About Sam Singh
Sam Singh is a Community Leader
The year after he graduated from MSU, Sam Singh was elected at the age of 24 to the East Lansing City Council. He subsequently won re-election for two additional terms serving a total of 12 years in local government. In 2005, Sam was elected as the youngest Mayor in the city’s history. He worked tirelessly to build bridges between the university and city, promoted regional collaboration, supported aggressive economic development and expanded strong environmental policies.
Sam Singh is a Business Leader
Sam is currently serving as the Senior Consultant for the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan (NEI). NEI is a $100 million philanthropic initiative aimed to help transition Michigan to a knowledge based economy. The New Economy Initiative works with other partners in the state to sponsor and support activities that attract and retain talented workers; encourage innovation and entrepreneurship; and change the region’s culture to embrace learning, work and innovation.
In addition, Sam is an affiliated consultant with the Lansing-based evaluation firm, Public Policy Associates. Sam’s work consists of consulting with nonprofit organizations around organizational planning, strategic restructuring, and resource development.
Sam Singh is a Nonprofit Leader
Sam Singh has extensive management experience having served as the President and CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association, an 1100 member-based association that was actively involved in public policy, capacity building and leadership development for the nonprofit sector. He worked relentlessly to ensure that nonprofits and charities were appropriately represented by the budgets and laws being developed in Lansing and Washington, DC.
In addition to being employed by nonprofit organizations for most of his career, Sam is a dedicated volunteer having served on over twenty nonprofit boards on a national and local level. He is currently involved with the boards of the Lansing Refugee Development Center, Capital Area United Way, Michigan Municipal League Foundation and the Michigan Political Leadership Program.
Sam Singh is a University Supporter
Sam Singh is an alumnus of Michigan State University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1994. Sam has been an active supporter as an alumnus working on a number of university committees and speaking regularly on campus on topics such as local government, nonprofit management and leadership. He is proud that his term as Mayor of East Lansing resulted in strengthening the relationship between the University and its hometown. Sam was honored to be recently appointed to MSU’s Student Affairs National Leadership Board.
Sam Singh was a Student Leader
As a student, in the early 1990’s, Sam was involved in many leadership roles including being a resident assistant, a member of Phi Sigma Phi fraternity, and the chief of staff of the student government, ASMSU. He was also involved in starting a number of philanthropic activities on campus such as Into the Streets, MSU Alternative Break Program and the MSU Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Sam credits those activities to leading him to a career in the nonprofit sector. His work led to him being named the Spartan of the Year in 1993 by the MSU student newspaper, the State News.