 Serving all of Oakland County's 19 districts
APRIL 2025
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 The Oakland County Board of Commissioners honored six local women with its Women’s History Month Awards at the March 18 Board meeting. This award, now in its fourth year, recognizes women in Oakland County who are nominated by their commissioner for the historic impact they have made on their respective districts.
The 2025 Women’s History Month Award recipients include:
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Tanesha Stephens, nominated by Commissioner Angela Powell (District 9) - Stephens is the youth recreation and enrichment manager for Pontiac and the program director in cheer, dance and tumbling for the Oakland County Sheriff’s PAL program. A small business owner for 16 years, her national championship Quest Athletics program provides recreational and training opportunities in cheerleading, dance gymnastics, stunts and jumps for athletes of all ages.
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Deborah L. Macon, nominated by Vice Chair Marcia Gershenson (District 11) - Macon, a resident of West Bloomfield Township, has been a dedicated volunteer in public education and civic issues for four decades. She was the first Black person elected to the Bloomfield Hills Board of Education and the West Bloomfield Board of Trustees. Macon also served as co-convener of the Birmingham Race Relations and Diversity Task Force and as the president of the Greater West Bloomfield Community Coalition.
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Bonnie Swope, nominated by Commissioner Penny Luebs (District 2) - Swope has been a community leader and entrepreneur in Clawson for many years. She is a creative artist who shares her skills with civic and nonprofit groups. She owns Pop-Up Art Studio and also enthusiastically supports other Clawson business, residents and city events that showcase the “Little City with a Big Heart.”
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Allyson Bettis, nominated by Commissioner Linnie Taylor (District 18) – a Southfield resident for 33 years, Bettis is a highly educated and accomplished finance and taxation professional. She has an MBA and decades of treasury and clerk experience with local municipalities. She is a dedicated volunteer in her community, serving on Southfield’s Burgh Pointe Neighborhood Association and giving her time to the Literacy Volunteers of America Detroit.
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Leslye Harelik-Richie, nominated by Commissioner Yolanda Smith Charles (District 17) - an unsung hero in Oak Park, Ms. Harelik-Richie has served in many capacities over the years, including: as the treasurer and vice president on the Oak Park Library Board; as a board member with Oak Park Youth Assistance; as president of the Oak Park Historical Society; and as chair of the Oak Park Dog Park Committee.
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Melissa Marsh, nominated by Commissioner Ann Erickson Gault (District 3) and co-presented with Commissioner Michael Spisz (District 5) - Marsh is a Rochester Hills resident and currently serves as the city manager of Madison Heights. She joined Madison Heights in 2005 as the finance director/treasurer and became the city manager in 2018. She is only the second woman in the city’s 70-year history to hold the position.
More information on the recipients and additional photos can be found at the Oakland County Blog.
On March 18, members of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners joined County Executive David Coulter for the State of the County address. Executive Coulter highlighted projects that have been supported by the Board and their successes. Check out a behind-the-scenes video from the Board at bit.ly/SOTCBehindTheScenes.
Some of the initiatives showcased at the State of the County address include:
Expanding Public Transit - Following the 2022 voter-approved transit millage, the Board’s Transit Ad Hoc Committee has overseen the expansion of SMART bus routes and on-demand services, leading to 60% increase in ridership in western Oakland County. Further, the Veterans Ride Free program provided over 7,200 rides in under a year.
Savi - With 172,000 Oakland County residents owing a collective $6 billion in student loans, the Board partnered with Savi, a debt relief organization, to provide services for county residents and employees. To date, 830+ people have enrolled, reducing their student debt by an average of $42,000 each and freeing up $144 per month in household budgets.
Undue Medical Debt - Through a $2 million ARPA fund investment, the Board worked with Undue Medical Debt to erase medical debt for 80,000 residents. The first phase alone wiped out $9.1 million in debt for 14,000 people.
Oakland80 - In December 2023, the Board appropriated $15 million in ARPA funding to the Oakland80 program, with its goal of helping 80% of residents earn a post-secondary degree or credential.
Acorn2Oak - In 2023, the Board approved a $250,000 appropriation to establish the Acorn2Oak Youth Mini Grant Program, empowering young people to create positive change in their communities. After two successful years, these grants have provided funding for youth-based initiatives.
Affordable Housing & Energy Efficiency - The Oakland Together Housing Trust Fund and Oakland County Land Bank, established by the Board in 2022, have facilitated the development of 649 affordable housing units for seniors, low- and middle-income families, and individuals recovering from opioid addiction. In addition, the Board allocated $5 million to the Oakland SAVES grant program, which helped over 1,000 county households upgrade to energy-efficient appliances, reducing costs and promoting sustainability.
Project DIAMOnD - The Board approved $15 million for Project DIAMOnD, launched to provide 3D printers to small businesses during the pandemic. The program is now in its second phase and has already distributed over 300 printers, trained 148 businesses, and is set to expand statewide with a waitlist of 126 companies.
