By John Shay
In some ways, I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by (for example: my term as president) and in other ways how slow it has progressed (think COVID, social distancing, face masks, etc.). The year 2020 is a year we will not soon forget. As your first “virtual” president, I was disappointed that we were not able to gather in person at the Summer Workshop or at the upcoming Winter Institute. I find a lot of value in these conferences, meeting with my fellow colleagues in small groups to discuss common problems. I miss that camaraderie.
However, my disappointment pales in comparison to the level of pride that I have in our profession in general, and in the MME in particular, based on the professionalism, dedication, perseverance, and class that all of you have exhibited this year. I have been truly honored to serve this wonderful organization composed of so many great people. I want to thank many of you for the assistance that you have given to me during this last year. To my fellow Board members and committee members, thank you for the hard work that you have performed. It was truly remarkable how you put on a virtual Summer Workshop, implemented a new EAP program, navigated difficult ethical issues, provided support to managers in transition, and responded to the challenges of serving our next generation of leaders.
To my fellow MME members, thank you for your support and dedication to making our communities a better place. I have learned so much from all of you.
Finally, I want to thank Summer Minnick and the rest of the staff at the MML. They truly carried a heavy burden to make sure that I did not screw this thing up too badly. I could not have performed my duties as your president without their assistance.
As this year comes to a close, hang in there, keep moving forward and providing support to each other since it is so easy for the rest of the world to sling arrows at us. We are a team, so be that post that others can lean on when times get tough. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need any assistance or have any ideas on ways to improve the services that the MME provides to its members. Here are my updates to some ongoing issues facing the MME:
Strategic Plan Update
The Strategic Planning Committee has been hard at work with The Nonprofit Spot to update the MME’s Strategic Plan to:
- Address the Key Strategic Issues into a set of Key Strategic Goals and develop objectives and tactics to support those goals.
- Present the Key Strategic Goals and Objectives during the virtual Summer Workshop.
- Conduct a series of video conference calls with close to 40 members representing MME regions across Michigan to get further feedback on the draft Strategic Plan
- Begin to address implementation by reviewing the current committee roles and proposing a number of changes in their responsibilities
- Conduct an additional series of video conference calls with committee chairs and other stakeholders to further refine committee roles and the draft Strategic Plan
After incorporating all the feedback, the Strategic Planning Committee will review the proposed Strategic Plan and final timeline with the goal of presenting it to the MME Board in November for adoption.
Nominating Process to the MME Board
In accordance with Article VI of the MME Constitution, I have appointed 11 MME members to the Nominating Committee to develop a slate of candidates for the officers and directors on the MME Board to be elected at the annual meeting of the MME membership. The members of the Nominating Committee are:
- Region 1: Ray Anderson, City of Norway
- Region 1: Caroline Kennedy, Village of Elk Rapids
- Region 2: Vester Davis, City of Stanton
- Region 2: Curtis Holt, City of Wyoming
- Region 2: Al Vanderberg, Ottawa County
- Region 3: Bridgette Gransden, Midland County
- Region 3: Lynn Markland, City of Fenton, Immediate Past President, CHAIRPERSON
- Region 4: Rebecca Fleury, City of Battle Creek, President-Elect
- Region 4: Jim Ritsema, City of Kalamazoo
- Region 5: Justin Breyer, City of Dexter
- Region 5: Sheryl Mitchell Theriot, City of Lathrup Village
The constitution states, “When considering the selection of a slate of proposed officers and directors, the nominating committee should place the candidate’s desire to serve and dedication to the association above all other considerations. After establishing this as a primary concern, the nominating committee should ensure that the diverse opinions and concerns of the organization are well represented. Several additional factors should be considered when making nominations. Included among these considerations should be representation of all geographic areas, type of local government unit, and the size of communities represented. In addition, considerations should be given to women, minorities, and assistants.”
I encourage MME members to contact the Nominating Committee via email at nominations@mme.org if you know of a MME member that would be a good candidate for the MME Board.
MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Community Program
The MME worked with the MEDC to issue a survey earlier this year to evaluate the effectiveness of the MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program. The survey results showed that satisfaction with the RRC program was mixed. In response to the MEDC’s willingness to meet with the MME to discuss the survey results and on ways to improve the RRC program, I formed an ad-hoc committee representing both RRC-certified communities and communities currently working through the certification process. They will meet with the MEDC in a series of Zoom meetings to provide feedback on the RRC program. The MEDC recently informed me that it is finalizing the insights from the committee, as well as some proposed next steps and recommendations to improve the program. The MEDC should be sending the summary document to me in the near future. The ad-hoc committee will review this information before making any final recommendations to the MEDC.
MME Constitutional Amendment Voting Results
I am pleased to report that 96 percent of the members (121 out of 126 total votes cast) approved an amendment to Article III of the MME Constitution to revoke a person’s membership in the MME if he/she ran for or held elected office in any municipality employing an MME member. Such a person could request that their MME membership be reinstated upon vacating the elected office.
John Shay
President, Michigan Municipal Executives
Deputy Administrator, Ottawa County
John Shay’s career in municipal management began in 1998 when he became village manager in Almont, located in Lapeer County. He then spent over 15 years as Ludington city manager before becoming deputy county administrator in Ottawa County in 2018. He’s been very involved with MME throughout his career by serving on various committees and is also a member of the International City/County Management Association. You may reach him at jshay@miottawa.org.