Contact:
Jessica Weirauch
Michigan Municipal League
[email protected], 734-669-6311
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 23, 2024
Ann Arbor, Mich. — The Michigan Association of Mayors (MAM) has selected Montrose Mayor Colleen Brown to serve as their new board president, Monroe Mayor Robert E. Clark as vice president. These appointments were announced during MAM’s annual meeting held on Thursday, September 12, at the Michigan Municipal League League’s 2024 Convention on Mackinac Island.
“It’s an honor to be chosen,” said Mayor Brown. “There is much to learn, and I look forward to the year ahead. I hope to see an increase in membership in MAM and will find a way to reach out to the mayors in my neighboring communities who are not currently involved to encourage participation with the organization.”
Colleen Brown began serving in the Montrose community in 2008 as a council member, then became mayor in 2014. In addition to her role as an elected official, she is a small business owner who currently runs The Elissa Rose Catering and Banquet Center. She also started a housing development company to help address the housing crisis the state of Michigan is currently experiencing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, specializing in computer networking.
“I am excited to get to work on making the association the best it can be,” said Mayor Clark. “We have a lot to offer to our membership and beyond. Our training is very valuable, and I encourage our members and other mayors to attend. Increasing the attendance and participation of our events will give MAM a stronger voice. As leaders on the board, we need to use the Listserv and newsletter to engage and energize members, as well as new mayors interested in MAM.”
Robert Clark has been mayor of Monroe since 2010 and previously was a council member. He serves on the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Downtown Development Authority, and Monroe City Employee Pension and Post-Retirement Health Care Board of Trustees. Active within the community, he serves on the Monroe County Business Development Corporation, River Raisin National Battlefield Foundation board and the River Raisin Watershed Council. Prior to elected office, Clark served on the City of Monroe Citizens Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. He is a member delegate of SEMCOG, serving on the Budget and Finance Committee and past SEMCOG chairperson. He is on his 13th term as a member of the MML Liability & Property Pool Board of Directors and has served as its chairperson. He previously served on the League’s Board of Trustees, serving as president and vice president. Clark is a graduate of William Penn College, Iowa, and earned dual bachelor’s degrees in sociology and psychology. He completed 30 years of service with the Michigan State Police, retired at the rank of major, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
The Board of Directors also announced two new members: Elk Rapids’ Village President Karen Simpson filled a vacancy, and Berkley Mayor Bridget Dean was elected to her first three-year term. Zeeland Mayor Kevin Klynstra was recognized for his service on the board and was recognized with a certificate at the annual meeting.
Additional information about MAM’s Board of Directors is available here.
For additional information, contact the League’s Jessica Weirauch, Director, Marketing and Communications, at 734-669-6311 or [email protected].
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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