The 2016 Michiganians of the Year

The Detroit News has been selecting and honoring Michiganians of the Year since 1978. This year's group of 10 demonstrates selflessness that lifts them far above the everyday, such as fighting for the exoneration of the wrongfully imprisoned, providing affordable housing, connecting volunteers with programs doing good work and exposing and addressing Flint's water crisis. Continue on as we salute the 2016 Michiganians of the Year.

General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra has navigated the automaker through a challenging time and a changing corporate culture. Under her leadership, GM's net income set a record, and the automaker is positioned to become a leader in self-driving car technology, ride sharing and mobility solutions. GM will be the first to bring to market an electric car under $30,000 -- the Chevrolet Bolt EV -- that gets more than 200 miles per charge.

Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of pediatric residency at Hurley Children's Hospital in Flint, conducted a study that found the percentage of elevated blood-lead levels among children in the city had doubled. She persisted in the face of state denials, and eventually a state and federal emergency was declared. "When it's my kids that are at stake, I don't give up," she said.

Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. has earned praise for restoring collegiality to a once fractured Michigan Supreme Court. He also has streamlined the operation of courts across the state, bringing in innovation and technology to make the delivery of justice more efficient and less expensive for defendants and plaintiffs alike.

Thanks to the efforts of two attorneys, young Detroiter Davontae Sanford was released from prison in June 2016 after serving nearly nine years for murders he did not commit. Valerie Newman, above, an attorney with the State Appellate Defender Office, fought for years to exonerate Sanford. "Davontae's confession had all the hallmarks of a false confession; (it was) never challenged," she said. Assistant Defender Valerie Newman talks about her career and the Davontae Sanford case at the State Appellate Defender Office in Detroit, Michigan on October 11, 2016. (Brandy Baker/ The Detroit News)

In 2015, the Devontae Sanford case was picked up by the University of Michigan Innocence Clinic, a student-run group headed by law professor David Moran. "This is the most compelling case you'll ever see," Moran said, "because it shows how the system can totally fail a young boy. So many things went wrong at so many levels."

Claressa Shields makes pro boxing debut Saturday when she faces Franchon Crews in Las Vegas.

Olympic swimmer Allison Schmitt, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, has become a champion for mental-health advocacy. She plans to enroll in graduate school this winter to pursue a master's degree in psychology and continue her work to destigmatize mental illness.

Linda Smith is the tireless executive director of the nonprofit U-SNAP-BAC, which has built more than 130 units of affordable housing and provides homebuyer classes, home repair and demolition to help rehabilitate and develop portions of Detroit's east side.

Luther Keith launched the nonprofit ARISE Detroit! in 2006 to connect people and organizations doing good volunteer work all across the city. Now it's a coalition of 400-plus activist groups. "Our whole goal is to get people excited about getting involved in something that improves life in city," Keith says.