• Establish Oakland County Citizen’s Academy to educate and engage residents in learning about gaining first-hand understanding of the operations of Oakland County Government.

• Work with leadership in City of Southfield to maximize benefits gained from intergovernmental cooperation and collaboration.

• Ensure that displaced workers in Southfield are aware of the workforce training and certification programs available, including 54 apprenticeship programs.

• As people are losing their jobs, they are also finding it difficult to maintain their health and dental insurance. Promote availability of Oakland County’s prescription drug discount program and dental discount program and adult benefit waiver program.

• Connect distressed homeowners in Southfield with Oakland County’s resources for providing assistance to obtain refinancing or arranging for more favorable mortgage terms that allows people to save their homes.

• Support communication and transparency in government – send out eNewsletters to Southfield residents; advise about ability to sign up for email updates on county information and resources.

• Continue to promote “Bid & Breakfast” and opportunities for small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses to gain access to and successfully compete for contracts with Oakland County, the State of Michigan and other municipalities.

2008 Accomplishments:

• Provided college scholarship as President of NACo to a Southfield High School Student.

• Established Oakland County’s Prevention of the Sexual Exploitation of Children Task Force – become the framework for a national program.

• Established a study group to identify services needed for youth who are aging out of foster care.

• Successfully fought agent President Bush’s proposal to eliminate Community Develop Block Grant funding.

• Introduced resolution urging our federal lawmakers to prevent further job losses and devastation to our communities and provide our nation’s domestic car companies the opportunity to complete this turnaround.

• Introduced resolution that calls upon Oakland County families, law enforcement officials, and child advocates to join in commemorating this observance by participating in the “Take 25″ initiative and celebrating those children who have been returned to their loved ones, remembering those young people who are missing, and continuing to work together on every front to protect our children from those who would seek to harm them.