Former business leader Lisa Trombley has been named a “Friend of Agriculture” by Michigan Farm Bureau’s AgriPac, which is endorsing her candidacy for Michigan’s 103rd House district. The district includes parts of Benzie and Grand Traverse counties, as well as all of Leelanau County.
A native Michigander who grew up on the Great Lakes, Trombley spent more than 30 years in the Washington, D.C., area as a government contractor before retiring to Traverse City.
In addition to her business experience delivering technology solutions and services — including as COO for a midsize R&D firm — Trombley has taken an active role in politics, serving as the former Grand Traverse Republican Party chair and current vice chair of the Traverse Bay Area Republican Women's Club.
She’s also been a board member for Impact100 TC currently serving on the group’s Financial Review Committee and is the former director for the National Cryptologic Foundation.
Trombley noted rising cost of labor and fuel, labor shortages, subsidized foreign competitors, and urban creep among the key issues farmers face in her district.
“Locally, we are at a tipping point where the labor and trade challenges are causing family farms to disappear … and, once gone, never to return,” said Trombley, calling government mandates — like wages and benefits set by USDA surveys — and burdensome compliance responsibilities “unnatural cost constraints to growth.”
Trombley also said that Michigan and the U.S. “must reverse the dramatic trend of outsourcing our food as it is a national security issue,” and pointed to her decades of professional expertise.
“I have significant experience solving complex problems (many in the national security arena) and optimizing whatever is in my sphere of influence,” Trombley said.
“Michigan is a unique ecosystem in itself, of which agriculture is a key component. I want to leverage my experience to enable farmers to do what they love to do — and what we need for them to do.”
Among her key priorities, Trombley cited making Michigan friendly for farms, businesses and workers by providing affordable, reliable infrastructure and energy sources, minimal taxes and regulations and maximizing employer and employee autonomy. She also aims to optimize employment and educational/vocational opportunities and protect natural resources and mineral assets.
To do that, Trombley said Michigan needs “common sense governance,” requiring leaders in Lansing who will think critically, act responsibly and be accountable to ensure that every tax dollar spent delivers values to citizens.
“The sluggish economy and inflation are major problems facing Michigan residents and businesses,” Trombley added.
“While many of the root causes extend beyond what the state legislature can resolve, they should be hyper-vigilant in reducing spending and optimizing programs and costs, so residents retain more of their hard-earned income.”
Trombley also wants to rein in “ever-increasing mandates, bureaucracy, regulations, and taxes that don't have a real bang for the buck” and return decisions and investments to local municipalities, as well as maximize employer and employee autonomy to limit how state government may be compounding the problem.
Trombley holds a bachelor’s degree in general studies from the University of Michigan and master’s degree in technology of management from The American University.
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