Christian Wuerth
It was great to see many of you at the Winter Institute a few weeks back. I want to thank the Professional Development Committee, staff from the Michigan Municipal League and the Nonprofit Spot, and our committees for pulling together a great event. You all worked hard on this event and its success is a reflection of your commitment to the association—thank you! I would also like to thank our sponsors once again, as their continued support allows the association to keep conference registration costs down.
Our two conferences are important opportunities for us as professionals to reconnect, learn from one another, share some stories, and have a few laughs. I had some great conversations with people new to the profession or who recently joined MME. I met some great new friends and very much enjoyed getting to sit down and have some great conversations. It was also fun to connect with the MPA students in attendance, and I was able to reconnect with colleagues I had not seen in a while. I am already looking forward to the Summer Workshop in Marquette in July and hope to see a strong turnout for what promises to be another great conference. Make sure you have July 16–19 blocked off on your calendars now—this is one you will not want to miss.
On the organization side of things, our committees are hard at work already, and you will see updates from them throughout the balance of this newsletter. The Board met following the Winter Institute and approved the appointments to the Ethics Committee as well as the location of the MME event during the ICMA Conference in Pittsburgh in September. The Board also approved the 2025 MME conference locations: Bay City for the 2025 Winter Institute and Mount Pleasant for the 2025 Summer Workshop. Combined with prior approvals for the 2026 Winter Institute in Traverse City and the 2027 Winter Institute in Kalamazoo, we now have a significant portion of the upcoming event locations locked in, and the Professional Development Committee is working toward identifying locations for the 2026 and 2027 Summer Workshops in the coming months.
I have spoken about this before, but one of the great strengths of our association is the ability to support one another in difficult moments and to celebrate one another in times of success. Our positions, and the stresses and rewards of the job, are unique. We are often the only ones who may understand completely what a colleague is going through in a particular moment. I would encourage you to pick up the phone and send that text or make that call during both the difficult and the celebratory moments. We’ve probably all been on the receiving end of such calls and texts, and it can be a good boost in spirits at a needed moment.
Finally, I am planning to continue to make my way around to the regional group meetings in the coming months. There is no set agenda or topic, but my goal is simply to stop by to say hello and listen to any thoughts the groups may have on how MME can best support its members. I already have the Northern Michigan, Upper Peninsula, and Mid-Michigan groups on my calendar. If your regional group has meetings scheduled, please reach out as you set your plans and I am happy to make the drive.
Christian Wuerth
President, MME
Village Manager, Milford
Christian Wuerth currently serves as the Acting President of MME. He began his career in local government as an intern with the City of Birmingham in 2004 before moving to the Village of Milford, where he has served as Village Manager since 2014. Prior to his career in local government, Christian worked in the nonprofit sector and spent two years serving in AmeriCorps NCCC, a national service program. He has previously served on several MME committees, including serving as the Chair of the Professional Development Committee, and previously served on the Board of Directors for MME.