Governor Whitmer appoints Shkreli as Director of the Office of Children's Ombudsman; Peretick to Michigan Public Service Commission

LANSING:  On Dec. 21, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that Deputy Legal Counsel Suzanna Shkreli will serve as Director of the Office of Children’s Ombudsman (OCO) and Katherine L. Peretick will serve as a Commissioner with the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Shkreli currently serves as deputy legal counsel in the Executive Office of the Governor. Prior to her service in the governor’s office, Shkreli served as an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office in the Child Protection Unit where she prosecuted crimes against children involving physical and sexual abuse. Shkreli has also conducted training for law enforcement officials throughout Albania on Crime Victims’ Rights on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Prosecutorial Development and Training (OPDAT).

As a member of the Executive Office, Shkreli currently represents the Governor on the Human Trafficking Commission and the Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Tracking and Reporting Commission. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Oakland University and earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Shkreli is appointed to succeed Judge Lisa McCormick who was appointed to the 30th Circuit Court of Ingham County. Her term commenced January 4, 2021 and expires at the pleasure of the Governor. As Director, Shkreli will serve as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet.

The OCO is housed in the Department of Technology, Management and Budget as an independent agency. The mission of the Office of the Children's Ombudsman is to help improve Michigan's child welfare system through independently investigating complaints, advocating for children, and recommending changes to improve law, policy, and practice for the benefit of current and future generations.

Katherine L. Peretick currently serves as the director of engineering for NRStor, Inc., an energy storage project developer. Prior to her current position, she was a project engineering manager with General Compression, a grid-scale energy storage technology company. Peretick has also worked as a mechanical engineer with Vestas Wind Systems A/S in Denmark, India and Portland, Oregon, and was a member of their Leadership Development Program. In 2020, she was named to the Energy News Network 40 Under 40.  

Peretick is vice president of Advancing Women in Energy and a member of Michigan Clean Energy Leaders. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Energy Systems Engineering from the University of Michigan. Peretick is appointed as an Independent and is succeeding Sally Talberg who has resigned to join the board of directors of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). She will join Chairman Dan Scripps and Commissioner Tremaine Phillips on the Commission and serve for a term commencing January 4, 2021 and expiring July 2, 2021.

The mission of the Michigan Public Service Commission is to ensure safe, reliable, and accessible energy and telecommunications services at reasonable rates for Michigan residents.