Cover Story
The Loepp file
Smart Business Detroit | October 2008
Born: Detroit
Education: B.A., communications; master’s degree in political communications, Wayne State University
Loepp has an extensive background in government, having served as chief of staff for Michigan Speaker of the House
Curtis Hertel, as director of communication for Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley and as a staff member for U.S. Congressman
Dennis Hertel. He also served as the CEO of the Service Station Dealers Association of Michigan from 1987 to 1992.
Loepp authored a book, “Sharing the Balance of Power — An Examination of Shared Power in the Michigan House of
Representatives, 1993-94,” which was published in 1999 by The University of Michigan Press.
Loepp on finding smart people: Generally, as you get to this point, most of the people you are looking at are top notch. You’ve
got to see how they fit with you, and you don’t want all the same executives. The idea of having somebody that is very creative and
throws all kinds of stuff up against the wall and says, ‘Well, do you think we should do this, should we do this, should we do this?’
It’s interesting if you have one out of eight or 10 of them that are that way. If you had 10 of them, you couldn’t get anything done
because you’d be doing nothing but throwing ideas out (there). The conservative finance people, the folks that are sticklers for compliance, there’s all a spot for that in a mix. So, it’s not only the leader that you are looking for, but how does that leader mix with the rest of
the leaders?
