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Berkley Narrows Council Choices Down to Six, Vote Expected Dec 19

(Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 16, 2022)

Berkley, MI – Berkley City Council is going through the process of appointing a resident to fill the council vacancy created with the election of Natalie Price to the State House of Representatives.

Twelve candidates submitted applications which were reviewed by the City Council Subcommittee.

The subcommittee members, Mayor Pro Tem Dean and Councilmembers Baker and Vilani, reviewed each application based upon the following criteria: 1) Community/Municipal Engagement, 2) Professional Experience, and 3) Background and Diversity.

Each of subcommittee members reviewed the applications individually and scored them numerically on a 1 through 3 scale. The top six were invited to speak at the Dec. 5 City Council meeting, and Council will make their decision at the Dec. 19 meeting.

The top-scoring candidate is Clarence Black, followed by Marie Ward, Michael Dooley, Erick McDonald, Jacob Robinson and Stacey Stevens.

Black is a Major with the Army Reserves who has lived in Berkley 14 years. He and wife Lorrena are members of the Berkley African American Parent Network. They have served as volunteers for the 2022 Berkley Pride Block Party, and served as guest speakers at the Anderson Middle School Veteran’s Day program.

Ward has lived in Berkley over 65 years and says that her strengths include “consensus building, communications and a willingness to think outside-the-box.” Ward worked for the City of Southfield for 16 years. She also worked for Consolidate Rail Corporation resolving community issues and concerns with over 600 communities over nine years. At General Motors she served as the liaison between GM Powertrain and the City of Pontiac.

Dooley is the past President and a current board member of the Berkley Dads Club. He also serves on the Parks and Recreation Board. Dooley been in Berkley for 33 years and is Operation Manager for Parkrite Wayne.

McDonald is a retired Lt. with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and currently is a licensed builder who owns their own business. He has lived in Berkley for ten years, and currently serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals. “As a retired Police Lt. of the largest County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan, I have worked with various municipalities as well as the state of Michigan. This included management duties of large municipal operations with many employees,” he said in his application.

Robinson is Managing Director, Strategic Initiatives and Network Strength with Teach for America Detroit. He moved to Berkley four years ago. “In those four years, I have joined the Citizens Engagement Advisory Committee, volunteered for Berkley Pride, became the lead planner for our annual block party, and became elected as an Oakland County Democratic Delegate,” Robinson said. He also has experience as a teacher union chair and lead negotiator for their contract. UPDATE: Robinson has withdrawn his interest in the position.

Stevens has lived in Berkley since 2008. They’ve served as Director of Programs for Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion and have been involved in “civic participation and community organizing for over 20 years.” “I believe in civic participation as a form of building and maintaining free and democratic societies where all people have a right to live to their fullest potential. I have lived in Berkley for almost 15 years and love that I am living in a community that overwhelmingly supports these ideals,” Stevens said.

Berkley City Council meets Monday Dec. 19 at 7pm and is expected to make their decision. Council may chose from the remaining five finalists, or they members may make their own nominations.  The appointee will be sworn in Jan 9, 2023.

Read the full applications and learn more about the process at City of Berkley website.