Brandon Skopek
Chair, Early Career Outreach Committee
In our journey throughout life and our careers, having an individual to show us the ropes can make all the difference. That is what mentorship is all about. Mentors offer invaluable wisdom, advice, and support. Additionally, mentoring can help mentees see things from a different perspective. Mentorship nurtures talent, fosters innovation, and paves the way for individual and collective success. Mentors play a crucial role in guiding career progression and can help mentees set career goals, identify growth opportunities, and develop strategies for improvement.
A successful mentorship program has the potential to create a newfound confidence in the next generation of local government leaders. For example, if you are looking to improve your understanding of real estate transactions, the program could match a mentee with a mentor who has considerable expertise in real estate. Often, local government managers are forced to learn through their own first-hand experiences and do not necessarily have an experienced mentor who can help guide them or provide advice. A mentorship program would give emerging leaders the ability to also learn from the experiences of others.
The Early Career Outreach Committee (ECOC) is working on a mentorship initiative that would connect mentors with those in the profession who are seeking mentorship and/or guidance with a specific skillset, challenge, or general advice. Over the next few months, the ECOC will work on setting the program’s goals and objectives as well as selection guidelines for mentors and mentees. While still in the early planning stages of this initiative, the ECOC hopes that this initiative will establish a structured and effective mentor/mentee program that supports professional growth, knowledge sharing, and organizational success for each of our respective communities.
Brandon Skopek
Chair, Early Career Outreach Committee
Assistant City Manager, Auburn Hills
Brandon Skopek is the assistant city manager with the City of Auburn Hills. Brandon also serves as the executive director of the Auburn Hills Tax Increment Finance Authority.
Brandon has spent his career in local government as a planning and economic development professional. He is the former township planner for Highland Township, Michigan and former assistant to the city manager/downtown development authority coordinator for the City of Brighton, Michigan. Brandon was hired by the City of Auburn Hills in 2018 to the role of director of authorities, overseeing the Tax Increment Finance Authority, Downtown Development Authority, and Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. As part of the city’s succession planning efforts, Brandon was moved to the city manager’s office in January of 2021 to an interim role of assistant to the city manager in preparation for taking on the position in October 2021. Brandon is a member of the Michigan Municipal Executives, International City/County Management Association, the Oakland County City Manager’s Association, and the Michigan Economic Developers Association,
Brandon’s professional interests include economic development, community engagement, and local government management. Brandon possesses a bachelor of science in public administration and public policy, and a master of public administration with a concentration in Local government management, both from Oakland University.