For more on these programs and others, catch up with the recorded State of the County address at https://bit.ly/4jhkW1J.
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The Board regularly recognizes residents, community members, organizations and businesses with proclamations and certificates in honor of special milestones, contributions or achievements. See the list below for recognitions from last month.
- A new residential community in Holly, M/I Homes Gardens of Riverside, that offers 60 homesites ranging from 3- to 5-bedroom layouts, opened its model – presented by Commissioner Bob Hoffman (District 7), March 3.
- Providing engineering and environmental services for manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, power, real estate and solid waste clients in the metro Detroit area, Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc. opened its doors in Wixom – presented by Commissioner Robert Smiley (District 14), March 4.
- Ten local residents received the Pontiac Legends and Trailblazers Awards during the 4th Annual Clarence E. Phillips Ascend Foundation Black History Celebration in multiple categories, including Tarlton Small (Education), Leona Patterson (Activism), Campy Russell (Athletic), Rosa Randolph (Activism), Lee Jones (Political), Melvin Whiteside (Activism), Rev. Derrick McDonald (Liturgical), Richard Seay (Political), Billy Sumler (Musical) and Billie Fair (Education) – presented by Commissioner Angela Powell (District 9), March 4.
- Plant-themed retail store Wild Roots Bloomcore Goods, which features clothing and locally made home goods as well as workshops and how-to classes, hosted its ribbon cutting in Clarkston – presented by Commission Karen Joliat (District 8), March 4.
- With more than 200,000 Oakland County residents diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and the need for further research, the Board recognized March as Autoimmune Awareness Month – presented by Commissioner Penny Luebs (District 2) with unanimous support of all commissioners, March 6.
- The hard work and dedication of social workers in schools, social service agencies, veteran centers, government and more, was recognized during March as National Social Work Month – presented by Commissioners Charlie Cavell (District 19), Kristen Nelson (District 10) and Luebs, March 6.
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Hosel Rockets Golf & Whiskey Lounge, a recreational space offering upscale dining and state-of-the-art golf simulators, celebrated its grand opening in Waterford – presented by Commissioner Joliat, March 7.
- Professional, convenient notary services are available on-demand to residences, senior communities, hospitals and more through MobileNotary2Go, which joined the Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce - presented by Commissioner Smiley, March 13.
- A local resident opened Ortonville’s first coffee shop, Simba Coffee Company, which specializes in beans fairly and ethically sourced from Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia – presented by Commissioner Hoffman, March 14.
Below is a schedule of meetings open to the public this month at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac. Full Board and standing committee meetings are livestreamed on the Board’s YouTube channel. Visit our website for any schedule changes and follow the Board on Facebook and LinkedIn for the latest updates.
Tuesday, April 1
- Public Health & Safety, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 2
- Coordinating Zoning, 8:30 a.m.
- Economic Development & Infrastructure, 9:30 a.m.
- Finance, 11 a.m.
- Claims Review, 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 10
- Transit Ad Hoc, 3 p.m.
- Majority Caucus, 5 p.m.
- Full Board, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 22
- Legislative Affairs & Government Operations, 9 a.m.
- Public Health & Safety, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 23
- Economic Development & Infrastructure, 9:30 a.m.
- Finance, 11 a.m.
- Tax Increment Financing District Review Policy Ad Hoc, 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 24
- Human Trafficking Task Force, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, April 29
- Art Institute Authority, 9 a.m.
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Led by Commissioner Kristen Nelson (District 10), the Board established the Oakland County Native Plants Initiative in 2020. In the five years since the launch of the program, more than 2,600 native plant kits have been distributed to residents. Native plants, those that occur naturally in a region in which they evolved, require less water due to their deep root systems, have developed their own defenses against pests and disease, and provide a critical food source for native insects and local birds. Learn more at the Board’s website. |
- Oakland County Parks is hosting the Great Marshmallow Drop at a new location on April 18 at 10 a.m. in Royal Oak at Worden Park (Lexington Boulevard and Crooks Road). A helicopter will drop 15,000 marshmallows at the park for participants to find and exchange for a prize. For more information about the event, visit the event page at OaklandCountyParks.com.
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Innovative collaborations between Oakland County Parks (OCP) and local municipalities are improving parks and recreation opportunities for residents. OCP has acquired lakefront property that will expand Pontiac Oaks Park from 77 to 113 acres and enable the installation of a new trail loop with play elements. OCP is also partnering with the City of Farmington to fund new fitness courts at two community parks, Shiawassee Park and Flanders Park. Visit OaklandCountyParks.com for more information.
- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Oakland County Health Division confirmed the first adult case of measles in Oakland County. Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that is spread by person-to-person contact and through the air. Learn more about measles and where to get the vaccine at bitly/25Measles.
Was this message forwarded to you? Be sure to sign up for The Board Bulletin by visiting your commissioner's webpage at OakGov.com/BOC and clicking the "Newsletter Sign-up" button. You can also follow the Board on Facebook and LinkedIn for all the latest updates.
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