Maxine L. Berman (April 17, 1946 – March 2, 2018) was an American politician who served on the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2020 ...

between 1983 and 1996. Berman was raised in Oak Park and graduated from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. She then taught at Oak Park High School until running for political office. She was a member of the

from 1983 to 1996. Upon leaving office, Berman established Capitol Strategies, Inc., a consultancy firm, and led the Women's Health Network of Michigan. Governor

Jennifer Granholm Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is an American politician who was the 16th United States secretary of energy from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she previously served as the 47t ...

appointed Berman as director of special projects in 2003. She left the post in 2008 and became the Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government at

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a Public university, public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1892 as a private normal school and became a state institution in 1895. CMU is one of the eigh ...

the next year, retiring in 2013. In 2015, Berman was elected to the

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (MWHOF) honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. The hall of fame was founded in 1983 by Gladys Beckwith and is sponsored by the Michi ...

. She died aged 71 on March 2, 2018, of lung cancer, in

West Bloomfield, Michigan West Bloomfield Township is a charter township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northwestern suburb of Detroit, West Bloomfield is located roughly from downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the township had a population ...

References

1946 births 2018 deaths Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Women state legislators in Michigan Deaths from lung cancer in Michigan Central Michigan University faculty People from Oak Park, Michigan Schoolteachers from Michigan University of Michigan alumni Businesspeople from Michigan American women company founders American company founders 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesswomen American women academics 21st-century American women 20th-century members of the Michigan Legislature {{Michigan-MIRepresentative-stub