dearborn, in 1993.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a parent of two recent MSU graduates (class of 2025 and 2023) and a former Novi City Council member. My experience in local government taught me the importance of fiscal responsibility, transparency, accountability and working with people who may have very different perspectives.

My connection to Michigan State is personal as well as civic. I have watched the university closely as a parent and Spartan supporter, and I believe MSU needs trustees who will focus on their constitutional responsibility to provide oversight of the university.

I am running to be an independent voice on the Board and to ask difficult questions when necessary. I believe trustees should put students, families, taxpayers and the long-term strength of Michigan State ahead of politics or personal relationships.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The Board of Trustees has a responsibility to oversee the administration and to be transparent with students, parents, taxpayers and the people of Michigan. Trustees should ask difficult questions and publicly explain their decisions.MSU must carefully evaluate how it spends its resources and ensure that spending supports its academic and land-grant mission. Administrative inefficiencies, unnecessary expenses and avoidable legal costs should be examined while keeping tuition affordability in mind.Trustees should not be expected to simply agree with one another or with university administration. A healthy Board needs independent voices willing to respectfully disagree, examine the facts and fulfill its oversight responsibilities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am particularly focused on higher-education affordability, responsible stewardship of taxpayer and university resources, transparency in public institutions, free expression on college campuses, and the long-term mission of Michigan State as a land-grant university.

I believe universities should prepare students to think critically and engage with differing viewpoints. I also believe the Board has a responsibility to ensure that university resources are being used effectively and that decisions are based on sound financial and educational considerations.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father had the mind of a genius. As a child, I knew of nothing he couldn’t do. As I grew older, I realized his accomplishments extended far beyond what I saw. But his passion wasn’t becoming rich or famous - it was to spread his individual brilliance to others. For this reason, he spent his time in research institutions such as the Lafayette Clinic and Wayne State University. He was also a part owner of a medical supply company where he created a patent for electroencephalography electrode assembly.

More importantly, as life continued, he watched as the mind of his lifelong best friend was slowly taken from her. Over nearly fifteen years, our family witnessed the slow deterioration of my mother’s brain, due to Alzheimer’s disease. Yet his patience and love stood out to me, spending the last of his life taking care of my mother, who oftentimes could not even remember who he was.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, and transparency

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The primary role of this office is to provide fundamental administrative oversight, ensuring that the largest university in Michigan operates efficiently, lawfully, and morally. Clearly, this has not been the case as of late. As such, primary responsibilities of MSU Board members have been diminished to the basic values of honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability - all of which I possess and am eager to demonstrate on the Board.

Re-introducing this common sense leadership and ethical behavior is the single largest key in driving sustainable success for MSU.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Julie Maday and I am campaigning to earn your vote for a position on the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself and explain why I am the best candidate for this position.

I live in Novi and have been married to my husband David, an MSU alumnus, for 29 years. We have spent the last three decades supporting the university, attending countless events on campus, and are the proud parents of Blake (MSU Class of 2023) and Samantha (MSU Class of 2026). Needless to say, we are deeply tied to Michigan State and its community, despite my own college diploma from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Throughout my time in Novi, I have served the City in a variety of different capacities, including as a former City Councilwoman, former Planning Commission member, and current Economic Development Committee member. With both children having attended Novi schools, I’ve spent many hours volunteering for and advancing the collective interests of Novi Community School District.

Finally, as you’ll come to find, my campaign is centered around common sense leadership, with an intent to re-introduce accountability and transparency to a university that has lost sight of these core principles over the past decade.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Board members have plagued MSU with their lack of professionalism, perpetual infighting, and never-ending political battles. Over the past decade, numerous high-profile mistakes have cost the university (and the Michigan taxpayer) hundreds of millions of dollars, resulted in what seems like a perpetual cycle of bad press for MSU, and have indirectly diminished the value of our kids’ accomplishments. This narrative must change and it begins with electing a Board that is focused solely on professionalism and oversight. I will help restore normalcy, respect, and a common sense approach to the Board - focusing on students rather than politics.I joined the survivors and families of one of the most horrific and widespread predation cases in the country, calling for the complete and public release of all investigative documents related to the Larry Nassar scandal. Just this month, the investigation was closed with no formal resolution, predominantly due to MSU’s previous obstruction, negligence, and emphasis on shielding those responsible rather than doing the right thing. I will hold people accountable for their actions and will continue to work towards an adequate resolution with the survivors and their families.A loyalist to the Constitution and staunch believer in our first amendment right to freedom of speech, I recognize the importance of diverse thought and opinion. Unfortunately, this is often unequally applied across demographics, and disagreements with administration have led to wrongful terminations and even more lawsuits at MSU. I will embrace the diversity of thought that makes America special and reject “cancel culture.” Similarly, universities were created to teach students how to think, not what to think. I will ensure professors educate students, not indoctrinate them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education and institutional oversight.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father had the mind of a genius. As a child, I knew of nothing he couldn’t do. As I grew older, I realized his accomplishments extended far beyond what I saw. But his passion wasn’t becoming rich or famous - it was to spread his individual brilliance to others. For this reason, he spent his time in research institutions such as the Lafayette Clinic and Wayne State University. He was also a part owner of a medical supply company where he created a patent for electroencephalography electrode assembly. More importantly, as life continued, he watched as the mind of his lifelong best friend was slowly taken from her. Over nearly fifteen years, our family witnessed the slow deterioration of my mother’s brain, due to Alzheimer’s disease. Yet his patience and love stood out to me, spending the last of his life taking care of my mother, who oftentimes could not even remember who he was.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, and transparency.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The primary role of this office is to provide fundamental administrative oversight, ensuring that the largest university in Michigan operates efficiently, lawfully, and morally. Clearly, this has not been the case as of late. As such, primary responsibilities of MSU Board members have been diminished to the basic values of honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability - all of which I possess and am eager to demonstrate on the Board. Re-introducing this common sense leadership and ethical behavior is the single largest key in driving sustainable success for MSU.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

none

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Michigan Conservative Coalition