The Village of Elk Rapids is seeking a strategic and innovative village manager to lead the idyllic waterfront community. Elk Rapids is located on Lake Michigan’s eastern coast just north of Traverse City on East Grand Traverse Bay. With both Lake Michigan, Elk Lake, Elk River, and Bass Lake water frontage, the village enjoys the best of Midwest living.
Natural beauty and a small-town atmosphere allow a laid-back lifestyle, with access to a full array of year-round recreational, sports and cultural opportunities. Boating, golf, sport fishing, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and nature preserves are just minutes away.
The Village of Elk Rapids is proud of its rich, small town heritage, and an engaged community. Its 1,529 residents value its small-town character while embracing citizen engagement and activities and has a strong history of environmental consciousness, protecting its rich and abundant natural resources, and entrepreneurial spirit.
The Village of Elk Rapids is a full-service, progressive community with a vibrant art community and downtown. Within the downtown area, the walkways, decorative streetscape elements and historic buildings provide the Village with a truly unique image that many communities strive for today. Elk Rapids has an active Downtown Development Authority that works closely with village leadership and the business community to keep the downtown economically sound and alive. The village also has a strong business group with the Downtown Elk Rapids Association (DERA).
Elk Rapids has a history of managing growth, making the best use of the residential, commercial and industrial areas, while making wise investments in infrastructure and land resources. The village is supportive of quality economic development. The village strives to ensure new development will enable the village to maintain a high quality of life and support existing infrastructure, business, and housing.
The village has an engaged citizenry that expects a transparent village government and open communication between the village manager, village president, village trustees and citizens.
The village council and its citizens expect strong environmental stewardship of its many rich natural resources.
The Village of Elk Rapids will consider applicants who value the small-town way of life, have a history of community involvement, and possess an innate drive to involve partners and residents in fashioning the next steps for a successful and prosperous community. To be considered a qualified applicant, respondents must first have:
• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study such as business, finance, or public administration, (an MPA, MBA, or master’s degree in a related field is preferred). • Minimum of three years’ experience as a city, village manager, or assistant manager or as an executive/leader in non-profit, education or the business sector with a wide-span of responsibility over multiple function or service areas. • Membership or commitment to join ICMA and state local government professional associations is considered valuable to the village. • An understanding of Michigan’s laws and regulations and the roles and responsibilities in the council/manager form of government. • Residency is preferred
The Michigan Municipal League is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest centers of potential: its communities.
