SCDP OFFICERS
Meet the Team
CHAIRPERSON
Stephen Schlaack, MBA
Born in Owosso and raised on Washington Street, Stephen is the son of Owosso native Ronald Schlaack and Noreen Schlaack. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Alma College in Alma, MI, in 2012, where he majored in Business Administration & Theatre Performance.
Between degrees, Stephen worked in Cleveland with The Cleveland Playhouse and the Cleveland Public Theatre, and later as a Loan Officer with Quicken Loans, then in hazardous waste logistics for US Ecology near Detroit. In 2017, he married his college sweetheart, Emily Havelka, MBA, of Ithaca, MI. In 2020, he received an MBA with an emphasis in Supply Chain Management from the Eli Broad College of Business at MSU. After accepting a new remote role with a semiconductor manufacturer based out of Ann Arbor, Stephen relocated back to Michigan in 2022, choosing to make Owosso their home.
Stephen has always loved Owosso and he knew he would someday move back to raise a family. A member of the Owosso City Planning Commission, he is excited for the many opportunities to be engaged with his community. In his leisure time, Stephen enjoys assembling computers, frisbee golf, socializing with friends near and far, and working in his yard.
CO-VICE CHAIR
Laurie Cook, MBA
Laurie Cook grew up in Owosso, where she met her husband in the OHS band. After earning ABEd and MBA degrees from the University of Michigan, and working elsewhere for a time, she (and he) returned to Owosso, where they raised registered Angora goats on their small Rush Township farm. She stayed at home with their two children, and during that time served on several local boards, including Shiawassee Planned Parenthood, Shiawassee United
Way, and two terms on the Owosso Board of Education.
In 2007, she purchased Mango Moon, a small yarn import company that worked with women in Indonesia and Nepal who spun recycled fiber yarns to support their families, moved its operation to Owosso, and opened a retail outlet, Heart of the Mitten. Laurie retired from the business in 2018.
CO-VICE CHAIR
Kristin Babel
Kristin Babel was born and raised in Detroit, then relocated to Oakland County where she graduated from Walled Lake Central HS in 1984. In 1986 she helped her husband create and run a successful wallpaper hanging company until his death in 2000.
At that time, Kristin found herself a single mother of two.
In 2004 Kristin became a licensed EMT, and was proud to have served the citizens of Detroit and metro Detroit for 18 years. Now with children grown, she has relocated to Perry and is looking forward to assisting the Shiawassee Democratic Party in any way possible.
SECRETARY
Bailey Leppert
Bailey Leppert is the vice president of Wolverine Sign Works, an outdoor advertising company based in Owosso. She grew up in Owosso and graduated from Owosso High School. She holds a degree in international affairs from The George Washington University.
Bailey began her career at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and currently serves as a trustee for the Cook Family Foundation. She lives in Bennington Township with her husband, Thomas, and their two dogs.
TREASURER
Aaron
Ray
Aaron Ray is a lifelong resident of Shiawassee County, graduated from Owosso High School with honors in 2011. He studied Political Science at Central Michigan University and Lansing Community College. He previously worked for McCarthy Construction at the new Assembly Solar Power Plant in New Lothrop. He currently serves as a communication specialist for the 146th Medical Battalion, US Army National Guard.
Aaron served two terms as Secretary-Treasurer for the CMU College Democrats from 2011 to 2013, simultaneous with one term as a Senator on the CMU Student Government. He was President of CMU Active Minds, a student-run mental health advocacy group, from 2012 to 2013. Aaron participated in National Guard emergency response missions during the Flint Water Crisis, Hurricane Irma, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Aaron lives in Owosso with his father Timothy.