Georgia Andres is the Chief of Newaygo Police Department and has served in this role since 2015. She made NPD history as the first female police officer, the first female Sergeant, and now the first female Chief. Georgia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Ferris State University; she also serves as a representative to the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. Her interests include expanding the role of community policing in the city, and continuing to push for new and innovative ways of policing.

Amy was elected in 2017 and currently serves as the Mayor Pro Tem on the Hazel Park City Council. She works as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Detroit City Council. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Oakland University and her Master of Public Administration from Wayne State University. Amy has two dogs, Sigmund and Ruby, and two house rabbits, Oxford and Comma.

Kim Awrey has been the City Clerk/Finance Director for the City of Gaylord for the last three years. Prior to joining the public sector she worked as CFO for an Oil and Gas Company for 23 years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting as well as an MBA, both from Lake Superior State University. She is a Certified Management Accountant, an Enrolled Agent with the IRS, and a Certified Michigan Municipal Clerk. She is a lifelong resident of Gaylord; is married and has four grown children.

Currently a Senior Executive Management Assistant with the Michigan Department of Transportation along with attending Central Michigan University to obtain her bachelor’s in public/non-profit administration. Municipal management and advocating for citizens became a passion after serving eight years as the administrative assistant to the Mayor of the City of Mackinac Island.

Duska Brumm retired from the education system in June of 2017. Her tenure included elementary teacher, middle school science teacher, athletic director, assistant principal, and elementary principal. She was retired for a total of two days before starting work with the City of Battle Creek as their Recreation Director. She is enjoying the change in careers and learning about municipal government.

Elle Getschman is the Administrative Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Saline, which is her first job since completing her Master of Public Administration. While pursuing her degree, she evolved her interests toward local government management through internships with the Cities of Plymouth, Brighton, and Novi. She is very excited for this opportunity to develop as a leader in preparation for future career moves.

Teresa Gillotti is the interim director for the Washtenaw County Office of Community & Economic Development focusing on expanding affordable housing tools for local municipalities, and supporting the joint Washtenaw County and City of Ann Arbor One Community: Advancing Racial Equity, initiative. Prior to working at the County she worked at the City of Ypsilanti as Director of Community and Economic Development. Teresa discovered her affinity for complex urban problems in Milwaukee, first as a volunteer teacher and later working at a Neighborhood Center. Her Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning is from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ellen Glass was appointed Clerk in 2007 for the Village of Vernon and currently finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and Community Development from Central Michigan University. Ellen also works as a Certified Grant Administrator for Michigan Economic Development Corporation where she assists communities through the grant process for state/federal funding. In addition she serves on the Executive Board of Directors for Saginaw-Shiawassee Habitat for Humanity.

After beginning as an intern with the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores City Manager, Yuliya realized that local government is a career field that is continuously growing and is in need of women leaders. As she  completed her MPA from Wayne State University, Yuliya was fortunate to have the opportunity to work as a Graduate Management Analyst with the City of Novi and, now, as the Performance Measurement Analyst in the City of Novi Police Department.

Ms. Howard has over 20 years of experience working in local government in both Michigan and Wisconsin. Her experience in government started while working as a college intern with the Michigan Association of Counties. After graduating from James Madison College at Michigan State University, she relocated to Wisconsin and worked as a lobbyist with the Wisconsin Association of Counties. She returned to Michigan to work for the Michigan House of Representatives. For nearly a decade, Ms. Howard was a senior legislative analyst for local government and urban affairs committees. After moving to Southeast Michigan, she was tapped as Dave Bing’s co-policy director for his first campaign then transitioned to an appointee in his Administration. In 2015, she become a solo-puner of Sector Connections LLC. Services provided include grant writing, local and state government advocacy, strategic planning, and workforce development.

Caroline Kennedy is the Assistant Village Manager in charming Elk Rapids. Prior to joining Elk Rapids two years ago, Kennedy worked 17 years for the Michigan Municipal League as Manager of Field Operations and as a Legislative Associate. Prior to that, Kennedy worked in the Michigan State Senate. Kennedy’s passion is for building community through economic development and placemaking.

Amee King has over 28 years of experience in municipal work including 8 years at the Michigan Municipal League and the last 19 years with the City of Grand Ledge. A strong believer in the value of continual education, Amee is currently enrolled in the Certified Public Manager program (CPM) with plans to complete this rigorous program in the spring of 2019. When Amee isn’t leading the Downtown Development Authority or Abrams Municipal Airport Commission, she uses her strong communication skills to manage everything from parking lots to splashpads. She also enjoys the challenge of keeping City Hall energized and lively for the almost 50 employees that fall within her Human Resource responsibility. An avid lover of the outdoors, Amee enjoys spending time with her family, fishing, duck hunting, and snowmobiling.

Elizabeth King is a Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Planner at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation where she assists communities in strengthening their redevelopment related practices, in order to stimulate redevelopment and achieve RRC certification. In her current position, Ms. King is working to support over 34 communities across Michigan in various stages of the RRC program. Prior to joining the MEDC, Ms. King worked in the government and nonprofit sectors in South East Michigan, on a variety of tasks including property appraisal, peer to peer fundraising, grant writing, master plan development, placemaking, community outreach, elections, and DPW administration. She is a graduate of Saginaw Valley State University with a degree in Psychology, and Wayne State University with a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Graduate Certificate in Economic Development.

