There were a record number of recipients for the Tim Doyle Scholarship this year. This scholarship assists elected officials in attending Michigan Municipal League training.

Six officials from five communities – Allen Park, Grosse Pointe Farms, Frankenmuth, Saugatuck and Westland – received scholarships to attend the League’s Elected Officials Academy Weekender training that took place in Frankenmuth last month. The scholarships are awarded and administered through the Michigan Municipal League Foundation.

The Elected Officials Academy Weekender provides critical training for local officials in Michigan. This scholarship helps even more communities benefit from the knowledge, skills and ideas shared at this event.

The scholarship recipients are:

• Garnet Lewis, Saugatuck councilmember
• Thomas Meyer, Frankenmuth councilmember
• Andrea Rutkowski, Westland councilmember
• Gary Schlack, Allen Park councilmember
• Neil Sroka, Grosse Pointe Farms councilmember
• Pamela Sych, Allen Park councilmember

The Tim Doyle Scholarship Fund helps provide access to the most critical information for newly elected officials through the Elected Officials Academy (EOA) Core Weekender seminar. The scholarship was created in honor of Tim Doyle, who passed away in early 2008. Doyle was a councilmember in Durand, an EOA board member, and an ardent supporter of elected officials training. His wife, Deb Doyle, is a past League president, former EOA board member, and current mayor of the City of Durand. The EOA board resolved that Tim Doyle be honored through this educational scholarship program.

“This scholarship is about encouraging elected officials to further their training so they can represent their communities and constituents in the best ways possible,” said Helen Davis Johnson, President of the Michigan Municipal League Foundation. “All the recipients are recently elected, with five of the six elected for the first time this past November. We are excited to see these officials hit the ground running in terms of seeking out training.”

The scholarship recipients said they were grateful for the training and the scholarship assistance.

“At 35, I just recently became the youngest person on the Grosse Pointe Farms city council by 20 years,” Sroka said. “Education is critical for elected officials because it gives us a way to have the shared language and understanding of the tools needed to govern, and the diversity we need at the table to make decisions that include the views of as many people as possible. My hope is that this training will give me the tools I need to work even more effectively with my new colleagues.”

The other scholarship winners shared similar sentiments:

• “Education provides the basis to make a logical and rational decision, even when emotions run high,” Rutkowski said. “Knowing the how’s and why’s are imperative to good leadership.”
• “As a newly elected city council person, it is important to be as educated as possible about my role in city governance,” Lewis said. “I am quickly realizing that there are many facets to this role. My friends and colleagues across the state, in similar roles, highly recommend ‘The Weekender’ training. I welcome the opportunity to learn.”
• “It is my opinion that elected officials with more knowledge have a greater impact in their communities, pass more meaningful ordinances, have better relations with businesses and citizens alike, and run more efficient and sustainable governments,” Schlack said.
• “Education is so necessary to becoming an effective elected official,” Sych said. “One must have a clear understand of the rules, regulations and business of government. You will be required to learn many things not in your wheelhouse.”
• “A community cannot solve all issues on its own,” Meyer said. “Many issues require collaboration with neighboring towns. Attending the Elected Officials Academy will offer the opportunity to increase knowledge of finance, planning & zoning while networking with fellow elected officials.”