Pat McGinnis
The Advocacy Committee will meet again at the Winter Institute (time and place TBD). All are welcome if you’d like to join us; the more the merrier!
It is a new year with a slightly adjusted committee, so we are taking this as a fresh start and will build on what we accomplished last year.
Last year, we attempted to connect with peer organizations to better collaborate when it comes to supporting the Council/Manager form. We’ve had limited success, but can use your help. Send me a message if you can help us connect with peer groups—it is not our number one priority, but we want to identify members who have unique positive connections with planners, assessors, police chiefs, etc.
We presented at the MML Elected Official’s Academy and Convention and will have a booth at the MTA conference in April. Committee members were featured in the MTA magazine and we will present at the MiParks conference in February.
Ryan Heise (Saugatuck) will moderate our session at the Winter Institute in a few weeks, and we will present a compelling and inspirational message for the members on the last day of our annual retreat.
In 2024, we will closely track the discussion about a new Charter in our capital city and will be ready to answer the bell if asked to weigh in on the form of governance issue.
Mitch Foster (Ludington) is working on an MME Speaker’s Bureau to build a network of excellent speakers to be prepared to present at meetings and conferences. Julius Suchy (Ada Township) and Jared Olson (Roosevelt Park) are the SWAG committee: they’ll prepare and present a budget to either buy MME conference giveaways or support the sale of MME apparel for the membership.
All of us, you included, will develop slide decks and infographics to advocate like crazy this year. Thank you for your interest and for your support.
Pat McGinnis
Chair, Advocacy Committee
City Manager, Portage
Pat McGinnis has been active in the MCMA/MLGMA/MME since 1987, when he first worked in a manager’s office in the City of Farmington Hills. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration from Michigan State University and has served as city manager in the Michigan municipalities of West Branch, Grand Haven, and Portage. He served a term on the MLGMA Board of Trustees and received the Excellence Award in 2012 and an Innovation Award in 2020. He and his wife Tina live in Portage, Michigan with their bunny, cat, and puppy. He can be reached at mcginnip@portagemi.gov.