Description

Tune to learn about the Traverse City City Commission and Mayoral candidate's thoughts on housing, tax increment financing, infrastructure, and more.

This event will be recorded and can be accessed on the Traverse Connect website within 24 hours following the event.
 

Mayor; two-year term expiring 2025
 

Amy Shamroe:
Shamroe, 43, has served as a city commissioner for eight years, including six years as Mayor Pro Tem. She is a board member at Traverse City Light & Power (TCLP), Friends of Traverse Area District Library, City Opera House, AAUW- Traverse City, and AAUW of Michigan. She is a book awards director and the podcast host of Behind the Cover. Shamroe has a bachelor's degree in International Relations from Michigan State University.

Tom Mair: (will not be attending event)
Mair, 67, was elected in 2016 as a Green Party candidate to serve as Grand Traverse County commissioner from 2017-2018, representing what was then District 2. Mair also ran for a county commission seat in 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2022 and a city commission seat in 2019, though was not elected in those races.

City Commissioner; three seats of four-year terms expiring 2027:
 

Caroline Kennedy:
Kennedy has a 35-year career in state legislative and local government arenas, including working as staff for the Michigan State Senate for 10 years, for the Michigan Municipal League for 17 years, and for the Village of Elk Rapids and Boyne City. She holds a master's degree in Public Administration from Western Michigan University and is a graduate of Traverse City's first City Academy this year. Kennedy is a founding board member of Housing North and served on the Northern Homes Community Development Commission and the executive committee of Networks Northwest.

Chris Minkin: (will not be attending event)
Minkin, 38, is a licensed attorney-at-law, licensed investment advisor representative, certified retirement counselor, and licensed insurance producer. Originally from the western U.P., he relocated to the area 10 years ago and works as a client relationship and project manager for a large retirement plan company. He has a bachelor of science degree in Secondary Education Political Science and History from Northern Michigan University and his JD from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Heather Shaw 
Shaw, 64, is a partner at Mission Point Press and an officer at Shaw Investment Company. She attended Interlochen Arts Academy, NMC, and the University of Michigan and served on the city planning commission from 2017 until this summer, when she resigned citing concerns over the process leading up to a recent board vote on residential zoning changes.

Jackie Anderson:
A Traverse City resident for 23 years, Anderson, 71, is a retired businessperson and professor with an MBA from Michigan State. She helped organize the city's new Indian Woods Neighborhood Association, served as board member of the grassroots campaign to save Easling Pool, and volunteered for five years as a SCORE mentor for local business owners.

Kenneth Funk:
Funk, 39, is a firefighter and paramedic with the Traverse City Fire Department. He is also the owner of Funk Heating and Cooling and a licensed mechanical contractor. He has a BA in Exercise Science from Adrian College. Funk previously vied to fill city commission vacancies in 2018 and 2022. He is eligible to run as a TCFD employee, though would not be able to negotiate any collective bargaining agreements on behalf of city firefighters if elected.

Mary Mills:
Mills, 68, moved to Traverse City in 1973 to attend NMC. She currently works as an office administrator and has a master's in Divinity from Loyola University of Chicago. Mills and her husband, Tom, a recently retired educator, have three grown children. Mills is a past recipient of the United Way's Volunteer of the Year award and currently serves on the Traverse City Master Plan Leadership Team as a city resident representative.

Merek Roman
Roman, 36, is a Glen Arbor native and analytical engineer with a master's degree in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University. He is the vice president of the Slabtown Neighborhood Association and vice president of education for Cherry Capital Toastmasters. Roman also has board service experience with Networks Northwest, Traverse City Board of Zoning Appeals, and GT County Building Code. Roman ran in 2021 for a vacant city commission seat and came in second in a three-way race behind now-Commissioner Mitch Treadwell.

Mitch Treadwell:
Treadwell, 34, has served on the city commission since 2021 after winning a three-way race against candidates Merek Roman and Tim Pulliam for a partial two-year seat vacated by former Commissioner Roger Putman. A river steward and landscaper who attended Northwestern Michigan College and Michigan State University, Treadwell has served on multiple city boards including the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Traverse City Housing Commission, and Board of Zoning Appeals. He is part of BATA's Local Advisory Council and the Boardman River Clean Sweep.

Shae O'Brien:
O'Brien, 36, is an NMC graduate and currently serves on the Grand Traverse County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Sara Hardy Farmers Market advisory board, and Fair Street Condo Association. He was previously a member of the city's Active Transportation Committee. O'Brien is the volunteer coordinator and manager of the Traverse Heights Community Garden and a Dennos Museum Center volunteer. He previously ran for mayor in 2019, but lost to then-incumbent Jim Carruthers.