By Frank Walsh
Our Member Success Committee spent the last two months catching up with colleagues across the state to talk about what success means to them. Our inaugural Sharing is Caring program is aimed at illuminating our community’s vision and creativity. We want to thank Griffin Graham (South Haven), Tutt Gorman (Portland), and Pat McGinnis (Portage) for their contributions to the program. Please consider taking 5-10 minutes this month and submit something creative in your community. By sharing, we all get better.
As our committee reflects on our careers in municipal management, we are reminded of what Jim C. Collins shared with us back in October 2001. Mr. Collins authored “Good to Great,” outlining the steps to take your company to new heights. Many of our MME members have read the book from cover to cover and transferred “company” to “community.” The author made an impactful point in his research by suggesting that the “who” is more important than the “where.” Collins suggested, based on his research, that the most successful companies focused more on getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. “Don’t try to figure out where to drive the bus. Hire the right people, get the wrong people off the bus, and they will take the company somewhere great.”
The same can be said for our communities. Ultimately, we are driving the community’s bus. With every hiring decision, I always recall the wise advice offered in Good to Great. The same can be said for those tough staffing decisions that come our way. We have been handed the keys to our community’s bus. As we steer to the future, let us focus on the “who,” rather than the “where.”
Frank Walsh
Chair, Member Success Committee
Manager, Meridian Charter Township
At the age of 19, Frank Walsh was elected as a trustee of Henrietta Township. After six years in public office, Frank went on to pursue a career in municipal management. The Cedar Springs City Council appointed Frank as their city manager in 1991. He was then hired by the St. Joseph City Commission in 1996 and served the residents of St. Joseph for 17 years. In 2007, Walsh was awarded the State of Michigan’s City Manager Award, the highest award given in municipal management. He became the Meridian Township manager in 2013. Over his decade of service, the township has established a new 10-year local road program, greatly improved maintenance of its facilities and assets, fully funded the township OPEB system, established a plan to fully fund its pension system, and nearly tripled its fund balance. He has also led the township through numerous challenges, including the 2013 ice storm that left thousands without power for many days. He has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Toledo and a bachelor’s of science degree from Grand Valley State University. Volunteerism Member and former president of the Haslett-Okemos Rotary Club, Walsh lives in Meridian Township (Okemos) with his wife, Shar. They recently celebrated their 30th anniversary and raised three children together: Casey, Mersadie, and Brooke.