Terri Lynn Land was elected to serve as Michigan’s 41st Secretary of State in November of 2002 and took office on January 1, 2003. As Secretary of State, she plans to build upon the Department of State’s technology base and expand user-friendly programs that would increase the number of Internet users. She is committed to providing the highest level of customer service possible by delivering the most cost-effective and efficient services possible. She believes that effective government thinks creatively and is open to exploring alternatives to the standard ways of doing business. A willingness to listen and learn from customers and employees is one of her top priorities.

Secretary Land is designated as Michigan’s Chief Motor Vehicle Administrator, Chief Election Officer and Keeper of the Great Seal. She is second in line of succession to the Governor and acts in that capacity whenever both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are out of state. She is a member of the State Administrative Board, the National Association of Secretaries of State and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission.

Prior to her election, Secretary Land served as Kent County Clerk from 1992-2000, at a time of tremendous change and growth in Michigan’s 4th largest county. As Kent County Clerk, she concentrated on making county government more "user-friendly" to the public. By working and building coalitions with other members of county government, local and statewide judges, the State legislature, and the voters, she made sure that elections and vital record keeping were 100 percent accurate and accessible. She has also been a leader in enforcing compliance with Campaign Finance Laws and working with the Qualified Voter File.

Secretary Land’s involvement in politics stretches back to her high school years, where she served as a "scatter blitzer" for the Gerald R. Ford for President campaign. A budding politician from Grandville High School, she was one of the youngest attendees at the Republican State Convention in 1978.

Heavy involvement with community organizations is also one of Secretary Land’s hallmarks. She is actively involved with the Metropolitan Hospital Foundation, Potter's House, Byron Center Fine Arts Foundation, Van Singel Community Fine Arts Council, and the Women’s Resource Center, to name just a few. In her spare time, Secretary Land enjoys gardening and water-skiing.

Of all her accomplishments, Secretary Land is most proud of her family. She has been married to Dan Hibma for nineteen years, and the couple has two children together, Jessica and Nicholas. They attend Corinth Reformed Church, where Secretary Land was nursery supervisor for many years. A graduate of Grandville High School, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hope College in Holland, Michigan.