Contact:
Jessica Weirauch
Michigan Municipal League
[email protected], 734-669-6311
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 11, 2024
Ann Arbor, Mich. – Gary Heidel became the first recipient of the League’s Distinguished Service Award yesterday, September 10. He was honored during the League’s Board of Trustees Dinner as part of the 2024 Convention on Mackinac Island.
The Distinguished Service Award celebrates an individual who exhibits meritorious service to the League and its member communities.
“Gary has been at the forefront of improving the lives of Michiganders for decades,” said Dan Gilmartin, Executive Director and CEO of the League. “He helped solidify Michigan’s competitive edge and placemaking efforts as a cofounder of the Sense of Place Council. He has had an incredible impact on our member communities, and it is an honor to give him this recognition.”
Heidel has played a significant role in passing and implementing policies at the state and federal levels in housing, neighborhoods, placemaking, economic/community development and more. Before he began consulting, his previous experience includes roles at the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the Michigan Department of Commerce and the offices of Michigan State Senator John Kelly and U.S. Senator Donald Riegle. He co-coordinated the Sense of Place Council with the League’s Dan Gilmartin and has also collaborated with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and multiple state agencies. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and executive leadership programs from Michigan State University (MSU), Duke University and Harvard University.
“I have always believed that collaboration is key to meaningful and lasting change,” said Heidel. “If we all work together, and if we listen to one another, we can solve even the most difficult problems. The collaboration between MSHDA, the League, MEDC and MSU in defining, creating and establishing placemaking was one of those great collaborations. This award for me celebrates the success we achieved together.”
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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