State Rep. Steve Marino, of Harrison Township, has been named the Small Business Association of Michigan’s Legislator of the Year for 2021.

Marino was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in November 2016 and represents residents in Harrison Township and portions of Clinton and Macomb townships. He chairs the House Commerce and Tourism Committee, while also serving on the House Local Government and Municipal Finance Committee. He was also named SBAM’s Legislator of the Year in 2020.

“Small business is pivotal to our state and local economies in Michigan. With this in mind, it is a priority to develop and advance solutions that support our many small businesses across the state,” Marino said. “They are truly the backbone of our communities.”

The award was presented to Marino in June during SBAM’s annual meeting, held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to serving in the Legislature, Rep. Marino was Macomb County commissioner and a local business owner. He is a graduate of L’Anse Creuse High School and an alumnus of Michigan State University’s James Madison College, where he earned degrees in Economics, Public Policy and Public Administration, and Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy. While attending MSU, he played lacrosse, served as student body president and chaired the University Committee on Student Affairs.

Rep. Marino is also active in the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce, L’Anse Creuse Public Schools Foundation, Huron Association and Selfridge Base Community Council, while being involved in several other local community advocacy organizations both before and during his time in the Legislature. He has been appointed to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the committee of the Council of State Governments of the Midwestern Legislative Conference.

The Small Business Association of Michigan focuses solely on serving the needs of Michigan’s small business community through advocacy, collaboration and buying power. They currently serve over 28,000 members in all 83 Michigan counties.