Bridgette Gransden | MME President
Transition. Shift. Transformation. Evolution. Progress. No matter the word we choose to describe “change,” it can be unsettling or exciting depending on the way we choose to look at the situation at hand. Studies have shown that if we appraise a situation as a threat, our stress responses increase. On the contrary, if we view the same situation as an opportunity, those stress responses are not triggered.
We are all currently facing a variety of transitions, changes, and shifts. Working together, we can approach these challenges as opportunities. I saw so many examples of our collective strength and optimism at the Winter Institute in late January. Faced with potential funding challenges as a result of recent executive orders, our members and staff coordinated a quick shift to the agenda that created a learning opportunity no one would have anticipated we’d need when setting the agenda for the conference.
The Winter Institute was also a time of transition. A changing of the guard for the MME Board of Directors, including my new role as MME President. I am so grateful for the guidance and leadership from Christian Wuerth, our now immediate past president. His patience and willingness to bring me along at every turn was a bit overwhelming at times, but critical to this change in leadership. I would also like to again thank the Professional Development Committee for their months of hard work planning an agenda that was thoughtful, relevant, and encouraged high attendance. Their commitment to our members is evident and we appreciate their efforts.
As president of MME, my goal for 2025 is to focus on how we better position our association to offer value to current and future members. There are some simple ways to do this…again, words matter. As I mentioned at the Winter Institute, I am a minority in this organization. Not because I am female, though that is also true, but more importantly because I represent a county. A focus on using language and content in our written communications, presentations, and conference agendas that speak to all types of local governments with professional managers—townships, villages, cities, and counties—immediately makes our association more inclusive and will broaden our reach. All with the simple change of words.
For some, this will be harder than others, only because it is a change in how we think. Our habits and the brain’s muscle memory can be stubborn, but it is trainable with repetition and practice. I am not interested in making change just for the sake of change and upsetting the entire apple cart. However, we are all in this together. Our challenges are not that different from each other, regardless of the type of local government we manage, and when viewed as opportunities, give us the platform to be Stronger Together, and as our tagline says, “Ready for Anything.”
Bridgette Gransden
President, Michigan Municipal Executives
Administrator/Controller, Midland County
A CPA who found her passion in local government finance and administration, Bridgette has dedicated over 30 years to the County of Midland and the surrounding community. She is a proud graduate of Northwood University with certificates in leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School and UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Her professional affiliations include national and state memberships as well as active roles on state boards and several International City/County Management Association (ICMA) committees/task forces. She currently serves as Midwest regional director of the National Association of County Administrative Officers. Bridgette’s community service is extensive and includes being a founding member of the Midland Wellbeing Coalition. Dedicated to improving community wellbeing, she became certified in Applied Positive Psychology and Creating Positive Change, with a specific focus on Engagement/Strengths training.