Brandon Skopek
Chair, Early Career Outreach Committee
The Early Career Outreach Committee hosted a summer training session on Friday, August 16, focused on the crucial topic of council-manager relations. This session provided attendees with practical tools and strategies to strengthen their relationships with council members, manage conflicts effectively, and enhance their ability to serve their communities, regardless of their current stage in their careers. Panelists emphasized the importance of clarity in the roles of local government leaders and councilmembers, offered insights on navigating the challenges that can arise in council-manager relations, and provided recommendations on how local government leaders can protect themselves when these relations become too strained and are beyond repair.
The Early Career Outreach Committee would like to thank our panelists and presenters, including Christian Wuerth, village manager of the Village of Milford and current MME president; Nate Geinzer, interim city manager of the City of Berkley; Michael Hart, assistant city manager and director of economic & community development with the City of Fenton; and Mike Womack, city manager of the City of Lapeer. We would also like to thank the Michigan Municipal League for the use of their meeting space in Lansing.
Please be on the lookout for another training session hosted by the Early Career Outreach Committee this fall.
Brandon Skopek
Chair, Early Career Outreach Committee
Assistant City Manager, Auburn Hills
Brandon Skopek is the assistant city manager with the City of Auburn Hills. Brandon also serves as the executive director of the Auburn Hills Tax Increment Finance Authority.
Brandon has spent his career in local government as a planning and economic development professional. He is the former township planner for Highland Township, Michigan, and former assistant to the city manager and Downtown Development Authority coordinator for the City of Brighton, Michigan. Brandon was hired by the City of Auburn Hills in 2018 to the role of director of authorities, overseeing the Tax Increment Finance Authority, Downtown Development Authority, and Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. As part of the city’s succession planning efforts, Brandon was moved to the city manager’s office in January of 2021 to an interim role of assistant to the city manager in preparation for taking on the assistant city manager position in October 2021. Brandon is a member of the Michigan Municipal Executives, International City/County Management Association, the Oakland County City Manager’s Association, and the Michigan Economic Developers Association.
Brandon’s professional interests include economic development, community engagement, and local government management. Brandon possesses a bachelor of science in public administration and public policy, and a master of public administration with a concentration in local government management, both from Oakland University.