By Meg Peters
Review Staff Writer
The Lake Orion Village Council interviewed nine applicants of 33 to fill the vacant village clerk position after Arlene Nichols retired on Halloween.
They decided on Susan Galeczka, if the council approves her contract at the board meeting Tuesday, November 12 after the Review went to press.
Village Manager Darwin McClary said she has worked in municipal government ‘somewhere around 35 to 38 years,? including acting as Deputy Clerk for the City of Rochester Hills and also as their council liaison.
McClary said the council already voted to negotiate an employment agreement with Galeczka, ‘so I don’t anticipate there’s going to be any problems (formally hiring her) on Tuesday at the meeting.? They will take the contract back to the board for formal approval.
Council is still looking into when her starting date will be, but will probably be next Monday, McClary said.
Three finalists were selected of the nine interviewed and sat in front of the board October 28 for additional questioning. Galeczka was then selected.
She was the recording secretary on a contractual basis for various Lake Orion boards and commissions, including the Village Council and the Downtown District Authority, and previously for the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Planning Commission and for Parks and Recreation.
‘Most of my municipal experience is in the clerks office, I worked for Orion Township for seven years, and at Rochester Hills for 18 plus years. But in addition I’ve worked in assessing and human resources and those types of things,? Gleczka said at the October 28 meeting.
She said her experience working as both the clerk and council liaison for Rochester Hills helped grow her experience in municipality work, but much of her experience comes from taking notes for the village boards.
‘I have a lot of institutional knowledge of this village, so I can get into doing things quicker than someone coming in with no knowledge,? she said.
She has also lived in Lake Orion since 1983.
My kids went to school here. We built a home here. We’ve vacationed here in the summer time, so I have a very strong connection here,? she said.
‘I have a really good understanding of how government works, so that’s what I could bring, but the biggest thing is this is my community. So that’s what I can bring,? she said.
Some of her ideas for the village include updating the village website.
‘I think we could make things a little more available for residents to get information out there? so they can come in prepared,? she said.
Interviews were roughly twenty minutes long for each of the three finalists.
‘Susan has a great resume, and quite the set of qualifications,? Ken Van Portfliet said at the meeting.