Dexter Township has a new board trustee with a ton of local and state government experience

Gretchen Driskell, who in previous roles served as mayor of Saline and a state representative, is now the new board trustee for Dexter Township.

In picking Driskell at their June 20 meeting, the Board of Trustees said she stood out because of her immense experience. The township had four apply for the open position left by Karen Sikkenga, who after being appointed, moved into the role of Township Supervisor. The township board unanimously picked Driskell and all cited the knowledge and capabilities she can bring to the board.

Gretchen Driskell. photo from Driskell's Twitter @gdriskell

The Sun Times News followed up with Sikkenga about the selection of Driskell, who is a township resident.

“The Dexter Township Board of Trustees is grateful to the four candidates who applied to serve as Trustee for our township,” Sikkenga said. “It was a privilege to be able to select from an engaged and well-qualified pool.”

She said the Board of Trustees discussed criteria for candidate selection at its June 20, and made past involvement at Dexter Township a primary criterion, which eliminated two candidates who have not served in any capacity for Dexter Township. She said those two candidates have great qualifications “and we hope they will step forward to serve a vacant board position.”

“The remaining two candidates, Lois Beerbaum and Gretchen Driskell, both serve on other boards and committees,” said Sikkenga. “Because ‘experience with local government’ and ‘fills a need on the board’ were also placed as top criteria, the board selected Gretchen Driskell due to her extensive experience at all levels of government, including serving on both the City Council and as the Mayor of Saline for more than a decade. Gretchen also has extensive contacts and knowledge at all levels of government due to her former service as a state representative, filling a much-needed gap on the board.”

Here’s a look at Driskell’s experience:

Michigan House of Representatives, 2012-2017
Mayor of Saline, Michigan, 1990-2004
Saline City Council, 1984-1990

She represented the 52nd District in the Michigan House of Representatives as a Democrat and was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in Michigan's 7th congressional district in both 2016 and 2018, but lost in the general election both times.

Other experience details include she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Lynchburg College and a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University, and she has also worked as a certified public accountant and a commercial realtor and has served on the boards of the Michigan Municipal League, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, Ann Arbor SPARK, the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study, and the National League of Cities.

Sikkenga said of Driskell, “Speaking for myself, I am greatly looking forward to the opportunity to serve with and learn from Gretchen Driskell. Her deep knowledge and extensive experience make her a trusted advisor. She is known for connecting people and for her great team skills, a great addition to our board. We are lucky to have her.”