Board of Directors

A nine-member Board of Directors composed of elected and appointed municipal officials governs the Pool. Administration is provided by the MML's Risk Management Services Division.

John Archocosky, Retired City Manager, City of Iron River

John has over thirty-five years experience as a municipal official, serving the last five as the manager in Iron River. He has been a Michigan Economic Development Corporation Partner since 2006 and a member of Iron County EDC for the past 15 years. John is a board member of the Iron County Family Independece Agency and its associated Foundations and serves as Chairman. He is also a member of numerous civic organizations.

Robert E. Clark, Mayor, City of Monroe

Robert has more than four years experience as a municipal official, serving as the mayor in the City of Monroe since 2010.  He is a member of the Michigan Association of Mayors.  Robert retired as Major, Michigan State Police after thirty years of service.  He is active in several local civic organizations.

Jason Eppler, City Manager, City of Ionia

Jason has over seventeen years of experience as a municipal official, serving the last seven as the manager in Ionia. He is a member of the MML Transportation Infrastructure Committee, the International City Management Association and the Michigan Local Government Association. He also serves on the boards of Sparror-Ionia Hospital, its foundation, the Ionia County Chamber of Commerce and is past president of the Ionia County United Way. Jason is also a member and director of the Ionia Rotary Club and a director of the Ionia County Economic Alliance.

Dan Gilmartin, Executive Director &CEO,
Michigan Municipal League

In March 2005, Dan Gilmartin was appointed as the seventh executive director of the Michigan Municipal League, the state’s association of communities since 1899. He directs the League’s programming, policy development, and member services. Prior to being appointed executive director, Gilmartin served as the League’s deputy director from 2000-2005, leading efforts to revitalize its membership programs and design new services for Michigan communities. He also served for four years as the organization’s lead lobbyist in Lansing and in Washington, concentrating on a number of key issues including transportation, land use and urban redevelopment. Prior to joining the League in 1996, Gilmartin served as executive director of the Conference of Western Wayne for seven years, where he worked directly with cities and townships on a number of critical issues confronting local governments. Through his work on behalf of municipalities, Gilmartin is recognized as a statewide leader in the fields of urban revitalization, local government reform, and transportation policy. Recognizing that communities are at the core of the economic turnaround of Michigan, he is a passionate leader for making sure we create vibrant creative communities for the future, not the past.

Chair: Penny Hill, Village Manager, Village of Kalkaska

Penny has been a municipal government official since 1984, serving at various times as Clerk, Treasurer, and Manager.   She has been a manager at three different municipalities since 1999, and currently serves as Kalkaska’s Village Manager.  Penny is a past member of the Michigan Municipal League Board of Directors, past Vice Chairperson for MML Region 6, and is an active member of the MML Legislative Governance Committee and Finance Committee.  Penny is also a member of the Michigan Local Government Manager’s Association.  She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Grand Traverse Regional Foundation, the Kalkaska Planning Commission, and the Kalkaska Downtown Development Authority.

Mark Slown, City Manager, City of Rogers City

Mark has more than twelve years experience as a municipal official, serving as the city manager in Rogers City since September 2006.  Prior to Rogers City, he was the city manager in Oxford, MI, and previous to that served 27 years in the U.S. Air Force.  Mark has served on the MML Energy and Technology Committee, the MLGMA Summer Workshop Planning Committee and the MLGMA Experience and Awards Committee.  He is also active in a number of local civic organizations.

Jean Stegeman, Mayor, City of Menominee

Jean has more than six years experience as a municipal official, currently serving as Mayor in the City of Menomine.  She was a member of and served as chair of the Menominee planning commission for several years prior to becoming mayor.  Jean is active in several local civic organizations.

Paula Zelenko, Mayor, City of Burton

Paula has more than twenty-one years experience as a municipal official, serving as the mayor in the City of Burton since 2010.  She was a member of the Burton city council from 1991 – 2000 and 2008 – 2010.  From 2001 – 2006 Paula was the 50th District State Representative.  She is active in several local civic organizations.

Michelle Van Wert, Mayor, City of Williamston

Michelle has five years municipal government experience, all with the City of Williamston.  She was elected to the council in 2005, elected mayor in 2007 and currently serves as mayor.  Michelle is a member of the MML Economic Development and Land Use Committee, the Michigan Association of Mayors, the Michigan Association of Planning along with several local civic organizations.

 

 

 

Michael Forster, Pool Administrator,
Michigan Municipal League

Mike oversees all administrative, financial and regulatory aspects of the League’s casualty and worker’s compensation insurance programs. He is responsible for implementing the policies of the insurance program governing boards and for reporting operating results to the Pool and Fund boards and members. Mike has been with the League since 1990. Previous to his appointment as Director in 2004, he held the positions of Claim Manager and Assistant Director of Risk Management. Mike also spent eight years with a national insurance carrier as a multi-line claims supervisor. A 1981 graduate of the University of Michigan – Dearborn, Mike is currently pursuing the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.