They say behind every great man, there is a great woman.
Well, the woman behind Addison Township’s newly-elected supervisor, Bruce Pearson, is 35-year resident Sherry Beens.
On Thursday, Pearson officially appointed Beens, 63, as his new deputy supervisor. She was sworn in with other township officials.
‘I’ve never been involved in politics before, but I think that’s good,? she explained. ‘I don’t have any preconceived notions as to what I’m going to do or what’s going to happen. I just plan on working hard, helping Bruce do what he has to do, and keeping him on the straight and narrow.?
In the day-to-day operations of the township, the deputy serves as the supervisor’s administrative assistant and right-hand man (or woman is this case).
In the event of the supervisor’s absence, sickness, disability or death, the deputy possesses all the powers and duties of his elected office with the exception of voting on the township board.
During Pearson’s campaign, Beens worked tirelessly to help get him elected.
‘She helped me so much with the campaign,? Pearson said. ‘Every night (she was) out there walking the streets, knocking on the doors.?
‘I believe in what he stands for,? Beens explained. ‘I believe that he’s one of the most honest men I’ve met. He doesn’t have any personal agendas as to what he wants to accomplish.?
Pearson said one of the reasons he appointed Beens was her volunteer spirit and commitment to helping others.
‘I’ve seen her when I’m driving down Lakeville Rd. with her little orange vest on, picking up garbage all by herself,? he said. ‘We have the same philosophy. We’re here for what we can give. We’re not here to make a living or a paycheck, we’re here to give back to the community.?
‘Anybody that needs anything, I like to try to help them,? said Beens, noting she does a lot of volunteer work through Lakeville United Methodist Church and as a member for the Lakeville Cemetery Auxiliary.
Beens has previous experience in both the public and private sectors. For seven years, she was the assistant manager at the Michigan Secretary of State’s Farmington branch.
She also owned and operated two businesses for a combined 25 years.
The first was a tool and die maker, T&S Tool Company in Rochester, which employed 35 people and was sold in the late 1980s.
‘We made transmission gears for General Motors,? Beens said. ‘I did all the book work, payroll, even ran the machines if I had to.?
The second was a commercial cleaning company.
Like Pearson, Beens is committed to making sure the supervisor’s office has an ‘open door policy? when it comes to dealing with the public.
‘We want people to come into our office,? she said. ‘If they have a problem, we want to talk to them about it. We want to sit down face-to-face with people that have issues. We don’t want to go to court. We don’t want people fighting. We don’t want neighbors rebelling against each other.?
Part of making the supervisor’s office more accessible is making it more convenient for citizens unable to meet during normal business hours.
‘We’re going to have night appointments if necessary,? Been said. ‘They can call us to make an appointment to see us on the weekend, if they can’t get in during the week. That’s our philosophy.?
Beens believes Pearson’s many years of experience as an Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy make him a natural when it comes to opening up a dialogue between people.
‘I’ve seen him sit down with two or three people that don’t agree and within a little while everybody’s talking,? she said. ‘That’s what gets things done is when people talk.?
Beens and Pearson are also both committed to supporting and improving Addison’s public library and parks.
‘We want to make this area as nice as it can be for the people who live here because it is a really unique place,? she said.
Overall, both officials want the public to know they’re there to serve the township’s interests as a whole. ‘We don’t owe anybody anything,? Beens said.
‘We have no axes to grind, we have no agenda,? Pearson said. ‘We just want to make things better and we’re willing to give.?