By Rebecca Fleury
It is hard to believe that summer is almost over. It was wonderful to see so many of you in Charlevoix for the Summer Workshop. A huge thank you to Charlevoix City Manager Mark Heydlauff for rolling out the red carpet for all of us, and to the planning committee for all their hard work! There were good numbers for us with 115 managers attending and over 135 participants with vendors and guests.
I know I took away some great nuggets of knowledge from the workshop and none more personally than the session on “When the National Spotlight Shines on Main Street.” What courageous women we heard from!. We also learned that having sessions in a movie theatre could be pretty darn cool, with the added bonus of popcorn for breakfast!
Just because our Summer Workshop is behind us does not mean the planning stops. We are always looking for additional volunteers for planning conferences. I am excited to welcome you all to Battle Creek this winter! Let me know if you would like to help with the Winter Institute.
The Professional Development Committee would also like to remind all members that the next scholarship deadline is September 1. Check out the MME website for all the application details and eligibility requirements. You can also find information on our Professional Coaching program as well. Please consider taking advantage of these great offerings.
Rebecca Fleury
Chair, Professional Development Committee; City Manager, Battle Creek
Rebecca Fleury has served as city manager for Battle Creek since 2014. She has been in local government management for over 15 years, specializing in the areas of public finance, community development, and public safety.