Patricia A. Spitzley

Patricia A. Spitzley is Director of Government Relations and Deputy Redevelopment Manager for RACER Trust, one of the largest environmental bankruptcy trusts in U.S. history, and is a leader on a team that has closed more than 100 property sales, resulting in more than 69,000 recurring jobs and $22.3 billion in total output in communities across RACER’s 14-state portfolio. She graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in Biology and earned her law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law.

She started her professional career as a PCB inspector with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and went on to serve in executive roles with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (now the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) and the DNR. Ms. Spitzley was appointed Director of the Office of Communications for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality by both Gov. John Engler, a Republican, and Democratic Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, responsible for coordinating the development and delivery of the administrations’
environmental messaging. She was also appointed Director of the DNR Office of Legal Services by Governor Granholm. An expert on Environmental Justice issues, Ms. Spitzley’s primary responsibilities at RACER Trust are to maintain productive, solutions- oriented working relationships with community and state leaders in the 14 states where the Trust operates. Ms. Spitzley also served two terms as an at-large member of the Lansing (Mich.) City Council, ending in 2023.