Huntington Woods City Commissioner Michelle Elder was just elected for another four years on the city commission. I interviewed Elder to find out what it means to be a city commissioner and what she has done in this role. The Huntington Woods City Commission is made up of five important people: one mayor and four commissioners, who are volunteer elected officials. After the most recent election on November 7, the Huntington Woods Commission is, Commissioner Michelle Elder, Jules Olsman, Joe Rozell, Jessica Jacobs Steinhart, and Mayor Bob Paul.
Elder and her family live in Huntington Woods and have been involved with the city for many years, but it wasn’t until 2019 when she was elected to the city commission. She has served since 2019, and she was just reelected to serve another four years. Elder explained, “It is a voluntary and elected role, and I am a part of the city commission, which is the legislative body of the local government for the City of Huntington Woods. Despite what people might think, we have the role of making laws, not running the city. That is the job of the city manager who is hired by the city.”
She compares Huntington Woods’ current city manager Chris Wilson’s job to the CEO of a company—he is in charge of reporting back to the city commission. He essentially has five bosses that he has to work with. However, Wilson’s job differs from Elder’s, he is the leader of the city government. “He is the day-to-day leadership that provides the services that we receive as residents. He has a staff of 45 people in the various departments that actually run the city.” Elder thinks the city commission is the compass that helps point the city in the right direction through various types of law-making.
Elder explained how she is honored to be a part of this community. She said, “One of the best parts of this position is being a community. A big part of it is just listening, and it has allowed me to meet a lot of new people and work with them. Slowly, a lot of these people I have been working with have become friends! Another thing I really enjoy is how whatever decision we make matters. At the federal level, you don’t necessarily see a lot of the changes being made, but at the local level, you can see the results of the work you put in and the decisions you make.”
Elder first ran for city commissioner because of her family and some local issues going on at the time. She found herself wanting to help and she ended up filling the spot of a retiring commissioner. Elder says, “My family inspires me to keep going, my parents, my daughter, my niece, and my nephew are the reason I do this. They are the motivation for serving the community. I want to have a voice in creating a positive and inclusive community for them and for everyone.” Elder looks to keep Huntington Woods as one of the most desirable places to live.
As Elder welcomes her new term as city commissioner, she explains that she is very excited about the new member of the commission. With the retirement of Jeff Janks, his spot will be filled with Jessica Jacobs Steinhart. Elder said, “I am so very excited to have another woman on the commission. For my last term and a half, I was the only woman on the commission, and I think having another woman on the commission is really important for representation as well as lived experience and diversity. These things are very important when you work in a representative government. If you think about the demographic of Huntington Woods more than 50% of the population is women, so I think at least half if not more of the commission should be representative of that.” Elder also tells me that Steinhart grew up in Huntington Woods and has younger children, bringing another perspective to the commission.
In 2020, the commission created the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee, this committee is made up of residents who work on issues and make recommendations to the city commission on how to fix them. An Anti-Racism Plan was adopted at the same time and within this plan, it was recommended to create a Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) Study and Plan. This study was done last year by a consultant the city hired. This was done through community surveys, focus groups, etc. The information that was collected is now being looked at by the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee. Throughout her next term, Elder said, “I would like to see the continued advancement of our DEI Commitment.” With these advancements, we will hopefully see more inclusion and diversity in Huntington Woods. During her previous term, Elder was happy with the beginning of changes, such as the first citywide celebration of Juneteenth. Elder is looking forward to making the city of Huntington Woods a better and more inclusive place.
Lastly, Elder would like the students of Berkley to know that there is always an opportunity to get involved in your community. Whether it is through volunteering or even getting involved with your local government, it is a great way to experience new things!