By Russ Taylor
On March 24, Grand Valley State University held a Career Fair, which was well represented by MME members Vester Davis, Kathie Grinzinger, and myself. We proudly displayed the MME banners and distributed membership forms to students interested in public service. There were about 40 tables showcasing a wide range of public service careers. Representatives from the U.S. Marshals Service, various healthcare and social work agencies, police services, and non-profit groups were in attendance, along with many others.
According to Vester, there were over 100 students who came through the doors. While not all of them stopped at the MME table, I believe we were able to speak with about 20 of them firsthand during the two hour event. Vester noted that the name change from MLGMA to MME proved helpful when explaining the responsibilities of managers in local government as comparable to a CEO in the private sector.
All three of us commented on how much we enjoyed sharing with the students the reasons that we chose this profession, and the excitement and challenge it offers. While many of the presenters used free candy to entice students to visit their tables, we were lucky enough to have Kathie, who reeled them in with her fun and outgoing personality. Kathie’s love for the profession truly made the students interested in learning more about choosing local government management as their career.
Russ Taylor, Township Manager
Thomas Township
Russ has been the Thomas Township manager and a resident since 2002. Prior to taking over the helm at Thomas Township, he was the township manager for Tittabawassee Township from 1995-2002, and the assistant manager for Saginaw Township from 1986 to 1995.You may reach him at 989-781-0150 or manager@thomastwp.org