Lansing developer and Democratic political leader Joel Ferguson has died. Ferguson, 86, was a long-time elected member of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees.

Joel Ferguson, a known developer in Michigan and former board of trustee for Michigan State University, has died at the age of 85.Michigan State University confirmed his passing on Saturday. Ferguson served as a trustee from 1987 to 1995 and from 1997 to 2020,

Joel Ferguson, a longtime Lansing power-broker, real estate developer and high-profile Democrat, has died, according to Michigan State University. He was 85.

LANSING, MI – Longtime Michigan State University trustee and Lansing real estate developer Joel Ferguson has passed away. The 85-year-old died on Saturday morning, Oct. 19, family representative Tina Miller told MLive.

Former longtime Michigan State University trustee and businessman Joel Ferguson has died. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in a statement on his death, said Ferguson was a "Lansing legend."

He was a true Spartan, through and through," his family said in a statement. "Joel will be remembered for his kind heart, his charismatic smile, his natural-born ability to redefine business hustle, and his lifelong purpose to create positive change,