By Rebecca Fleury
I understand the Fourth of July represents the halfway point of summer, but this summer seems to be flying by! The good news is this means the Summer Workshop is almost here. I know Aaron Desentz and the Professional Development Committee are working hard to make this a safe, educational, and fun conference. It will be nice to meet in person and network with our colleagues. I look forward to the update from our three task forces. I find much value in sharing experiences between all our members. If you have not registered, time is running out and spaces are filling. Please click here to register and here to see the conference agenda.
Recently, an MME Member raised concerns about the classification and eligibility of certain positions as it relates to MME Membership. A subcommittee of four members of the MME Board of Directors completed a review of existing members as of May 1, 2021 and found five members who were classified as Professional Members but are more appropriately classified as Affiliate Members. No members were found to be ineligible for membership. The affected members are being contacted and memberships will be adjusted following those contacts.
It is important to note that MME relies upon members reviewing and self-reporting appropriate job titles and eligibility in MME. As a check to this process, MME publishes a list of new members as part of each newsletter and the full membership is encouraged to review that information and report any discrepancies. This list is also available at www.mme.org/member-news.
Generally speaking, members are eligible for Professional Membership if they hold a CAO, Assistant/Deputy CAO, or an Assistant to the CAO position. Full ICMA Members are also eligible. All other local government members are eligible for Affiliate or Emerging Leader memberships. Consultants are only eligible for Consultant Membership, which allows for attendance at events only. If you have any questions about which category is appropriate for you, particularly if you have a nontraditional title, please contact membership@mme.org.
The three main additional benefits for Professional MME Members are the ability to serve on the Board of Directors, they may vote in MME elections, and they receive access to the listserv. Members in the Affiliate and Emerging Leader categories may attend events and serve on all of the advisory committees with the exception of the Ethics Committee. It is important to note that because of recent ICMA changes to voting, some MME members may be eligible to vote in ICMA elections, but not in MME elections.
The MME Board of Directors anticipates several of the existing task forces to make recommendations that will require amendments to the MME Constitution, which may impact memberships. It is the intention of the Board to further review the items outlined above at that time and incorporate any additional amendments into the resulting election for review and voting by our Professional Members.
I wish to thank Christian Wuerth, Julius Suchy, Susan Montenegro, and Mark Heydlauff for their time and efforts in reviewing our current membership list and helping the MME Board work through these items. As we move out of the COVID-19 restrictions and open up our communities, I want to commend each of you for the long hours you served during the pandemic, for thinking outside of the box in delivering municipal services in new ways, for supporting your elected officials as they were pulled in many directions, for leveraging technology, for coordinating and collaborating with public health, and for supporting your employees and residents in an ever-changing environment. Thank you for continuing to be, ready for anything!
Rebecca Fleury
President, Michigan Municipal Executives
City Manager, Battle Creek
Rebecca Fleury has served in local government management for 21 years, specializing in the areas of public finance, community development and public safety. She has served as the city manager for Battle Creek since October 2014, and also served in the City of Kalamazoo, the City of Hastings, and the Village of Middleville. She is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and is a Credentialed Manager through ICMA, as well as an active member of the Michigan Municipal Executives serving on several committees, and chair of the Professional Development Committee. You may reach her at rlfleury@battlecreekmi.gov.