Laura Lam graduated from Kalamazoo College with a Sociology/Psychology major and earned a master’s degree in public administration from San Jose State University. She worked as a community organizer in Chicago for two years and spent eight years working for the City of San Jose, focused on a large scale community revitalization strategy, the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative. Laura has been working with the City of Kalamazoo since 2009. She started as the Community Development Manager and later became the Director of Community Planning and Development. In 2017, Lam was promoted to Assistant City Manager overseeing the Foundation for Excellence, an innovative public-private partnership to address systemic challenges to the prosperity of the city.

Marlene Lott spent 18 years in residential mortgage banking and was a delegated Underwriting for 30 National Banks while working with Quicken Loans. In 2003, she went back to school and received a BS in Public Administration and a Bachelors in Business with an emphasis in Accounting. Marlene served 13 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves. She has lived in 5 states and visited over 30 states and 7 countries.

Courtney Magaluk is an urban planner and Senior Project Manager for the City of Grand Rapids. Ms. Magaluk has spent more than 15 years working in local government, in both Florida and Michigan. Her expertise includes development review and entitlements, form based codes, zoning interpretation, multi-departmental coordination, master plan development, and community engagement. She holds a Masters of City and Regional Planning from Clemson University and a B.S. in Environmental Studies from Michigan State University. Ms. Magaluk is professionally accredited by the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Frances McMullan has 28 years of municipal government experience. She has held numerous positions, most notably serving as Interim City Manager for nearly a year on two occasions. She is a member of the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks (MAMC), Michigan Municipal Treasurer’s Association (MMTA), and was recently appointed to the Destination Ann Arbor Board of Directors. She holds a BS in Public Law and Government/Public Administration and a MA in Management. Frances has been married to her husband Tracey for 29 years and is the mother of four, and grandmother of two.

Linda Morrison has been the Finance Director for the City of Battle Creek since 2013 and has served in various finance department roles at the City since 2000. She is a Certified Public Accountant and spent fourteen years with a local Battle Creek firm before coming to work for the City. Linda received her MPA from Western Michigan University in 2004 and her BA from Albion College in 1985. She has been playing golf since she was ten years oldand she enjoys golfing with her husband, Mike Wales. She is an animal lover, and currently shares her home with a Boxer, the Outlaw Josey Wales, and Ginger the Labradoodle.

Cheryl was appointed as the Madison Heights City Clerk in April 2014 and was formerly the City Clerk for the City of Berkley, Deputy City Clerk for the City of Oak Park, and served as the Director of Elections in Macomb County. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Wayne State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan – Dearborn. She is a member of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, Michigan Association of Clerks, and the Oakland County Clerk’s Association where she serves as the Secretary. Cheryl has earned her Certified Municipal Clerk and Certified Michigan Municipal Clerk designations. She is the proud mother of two children, Andrew, who is currently serving in the United States Marines, and Alexandria, who is attending Oakland University.

Eilis graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration in 2009. She then went on to pursue her master’s degree in Public Administration from American University in Washington, D.C. During her time in the nation’s capital, Eilis worked on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Correspondent and Staff Assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives. She also served as an intern at the Humane Society of the United States and Wexler & Walker lobbying firm. Eilis has also spent time in London, where she interned at APCO Worldwide. Eilis Seide came to the City of East Lansing as the assistant to the city manager in April 2016. In this role, Eilis serves as a liaison between the public and the City departments. She also represents the City Manager’s Office on the East Lansing Community Relations Coalition and is involved in the Neighborhood Partnerships Initiative.

Samantha is the Economic Development Director for the City of Farmington Hills. She previously served as the Director of Authorities for the City of Auburn Hills where she managed the day-to-day operations of three economic development boards. Samantha is a graduate of Oakland University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and received her Master’s in Public Administration from Wayne State University. Samantha currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Michigan Economic Developers Association Emerging Leaders Committee. She has a passion for giving back and engaging communities to inspire generations well into the future.

Julia Sturvist graduated from Grand Valley State University with her Bachelors of Arts in Public and Nonprofit Administration with a minor in Philosophy and Sociology in 2017. She now is pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Management at GVSU. Julia currently works for the Village of Sparta as a Management Analyst Intern and the Code Enforcement Officer, she is passionate about local government and is working to establish herself within the field.

Krista Trout-Edwards is the executive director of the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA), where she promotes the CCLBA’s mission of stabilizing neighborhoods and business districts throughout Calhoun County. To accomplish this, she oversees a small staff that works to reduce the impact of vacant and abandoned property through programing, grant opportunities, and collaboration. Ms. Trout-Edwards has nearly twenty years of experience in county government and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan in Urban and Regional Planning.

Rachel Yamakura is a MPA candidate at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, with a concentration in public management and policy. Currently, she is participating in a Graduate City Management Fellowship with the City of Royal Oak. Upon completion of her degree and fellowship, Rachel hopes to begin a career in local government management.