Search committee chooses 3 finalists for manager position

Laketown Township has narrowed its search for a new manager to three candidates who will return for second interviews on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.

The Laketown Township Manager Search Committee chose Robert Genetski, Brandon Mersman and Karen Sherwood for another round of interviews after about three-and-a-half hours of questions for five total candidates on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

“We are blessed with a rich pool of candidates,” said Supervisor Linda Howell who leads the eight-member search committee.

Other candidates interviewed were Peter Bratt and Andrea Dumbrell.

The three returning candidates will participate in a “meet and greet” event with the public at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the township hall, 4338 Beeline Road, with interviews beginning at 3 p.m. Each interview is expected to take about 45 minutes. After that, the search committee will discuss which candidate will be offered the manager position. The entire day is open to the public.

The candidates

Genetski is the current Allegan County Clerk and Register of Deeds. The Saugatuck resident has a Master of Education degree from Grand Valley State University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Auburn University, served in the Governor’s Office of Regulatory Reinvention/Office of the Executive Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs in Lansing, was state representative for the 80^th District that included Laketown Township, and was a high school teacher in the at-risk program at Grandville Public Schools.

Mersman is the current city manager of Bronson, Mich. The Bronson resident has a Master of Public Administration degree from Grand Valley State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Psychology from Hope College. He was assistant to the township manager in Brighton Township, project administrator and grant consultant for the City of Holland, planning and performance improvement office intern at Ottawa County, project administrator management intern for the City of Holland and project administrator management intern for the Village of Spring Lake.

Sherwood is the current assistant manager/human resources director for Grand Haven Charter Township. The Saugatuck resident has a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Eastern Michigan University, a Master of Art degree in Educational Leadership from Grand Valley State University, a Master of Art degree in Early Childhood Education from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Art degree in Elementary Education from the University of Michigan. She was deputy superintendent of human resources for Holland Public Schools, superintendent of Kalkaska Public Schools, superintendent of Boyne Falls Public Schools, middle school principal at Boyne City Public Schools and a teacher in various districts.

On Oct. 30, each candidate was asked the same 18 questions by Howell. Questions included why they are interested in the manager position, their communication styles, budget and financial experience, grants, transparency and zoning and code enforcement.

The candidates also directed questions to the search committee.

The process

Current Manager Al Meshkin announced in July his plans to retire Jan. 3, 2025. He has been manager for 35 years. The board hired the firm MGT in August for a cost of about $25,000 to conduct the search for his replacement.

Earlier this month, the township board established a Manager Search Committee consisting of the five-member township board plus three residents who won positions in the Republican primary on Aug. 6. Those three will go on to the Nov. 5 General Election but face no competition.

They are Steven Ringelberg who is running unopposed for the position of supervisor, and Michael Koeman and Mark Timmerman who are running unopposed for trustee positions.

The search committee chose the five candidates on Oct. 23 from a field of about 40 applicants that was narrowed to 11.

Trustee Jim Delaney was not present at the Oct. 23 or Oct. 30 meetings.