Vera B. Rison
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the 48th district
In office
January 1, 1997 – December 31, 2002
Preceded byFloyd Clack
Succeeded byJohn J. Gleason
Member of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners
In office
1987–1996
Personal details
Born(1939-02-14)February 14, 1939
Shelby, Mississippi
DiedAugust 31, 2015(2015-08-31) (aged 76)
Mount Morris, Michigan
Political partyDemocratic

Vera Bea Rison (February 14, 1939 – August 31, 2015) was a Democratic member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1997 through 2002.[1][2]

Born in Shelby, Mississippi, Rison received her high school diploma from the Mott Adult Night School. She worked at Genesee Memorial Hospital from 1969 to 1990, and was elected to the Genesee County Board of Commissioners in 1986, serving for ten years. Considered one of the Flint area's most fervent champions, Rison was also director of human resources at the Amy Jo Manor housing complex, a member of the Genesee County Community Mental Health board, the Genesee County Substance Abuse Services board, and the Jobs Central Workforce Development board. In 1994, she received the A. Philip Randolph Institute Civil Rights Human Rights Award.[3]

For her dedication, the Vera B. Rison Women's Shelter of Hope and Vera Rison Library were named in her honor.[4]

Rison became the first House member in recent memory to forgo any committee assignments when she did so in the 1999–2000 session.[5]

Due to diabetes and high blood pressure, Rison became blind, and later in life she was forced to largely leave the political scene.[6] Rison died August 31, 2015, at her home in Mt. Morris, Michigan.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ 2001–2002 Michigan Manual: State Representative Vera B. Rison
  2. ↑ The Political Graveyard: Rison, Vera B.
  3. ↑ House Resolution 654 (2002): A resolution for the Honorable Vera Rison
  4. ↑ House Resolution 654 (2002): A resolution for the Honorable Vera Rison
  5. ↑ Gongwer News Service (January 20, 1999): Rison Opts Out of Committee Assignments
  6. ↑ Longley, Kristin (19 June 2009). "Flint political icon Vera Rison battles blindness but says, "I just keep on rolling, baby"". The Flint Journal.
  7. ↑ "Vera B. Rison Obituary". The Flint Journal. August 31, 2015.
  8. ↑ Acosta, Roberto (31 August 2015). "Community mourns death of former Flint state Rep. Vera Rison". MLive.
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