Contact:

Jessica Weirauch
Michigan Municipal League
[email protected]
 734-669-6311

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 13, 2026

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – City of Wayland Mayor Jennifer Antel was named to serve as the Michigan Municipal League’s Board of Trustees president for the 2026–27 term. City of Berkley Councilmember Dennis Hennen will serve as vice president for the same period. 

“I am incredibly honored to serve as board president for an organization that means so much to me,” said Antel. “The League has been an invaluable resource both to me as an elected official and to the Wayland community. I look forward to working for and with my fellow local leaders to help make Michigan’s communities better places to live, work and play.” 

The first female mayor for the City of Wayland, Jennifer Antel, has served on the council since 2005. After receiving her master’s degree in public administration from Grand Valley State University, she started her career as the Otsego DDA Director. She was the administrative assistant and then the assistant to the city manager in Kalamazoo. Antel currently works as the program manager for West Michigan Trails. A strong advocate for young people, she added a youth representative to Wayland’s city council and held roles including Cubmaster, Girl Scout Leader, and founder of a youth swim club. She is an avid runner and is co-founder of Wayland Road Runners, and coached varsity cross country and middle school track for fifteen years. 

“I’m honored to serve as vice president of the Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees and to represent Michigan’s cities and villages,” said Hennen. “From making housing affordable for the average family to reforming property taxes and securing reliable state funding, our communities face some real challenges. I look forward to working with leaders across Michigan to make progress on these issues and help our communities thrive.” 

Since 2017, Dennis Hennen has served as a councilmember for the City of Berkley, focusing on protecting vulnerable residents, keeping constituents informed, and ensuring their voices are heard. He is the liaison to the Tree Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals and received his Master Citizen Planner Certification from Michigan State University. He also serves on the League’s Municipal Services Committee and the Elections Subcommittee, and is vice president of the Elected Officials Academy, where he is a recipient of the Ambassador Award—the highest honor bestowed by the Academy. A senior software engineer for Mercury Banking, Hennen holds a B.S. in mathematics and computer science from Lipscomb University and an M.S. in computer science from The Ohio State University. Hennen is in line to become president in 2027–28. 

 The League’s membership also elected four new members to join the 2026–27 board during its annual business meeting, held at the 2026 Convention in Traverse City. 

The new members are Jackson Councilmember Freddie Dancy, Royal Oak Mayor Pro Tem Amanda Herzog, Grosse Pointe Mayor Sheila Tomkowiak, and Milford Village Manager Christian Wuerth. 

They join the other volunteers who remain on the board: Greenville City Manager George M. Bosanic, Delta Township Supervisor Fonda Brewer, Howell Councilmember Alex Clos, L’Anse Councilmember Leann Davis, Grand Haven Councilmember Mike D. Fritz, Marquette City Manager Karen Kovacs, Farmington Mayor Joe LaRussa, Ferndale Mayor Raylon Leaks-May, Rogers City Mayor Scott McLennan, Portage Councilmember Nicole Miller, Saginaw City Manager Tim Morales, and Hastings Mayor David J. Tossava. 

“On behalf of the Michigan Municipal League, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our new members and new leadership,” said Dan Gilmartin, executive director and CEO of the League. “We are excited for the energy and knowledge they bring to the board and look forward to a fruitful year helping the places Michiganders call home.” 

Gilmartin thanked the outgoing trustees for their service: Lapeer Commissioner Joshua Atwood, Berrien County Administrator Juan Ganum, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley, Khalfani Stephens, and Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington.

Michigan Municipal League is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest centers of potential: its communities. The League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington, D.C. and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services. Learn more at mml.org. 

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