John T. Reurink

Publisher, MIRS co-owner

A former Director of Communications for the Michigan Manufacturers Association, John brings to his post over 15 years in and around the state capitol including service as a staffer in the director's office, Michigan Department of Management and Budget.

Kyle Melinn

News Editor, MIRS co-owner

Kyle comes to MIRS after serving as a free-lance writer for the Boston Herald and as a senior editor for SchoolSports.com, the high school sports affiliate of ESPN.com. Melinn has also written for the The Daily Citizen, in Dalton Georgia, The Yuma Daily Sun, in Yuma Arizona. Melinn has won the Associated Press Managing Editors Story of the Year Award, Class A Division in Georgia.

Jerry Crandall

Covering the executive branch

A former State Lottery Commissioner, Crandall has nearly 30 years of experience in and around the capitol. Crandall has worked in both the House and Senate in a communications capacity, as well as having served as a television news reporter and serving as then Senate-Majority Leader John Engler's Chief of Staff.

Tim Skubick

Senior Capitol Correspondent, free-lance writer for MIRS

Skubick brings over thirty years of experience to the staff of MIRS.

Susan J. Demas

Senate reporter

Susan J. Demas is a 2006 Knight Foundation fellow in The Fourth Estate and the Third Sector program for nonprofits investigative journalism through Marshall University. Demas is a political analyst for Michigan Information & Research Service (MIRS) covering the Senate and presidential election. She writes a syndicated political column for the Detroit News, Lansing State Journal and Battle Creek Enquirer, where she served as Assistant Metro Editor.

Laurie Mwakanandi

Customer Liaison

Laurie is a veteran of the House Fiscal Agency and graduated with a degree in Political Science from Calvin College.

Craig Mauger

House Reporter

Craig comes to MIRS from the The Courier Times in New Castle Indiana where he served as government reporter and news editor. Prior to his post at The Courier Times, Mauger served as a reporter with The Republic in Columbus Indiana. He is a graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

Emily Lawler

Executive Branch Correspondent

Emily previously wrote for Capital News Service, The State News, Spartanedge and Lansing Online News. She served as Editor in Chief of The Big Green, and worked for MSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Communications producing audio and video stories. She will be covering the administrative boards and the state bureaucracy, among other assignments.

Joe Tufnell

Sales Manager

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Joe served as a writer for MIRS and sales assistant for two years before being asked to join the MIRS team as sales manager.

Mitchell Bean

Economic Correspondent

Bean served as the Director of the Michigan House Fiscal Agency, a nonpartisan agency within the Michigan House of Representatives. Agency personnel provide confidential, nonpartisan assistance to the House Appropriations Committee and all other members of the House on legislative fiscal matters.

Mitch was one of three voting members of the Michigan Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference which, by law, determines the official economic and revenue forecast that serves as the basis for the state budget.

Prior to his appointment as Agency Director, Mitch was the Chief Economist for the Michigan House of Representatives. He has extensive experience in forecasting Michigan's tax revenue, and has produced numerous publications on related topics. In addition, he has been a regular participant in discussions at the Midwest Economic Roundtable, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.