Mark Gaffney has spent over 30 years working in the labor movement at various leadership
levels, including 12 years as the President of the Michigan AFLCIO. Recently he retired from Teamsters Local 214 representing public sector members in numerous walks of life. In the 2016 statewide vote, Gaffney was elected to the Wayne State Board of Governors.

At WSU the Board of Governors is concerned with presenting a quality education for students of Michigan with an emphasis on residents of SE Michigan and Detroit. Increasing graduation rates, keeping tuition costs in check and maintaining the medical school, law school and many other great programs are also areas of interest. In addition, for the past six years Mark Gaffney has taught at WSU as an adjunct professor, in the area of Employment, Labor Relations and Economics.

He currently is a co-chair of the Metropolitan Affairs Committee, a business, labor and government policy group for SE Michigan. Gaffney is a mayoral appointee to the Detroit Workforce Board, continuing a life long interest in workforce issues. He is a prior member of the Board of Directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and spent 12 years on the Federal Reserve Bank Boards of Directors for both Chicago and Detroit.

Mark Gaffney lives in Detroit, is married and has three children.