By Christian Wuerth
In late September, we lost our colleague and friend, MME President Chris Burns. Like a lot of you, I am still stunned by the news of Chris’ passing. Far too soon and far too young. I am heartbroken for her family, friends, and her coworkers in Spring Lake—both the Village and the Township—and continue to keep them in my prayers. Chris will be missed immensely by a lot of people—in large part because of the positive impact she had on so many of our lives. It spoke volumes about Chris that so many of us in the profession attended her funeral service and that the church was beyond capacity.
In remembering Chris at the MML Convention, I said that I always walked away from our conversations with three things—having learned something, having laughed, and having learned a new and unique way to curse. I learned a lot over the years from our conversations and I am a better manager today because of the wisdom and insights that Chris was more than willing to share. I am a better person because I was able to count her among my friends. I am grateful to have known her and will greatly miss the conversations and the laughs in the years ahead.
In the September edition of the MME Newsletter, Chris wrote about gratitude. She spoke about taking the time to stop, reflect, and appreciate our accomplishments. It seems appropriate here to stop and reflect upon (with gratitude) some of the impact Chris had on our profession and on the careers of many of us. In that vein, I reached out to a few people to ask them to share a brief story on the impact that Chris had on their careers and lives. Here is what they had to share:
Chris played a part in starting my career as a city manager. She was on the three-person selection committee for a fellowship with the Michigan Local Government Managers Association. I was one of the candidates and was ultimately chosen as a fellow for the City of Mason. After spending some time in Colorado in my first municipal management position, I returned to Michigan where Chris was always involved in conferences, and I always made it a point to talk to her. Hearing about her and Bill’s personal adventures was a highlight—as was her sense of humor. She will be missed.
Nathan Henne, City Manager, Owosso
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It was twenty-some years ago…as the new kid in city hall, I had just become Central Michigan University’s first city manager intern with the now retired, Ken Hibl, in Clare, Michigan. It was that summer I would meet a new life-long friend and her family. Chris invited me into her home, Brad and Bre were just little kiddos, her husband Bill could fly airplanes and had a jeep in the garage with the top off (they still have it all these years later) —so cool. Chris was also attending CMU, she and Bill were both working to obtain their graduate degrees, and she was serving as the city clerk at the time. She convinced me to get certified as an election inspector and participate in the administration of my first election process…apparently that is what city clerks do, recruit election workers.
Although our developing careers as city managers moved us away from Clare, Chris and I had the opportunity to serve together in many capacities over the years…MLGMA Board, MML Insurance Boards, 16/50 Project, placing city management interns and fellows in communities across the state for many, many years (several of which were from CMU and placed in Clare under Ken’s mentorship). We had the opportunity to see and visit some amazing places for conferences and events—one of my favorites was hiking Tent Rocks National Park in New Mexico with Chris, Bill, and my wife Jen; Savannah, GA was fun too.
I will always remember Chris telling me, that first summer some twenty-some years ago, that integrity is the most important character trait anyone could ever possess—and she was just that, a person of uncompromising integrity. She was also steadfast in her fashion advice that no matter how hip my sandals were, nor how cool my socks, that they cannot be worn together.
Adam Smith, City Manager, Grand Ledge
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When we lose friends, family members, or those who we are close to, one of the natural steps in the grieving process is denial. When we walk into a favorite restaurant, go to a conference, attend some other event—I sometimes scan the crowd hoping that the news I received was a mistake. I did that in Austin at the ICMA conference.
On Michigan night, I did see Chris. Sadly, it was just her likeness captured forever on a canvas that smiled as we all gathered and offered a toast in her honor.
I think the worst thing about death is that it doesn’t always allow us a chance to say goodbye. It’s like reading a great book and finding out someone ripped out the last chapter or pages and you never learn how things ended. In its place we can think of a hundred different endings; some we’d really prefer over what life has dealt.
And as we get older, it seems like we find more and more books on the shelf with those last chapters missing. I try to look at it from the viewpoint that we are lucky and rich for having so many in our lives whose stories we shared, but it does weigh on the bookshelves.
Chris always brought a smile when I would see her in person at MME conferences, at the ICMA events, or when she visited “her Liam” and family in DC. Even though we lived in different parts of the country, it seemed like it was really “just next door.” She had a passion for family, for travel, and for making her community the best it could be. She leaves a challenge for all of us to not take things for granted; none of us knows when the last chapters of our lives will be written. Her book of life was full and that makes her loss even harder because so many were touched within the pages of her life.
Tom Wieczorek, Director, Center for Public Safety Management & retired Ionia City Manager
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There is an emptiness in me that I’m not sure will ever go away. I cannot believe that Chris is gone. I believe at any minute I will receive a text from her with her many wonderful Chris-isms. To say she impacted my career is an understatement. To say she impacted my life is more accurate.
I remember being the new kid on the block in MLGMA (it was not MME then). I was in my first CAO position, and it felt like high school all over. Trying to figure out which group I best fit. I think Chris must have sensed that and simply struck up a conversation with me. It felt natural, like we had been friends forever. I never looked back.
Over the next ten years we talked about our communities, the profession, advancing as women leaders, family, friends, spouses, kids, grandkids, elected officials, the change in civility, and any other topic that was relevant. Although, relevant is loosely accurate because there were so many subjects of our conversations that had nothing to do with work, but more about our personal identities.
When I was offered the job in Battle Creek, my first call was to Chris. I was having all those imposter feelings, struggling with having to compete with an internal candidate that would remain on the staff, asking how I could possibly handle an organization of 600 employees vs. one with 15. She never missed a beat and told me, “You’ve got this!” Chris said, “call Daryl Delabbio after me and everything will work out.” How easily she and I talked it out and I felt my confidence elevate.
I am starting my tenth year in Battle Creek and my 25th year in local government. The thought about getting to retirement without Chris Burns is devastating. Tears fall as I write these words. No one can take her place, but her legacy lives on in each one of us that she touched. She left a handprint on my heart that I will treasure until I see her again.
Rebecca Fleury, City Manager, Battle Creek
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A scholarship fund has been set up in honor of Chris through the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation. The MME Board contributed to the fund on behalf of the association and many of us have personally donated in honor of our friend. For those who would like to contribute to the fund in her memory, you may do so via this link:
https://ghacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2617
You may also send a check to the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation at 1 South Harbor Drive, Grand Haven, MI 49417, with “Christine Burns” in the memo line.
MME will have additional tributes at the 2024 Winter Institute to honor Chris and further recognize her contributions to our organization, the profession, and local government.