Democracy on the Front Lines: Lessons from Michigan Local Governments

Kaltura Video

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At a time when many of us are concerned about the strength of democracy in the U.S. and around the world, CLOSUP's research tells us that democracy remains strongest at the local level. Every day, in jurisdictions across the state, local officials interact with residents to help determine community priorities, allocate funds for services, hear complaints and resolve disputes, register voters, and much more. 

Join Director Stephanie Leiser for a conversation with four local government leaders that explores new research on the health of local democracy and ways to encourage resident engagement and participation.

SPEAKERS

Shea Charles, East Grand Rapids City Manager

Anne Marie Graham-Hudak, Canton Township Supervisor

Megan Sellers, Oakland County Deputy County Executive

Tom Stephenson, Elk Rapids Village President

Sponsored by the Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment, and Global Engagement, and the Ford School of Public Policy. 

Light refreshments will be provided.

 

Speaker Bios:

Shea Charles started as the East Grand Rapids City Manager on February 1, 2021. He has over 30 years of experience in local government management, most recently in the City of Howell, Michigan, where he served for 15 years. Mr. Charles has overseen several community engagement processes, including downtown design charettes, Master Plan updates, and millage elections. While Howell City Manager, the community reconstructed 30% of its water, sewer, and street infrastructure. In 2018, Howell was named Main Street of the Year. He and his wife live in Grand Rapids.

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Anne Marie Graham-Hudak was elected as Canton Township's first woman Supervisor in November 2020, in the 9th-largest community in Michigan. She is currently serving her second term. As the Township's chief administrator, she is theCEO responsible for all Township services across 36 square miles, serving 100,000 residents, 3,000 businesses, and about 800 employees. She works cooperatively with the Board of Trustees, Treasurer, Clerk, and District Court. Prior to becoming Canton Township Supervisor, she served as an elected Canton Trustee and Planning Commissioner for four years. Anne Marie has an extensive engineering background, having worked for the automotive industry for 26 years, and the Federal Aviation Administration prior to that. Anne Marie holds an engineering degree from Boston University and an MBA from Lawrence Technological University.

Anne Marie represents Canton by serving on numerous local and regional boards. She is Chair of the Conference of Western Wayne's board of 18 communities, which represents 750,000 residents, Member of the 35th District Court Executive Board, and Chair of the Western Townships Utilities Authority Executive Board. She is also an elected Officer of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) Executive Committee, which represents 4.8 million residents. Anne Marie is also the 2023 recipient of the SEMCOG Taubman Fellowship to the Harvard Kennedy School Executive program, and a 2019 recipient of Crain's Detroit Notable Women in STEM.

Her past and present community service includes several director positions for the League of Women Voters, Chair of Plymouth-Canton Citizens for Diversity and Inclusion (PCCDI), leadership team of the Plymouth-Canton Interfaith Community Outreach group (ICO), and board member of the South Asian American Voices for Impact (SAAVI). She is also a member of the Canton Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and leads Canton's Technology Committee. Anne Marie's direct involvement in these organizations strengthens Canton's partnerships and collaborations on the local, regional, and state-wide levels. It also gives Canton a voice as projects are being planned and decisions are being made, as well as continuing to build a strong, rich, and diverse community.

Anne Marie is married to Hadley and has four adult children and two grandsons.

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Megan C. Sellers serves as Deputy County Executive in the Coulter administration for Oakland County. She oversees the Department of Public Communications, Older Adult Services, Community Engagement, is liaison to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, and serves as special projects advisor for the transformational multi-million-dollar Pontiac Redevelopment Project, helping with the county's relocation of its administration and employees to downtown Pontiac.

Sellers is an accomplished public-sector executive with more than a decade of progressive leadership experience in county government, leading countywide strategies that strengthen public trust, transparency, and civic participation.

Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her ability to manage complex, high-impact initiatives. Her leadership spans cross-functional team oversight and the execution of comprehensive outreach and public information strategies aligned with county priorities.

She has held several key professional roles within Oakland County with the Board of Commissioners and the Water Resources Commissioner's office, as well as the private and non-profit sectors.

Her commitment to public service and inclusive leadership is reflected in her appointment to multiple advisory boards and leadership councils. She also serves as Board Chair for the Presbyterian Villages of Michigan (PVM) Village of Oakland Woods and the PVM Foundation, both organizations serving older adults across the state of Michigan.

She earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in Communications, with a focus on organizational communication and public relations, and her certified public manager (CPM) designation from Saginaw Valley State University.

Sellers is no stranger to resident engagement and is widely regarded as a strategic, solutions-driven leader who brings clarity, collaboration, and purpose to public service—advancing equitable outcomes and innovative solutions for the communities she serves.

She aligns her life's work and passion with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

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Tom Stephenson is the current village president of Elk Rapids, going into his second year, a seasoned veteran of community affairs, with over 20 years of experience collaborating with private business, regional governments, tribal nations, and local communities throughout the state of Michigan and the State of Texas. Working with his Connected Nation team, spearheading the creation of over eighty technology plans, as well as countless public/private partnerships with the goal to increase broadband service and digital equity in rural areas of Michigan and Texas. In addition to being the village president of Elk Rapids, Tom now works part-time as a Strategic Business Consultant for the private sector, focusing on federal, state, and local grant funding strategies for clients of Millennium LLC, a national distributor of communication materials.

Holding an MSA from Central Michigan University, a father of three children, and a grandfather of eight, Tom is a strong proponent of family, education, and community service. Living by the Rotary motto of ‘Service above Self', Tom has also served three years as the president of the local club, and four years as the Elk Rapids District Library. This level of community engagement has allowed Tom to work on projects like a cancer center, a stroke center, a 100-mile kayak water trail, a bike trail, and build a new library. Projects that provided valuable lessons in communication, planning, and how communities should work for the greater benefit of their citizens.
 

local government

Year of Democracy

civic engagement

community engagement

Center for Local State and Urban Policy

CLOSUP

rural