DEERFIELD TWP. — A local woman has been given the honor of representing the entire Thumb region of Michigan at the Republican National Convention in Florida in August.

Cheryl Howell has been elected to be one of the 30 voting delegates from Michigan at the convention. She will represent the Thumb region of the 10th Congressional District, which consists of Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Tuscola and Huron counties.

“I feel honored to be elected to represent all these people,” she said. “I’m pretty excited.” Also included in the 10th district is most of Macomb County, which will be represented by Stan Grot of Macomb County.

Howell, Grot and the rest of the 2,286 delegates and 2,125 alternate delegates representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories will travel to Tampa, Fla., Aug. 27-30 at their own expense for the convention.

Cheryl Howell will represent Lapeer County at the GOP national convention in August. The delegates are responsible for voting to nominate the Republican candidates for president and vice president, as well as voting on the Republican platform which, Howell said, “is an extensive document containing Republican proposals for everything from agriculture to health care to foreign policy.”

Howell has been active in the Republican Party for more than 20 years. She has served as an elected township clerk, precinct delegate, secretary of the Lapeer County Republican Party and is currently secretary of the 10th Congressional District Republican Committee. She is employed by North Branch Area Schools as the executive secretary to the superintendent. She lives on the family farm in Deerfield Township with her husband Gary. They have three children and four grandchildren.

“I am a conservative Republican concerned with the direction of our country,” Howell said. “I fear the continued rising debt that is being placed on our children and grandchildren. This country needs a strong conservative leader that will get us back on track. I am thrilled to be representing Michigan and to be a part of the political debate over our country’s future.”