New faces are taking over two key area leadership positions. A committee voted unanimously Wednesday to select a new treasurer for Grand Traverse County – filling a vacancy left by Heidi Scheppe when she recently left to become the Traverse City finance director after 10 years as county treasurer – while the Grand Traverse Metro Emergency Services Authority board is set to interview two finalists today (Thursday) to replace the retiring Fire Chief Pat Parker.

County Treasurer
After 12 years with Grand Traverse County – including six as deputy treasurer and the last six as office coordinator/deputy treasurer – Sarah Gum was promoted Wednesday to county treasurer.

Gum was one of two candidates who applied for the position, an appointment that will last through the end of this year to complete the term of former Treasurer Heidi Scheppe. Jamie Callahan, who has worked for multiple state legislators in legislative affairs and worked in banking and U.S. Department of Defense accounting earlier in his career, also applied for the job. As required by state law, an appointment committee comprised of County Clerk Bonnie Scheele, County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg, and Probate Judge Jennifer Whitten was tasked with interviewing candidates and selecting an appointee. That same process was recently used to select an interim replacement for county sheriff.

Committee members praised the qualifications of both candidates as well as their interviews, which were conducted in public at the Hall of Justice. “Both did a great job,” said Whitten, with Moeggenberg agreeing that “either of them could do this.” However, Gum stood out for her years of experience in the county treasurer’s office, including her familiarity with staff, financial policies and accounting practices, and county technology and software. “Continuity of operations” is crucial, Scheele said – particularly in an interim role heading into a fall election in which the position of treasurer will ultimately be decided by voters.

Still, committee members questioned Gum extensively about her knowledge of the role and her willingness to fulfill its various responsibilities. Those include duties that are sometimes uncomfortable or fraught, they said, ranging from personally delivering foreclosure documents to homes to being named in lawsuits to navigating tax tribunals to being in the public spotlight in front of county commissioners or at county Land Bank Authority meetings, which the treasurer runs.

Gum acknowledged some of those roles will represent new challenges for her, but said she was up to the task. She talked about the importance of working with families who are struggling, offering them payment plans, hardship extensions, and other tools to avoid foreclosure. “The county doesn’t want to take people’s homes,” she said. “We want them to succeed.” Gum also talked about internal controls and policy measures for handling large amounts of cash and keeping offices safe, pointing to her past background as a bank teller in providing her with that experience. When asked if there were any changes she’d make to the department, Gum said she was interested in making services more accessible for residents whenever possible, such as working to make dog license registrations available online.

Following the committee’s unanimous selection of Gum, she was immediately sworn in as county treasurer Wednesday (pictured). Gum told The Ticker she also plans to run for county treasurer this fall. Callahan said he will also “possibly” consider running, though said he needs to think over his options. The filing deadline for county treasurer is April 23.

GT Metro Fire Chief
The Grand Traverse Metro Emergency Services Authority board will interview two finalists today (Thursday) for the position of fire chief. Current Fire Chief Pat Parker is retiring on March 31 after more than 40 years with the department, beginning as a part-time volunteer firefighter in 1983 and eventually working his way up to lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, deputy chief, and then chief – a role he’s held since 2006. Parker is ending his career on a high note, having been named the 2023 Fire Chief of the Year by the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs.

The two candidates vying to fill Parker’s shoes are Paul Mackin and Nicholas Earley, who will be interviewed publicly today at East Bay Township Hall at 2pm and 3pm, respectively. A public reception with the candidates will follow from 4pm to 6pm. No hiring decision is expected to be made today, according to Parker. The GT Metro board will reconvene next Wednesday (January 31) from 12pm-1pm to “deliberate on the final candidate,” Parker says.

Mackin and Earley advanced from an initial round of board interviews of four candidates. Mackin has been serving as the fire chief for the North Palos Fire Protection District in Illinois since 2017. Previous to his time as a fire chief, he has been a deputy chief, a battalion chief, and a training bureau supervisor for the North Palos Fire Protection District. Mackin has a master’s degree in public administration from Governors State University, a bachelor’s degree of science/fire service management from Southern Illinois University, and an associate’s degree in applied science/fire science from Moraine Valley Community College.

Earley most recently worked as a fire battalion chief for the Savannah Fire Department in Savannah, Georgia. Prior to his time as the fire battalion chief, Earley served as the fire captain as well as a master firefighter and an advanced firefighter for the Savannah Fire Department. Earley has a master’s in public administration with a concentration in emergency services management and a bachelor’s degree of science in fire science from Columbia Southern University. Earley also has an associate’s degree from Delta College.