Kaitlyn Aldrich is the Village Manager for the Village of Kinsley. She most recently served as Planning Assistant for the City of Traverse City. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Political Science and History, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Central Michigan University. She has six years of local government project management experience including the reconstruction of the Senior Center, multiple road reconstruction projects, non-motarized trial projects, and park projects. She is responsible for grant management and brownfield reimbursements for the City. Recently, she joined the leadership team for the City’s Master Plan rewrite, is the administrator of the Capital Improvement Program, and is planning an $8.5 million non-motorized path along Grand Traverse Bay. She enjoys public service and loves to play an active role in shaping the community she raises her family in. In her spare time, she coaches high school volleyball and travel softball.

Stephanie currently serves as the Assistant to the City Manager for the City of St. Ignace, a position she has held since May of 2021. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan in 2019 with a Major in Political Science and a Minor in Economics. While originally from the Lower Peninsula, she wanted to move to the Upper Peninsula due to her love and appreciation for the area. Stephanie has a strong passion for promoting economic development in the UP through a solid planning and zoning framework. She enjoys having the opportunity and responsibility to not only maintain a city’s operations but to better them and offer up new ideas.

Macy is passionate about serving her community and has been working in public service for over 13 years, previously for a large school district in Texas and the County of Ottawa. Since 2017, she has proudly served as the first female, and youngest, Director for the Kent County Road Commission. Macy is the chair of the County Road Association’s Finance & Human Resources Committee and is a member of the Michigan Government Finance Officers Association. Born in California and raised in Plymouth, she played soccer for Kalamazoo College before graduating with a BA in Finance from Cornerstone University. Outside of work, Macy enjoys mentoring as both a volunteer soccer coach and Girl Scout troop leader; as well as traveling, reading, and being outdoors. Her greatest joy in life is spending time with her husband, their two energetic kids, and two lovable rescue pups.

Susan Barkman has been the Assistant to the City Manager in Royal Oak, Michigan since May 2021. She has over a decade of experience in working with residents to improve the community through policy work, program development and community engagement. During her time in Royal Oak, Susan has worked on building a series of resident academies, non-domestic animals, the development of the Human Rights Commission, reviewing boards and commissions. She also supports the Senior Services | Aging in Place Task Force and Commission for the Arts. Susan graduated with a Master’s in Public Administration in 2014 from the University of Colorado Denver. Prior to Royal Oak, she worked for the City of Aurora, Colorado as a Neighborhood Liaison, Council/Mayor Management Analyst, and the Interim City Clerk.

Casey works as the Executive Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Cheboygan. Casey graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration majoring in Human Resources and Accounting. After working as the Director of Human Resources for Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island for 5 years she returned home to work for the City of Cheboygan in 2020. Starting as a Utility Biller, Casey was promoted to Deputy Treasurer and ultimately to Executive Assistant to the City Manager in 2021. She believes this position is giving her great insight into the challenges that City Managers face in daily operations, as well as giving her a broad understanding of local government internal operations as well as communication between residents, staff, Boards and Commissions and City Council.

Gretchen Gomolka began her finance career in banking while pursuing her bachelors and masters degrees in accounting from Eastern Michigan University. Upon graduation, Gretchen began a career in public accounting at Plante Moran, earning her CPA license and servicing municipal, school district, not for profit and real-estate clients during her 8 year tenure. Gretchen went to work for one of her clients, Meridian Township, as its Finance Director. After two and a half years she took a job closer to home and became the Finance Director at City of Brighton. Gretchen has been very active in the Michigan Government Finance Officers Association and is wrapping up her term as Immediate Past President. Gretchen has recently been appointed the City Manager for the City of Brighton and is still acting as Finance Director until that position is filled. Gretchen is the mother of a senior and sophomore in high school and is thankful for her husband taking care of things at home during this busy season in her life.

Elle Jansen (she/her) is the Community & Economic Development Specialist for the Lake Superior Community Partnership (LSCP), Marquette County’s leading resource for economic development. Elle’s projects focus on issues pertaining to affordable housing solutions, adding capacity to local governments, and trails & recreation planning. Prior to joining the LSCP, she served as a CEDAM Community Development Fellow in the City of St. Ignace, Michigan. Elle has enjoyed working with others to establish strong towns, local vibrancy, and community pride across the Upper Peninsula. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in urban planning and public policy from Albion College.

Tyra serves as the Communications Specialist for the Village of Spring Lake. Before entering the world of government, she served in different capacities with Red Bull North America Inc., AT&T Business, and Bumble. Tyra graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising in August of 2021. In her free time – she enjoys disc golf, spending time with her pets, and hammocking at Lake Harbor Park. Tyra has a deep-rooted passion for serving people and design.

