GAINES CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- if both sides can agree to a contract, Georgetown Charter Township Assistant Superintendent Roderick Weersing will become Gaines Charter Township's new manager.
The townshp board's 6-0 vote in favor of Weersing over another finalist for the position came during a special board meeting at the Gaines Township Hall. After the public interviews of Weersing and Albion City Manager Haley Snyder, the board went into closed session in a conference room to deliberate.
If contractual terms are reached, Weersing would replace former township manager Jonathan Seyferth, who left in November after being hired as the new city manager in Muskegon.
Nineteen people applied for the job, and the township board initially narrowed it down to six candidates after reviewing resumes. The short list was whittled down to two candidates after the private, first round of interviews.
"I think they did a great job," Gaines Township trustee Dan Fryling said. "I think both of these (candidates) would have been great for our township. I'm glad I'm not having to be the one that tells Haley, 'Thank you, but no thank you.' I think she's an excellent person, but I think Rod is a better fit."
"We did have two very good candidates. Either one of them could have done the job for us," Township Supervisor Rob DeWard said.
In assisting the superintendent with the daily operation of Georgetown Township the past eight years, Weersing said he has worked with the Parks and Cemetery Department, the Department of Public Works, the township's library, the public library and more.
Prior to his work in Georgetown, Weersing was in banking for 18 years, having worked at Grand River, Chemical and West Michigan Community banks. Before that, Weering worked with Fox Jewelers for 12 years.
During Monday's final interview, trustee Bob Terpstra asked Weersing what his initial priorities would be if hired as the new township manager.
"I'm a people person, relationship builder. So, starting with focusing on the people, township staff and department heads would be key to that, of course, because those will be the people I'm working with on a daily basis," Weersing said.
Several board members said Haley Snyder interviewed well, and that is why it took them more than a half-hour in a closed conference room to deliberate which of the two candidates to choose.
As city manager in Albion, Snyder said she is the chief operating manager who oversees all the day-to-day operations for the city. She supervises six department heads. Snyder said she has been with the city about 4-1/2 years. She started there as the deputy clerk/treasurer and has been Albion city manager since March 2021.
### [ Photo courtesy: Laurie Lemke]