Pontiac mayor, OU alumnus Mike McGuinness to keynote 7th annual Tim Larrabee Memorial Lecture
March 09, 2026
Mike McGuinness, mayor of the City of Pontiac and a former Oakland University student body president, will be the featured speaker at Oakland University’s 7th annual Tim Larrabee Memorial Lecture from 5-6:30 pm on Thursday, March 19, in 159 North Foundation Hall.
McGuinness made history when he was elected Pontiac’s first openly gay mayor in November 2025. Prior to becoming mayor, he served as president of the Pontiac City Council from 2022-2026, president of the Pontiac Board of Education from 2020-2021 and chair of the Pontiac Arts Commission from 2015-2019.
Professionally, McGuinness previously worked as executive director of Oakland County's Historical Society, executive director of the Berkley Downtown Development Authority, outreach coordinator for Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence and legislative staff in the Michigan House of Representatives.
While a student at Oakland University, McGuinness was active on campus, serving as student body president and vice president. As the university’s first openly gay student body president, he was a leading voice on LGBTQ+ issues, advocating for the creation of OU’s Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC).
Founded in 2005, the center supports retention and graduation of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, queer, intersex, and asexual or otherwise non-heterosexual and/or non-cisgender) students through education and retention initiatives for all members of the OU community.
GSC Coordinator Blake Ilan hailed McGuinness as a trailblazer who helped lay the groundwork for OU’s current status as one of the most LGBTQ-friendly campuses in Michigan.
“Within the lifetime of most of our current students, having a gay man serve as the representative of our student body meant the shattering of a glass ceiling. Now, that seems like a given - not as a nonfactor, but as a strength that we understand brings unique perspectives into leadership,” said Ilan. “We are one of two campuses in Michigan with 5 out of 5 stars on the Campus Pride Index. We are proudly a leader in LGBTQ+ activism and community within our state. We would not be here without brave souls like Mike McGuinness, who were willing to work hard and lead at a time that was, in many ways, like today.”
Ilan said McGuinness was a perfect choice to keynote this year’s Tim Larrabee Memorial Lecture, bringing a message of inspiration and empowerment at a time when the political climate has left many students feeling discouraged.
“Who better to help these students learn how to move forward and step into their power than Mike McGuinness?,” Ilan said.
The Tim Larrabee Memorial Lecture is named in honor of Dr. Timothy G. Larrabee, an Oakland University associate professor of teacher development and educational studies who, for more than a decade, was a passionate teacher, researcher and advocate for the LGBTQIA community on and off campus.
Larrabee founded the SOGI Initiative, which aimed to create a safe, welcoming supportive and inclusive campus climate for all students, staff, faculty and administrators regardless of sex, gender identity or sexual orientation, as well as to advocate for the larger LGBTQIA community.
The lecture is part of Pride Month at Oakland University, a series of events to recognize the impact that LGBTQ+ individuals have had on history on local, national, and international levels. Oakland celebrates Pride Month from mid-March to mid-April, traditionally concluding with Lavender Graduation.
For more information, contact the Gender and Sexuality Center at (248) 370-4336 or [email protected]