Michelle King started in municipal government in March of 1993, as a temporary secretary for the Flint Township Board of Review. By July 1993, she was the Administrative Assistant to the Township Supervisor, who saw untapped potential in Michelle. She encouraged Michelle to attend college and in 2004, Michelle graduated from the University of Michigan-Flint with a BA in Political Science. Shortly after graduating college, Michelle was hired by the City of Clio as the clerk and after more than 4 years in Clio, moved to Charlotte, Michigan as the City Clerk. After 5 years in Charlotte, on April 1, 2013, Michelle accepted the City Clerk position in the City of Flushing, just 8 minutes from her home. On August 1, 2022, Michelle was appointed to be the City Manager for the City of Flushing.

Jessica has 20+ years of public sector experience, serving 20 of those years with the Village of Lake Isabella. Currently she is the Deputy Manager for the Village. Her primary aspects focus heavily on the financial management and policies of the Village. However, in recent years she has also started to delve into the zoning and planning sectors too. Jessica is also very involved in her community. She coaches the local school’s rocket cheer program for cheerleaders in 3-8th grade. Her hope is that it helps them achieve their goal of landing a spot on the varsity team one day and also to help them achieve confidence in their everyday life through positivity. She also organizes the annual Christmas community giving program. Through this community driven project, the Village as a whole is able to contribute to multiple families, individuals, and agencies during the holiday seasons. Jessica enjoys spending her free time being around animals, taking in the outdoors, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Krashawn is the Management Analyst in the City Manager’s office in Wyoming. In this role, she champions diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for the City and works collaboratively on special projects with various departments throughout the City. Previously, she worked in Parks and Recreation at the City of Wyoming as Recreation Supervisor overseeing over 300 recreation programs and 21 parks and facilities for 5 years. She is a certified parks and recreation professional through the National Parks & Recreation Association. Krashawn holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Education in Education Administration from Grand Valley State University. She serves on several community boards and is passionate about removing barriers and creating spaces where all people can thrive.

Having grown up in the political arena and starting her career in municipal government at 17, being a public servant and in a leadership role has been a lifelong aspiration for Sarah Mistretta. She has served in a multitude of roles, and presently in her role as Assistant City Manager , she is also the HR/Finance/Recreation/IT Director. Outside of her role with the City, she is on the Board of Directors for the Macomb Food Program and Eastpointe/Roseville Chamber of Commerce. She is the proud mother of two, and hopes that her passion for public service is something her children both carry on in the future.

Colleen Niedzwiecki has been with the Grand Blanc Township since 2016. She began as the HR Generalist, and was promoted to HR Manager in 2021. She is a graduate from the University of Michigan-Flint, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Colleen previously worked in the private sector as the Human Resource Specialist for a small manufacturing/retail business. Colleen enjoys collaborating with others, streamlining processes, and serving her community. She is excited for the opportunity to learn from other women leaders in local government.

Tara is the Clerk/Treasurer/Human Resource for the City of Crystal Falls. She started her career as a Clerk for Hematite Township where she worked for 6 years. Tara then obtained a position at the City of Crystal Falls as a utility billing clerk/deputy clerk/treasurer. In 2012 she was promoted to her current position as Clerk/Treasurer/Human Resource. An upper peninsula native, she has earned multiple certifications such as, Certified Municipal Clerk, Certified Public Finance Administrator, Michigan Certified Professional Treasurer, Certified Public Funds Investment Manager, and Michigan Professional Municipal Clerk Level 2. In Tara’s treasurer roll, she currently oversees a 14 million dollar budget and believes that education is an investment in the future.

Meg Schubert has acquired over 8 years of progressive experience in various public environments. In 2019 she graduated Summa Cum Laude, with her Master’s in Public Administration specializing with a concentration in State and Local Government, from Central Michigan University. From there, she went on to be the Executive Director of the Isabella County Child Advocacy Center. Meg recently relocated to the Metro Detroit area where she served as the Economic Development Director for the Village of Franklin before taking a position with the City of Troy as Assistant to the City Manager. She is passionate about politics and policies in urban communities and prioritizes innovative and transparent communications between public institutions and citizens.

Shontae Stringfellow is the Deputy Finance Director/Deputy Treasurer for the City of Plymouth. She is a graduate of Wayne State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Currently, she is enrolled in WSU graduate program where she is completing her MBA. Shontae has been working in municipal government for over 11 years. She started as a part-time employee with the City of Dearborn Heights and was promoted through several departments. Prior to her transition to the City of Plymouth, she worked as the Deputy Comptroller and served on the Civil Service Commission. Her belief of creating significant impact correlates significantly with her commitment to community, dedication to her work, and demonstrated ability to utilize transparency and integrity to bring people together to promote collegiality and mutual respect in the workplace.

LaTarro S. Traylor is an Attorney currently serving as Assistant Corporation Counsel with the City of Detroit Law Department’s Municipal Section. Her spark for all things municipal was ignited in 2011 during her externship with the City of Grand Rapids’ Law Department. When not writing ordinances, LaTarro can be found at the local Pilates studio or on a road