Board members welcome training sessions

Laketown Township board members will receive coaching on how to become cohesive and effective leaders before they restart the search for a new manager.

On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, the board approved spending $3,500 to hire Community Design Economics Consulting to facilitate two training and planning sessions for board members. The sessions will be led by Howard Fink, an expert in executive coaching with more than 20 years of experience in local government.

Fink is the manager of Park Township, but the sessions approved Wednesday are not linked to Park Township.

Steven Ringelberg, supervisor and interim Laketown Township manager, contacted Fink to help the board understand the manager-style government the township uses. Three of the five board members are new and were elected in November.

Fink explained his training will assist with the transition to a new manager by showing the board how to see the big picture, set policy and not micromanage staff.

“The engagement will begin by meeting with all Laketown board members, attorney, and planning commission chair individually in a listening and learning session to better understand the unique issues and constraints faced by Laketown’s leadership,” Fink wrote in the proposal to the board.

After meeting with board members, Fink will lead two interactive training sessions to discuss best management practices in local government and effective policy leadership. Those meetings will be public.

The board is coordinating times to meet with Fink.

The sessions will precede the search for a new manager, which will start after the training.

In other business, the board unanimously approved a request from the Graafschap Fire Department to enter into a contract to purchase a new pumper/tanker for delivery in 2027 at a cost not to exceed $650,000.