Candidate Profile: Ellen Hodorek, Troy City Council Member

TROY, MI — There are three seats open for Troy City Council Member in November's general elections.

To help readers make informed choices, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Ellen Hodorek is running for Troy City Council Member. Here's how she filled out her profile:

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Age (as of Election Day)

58

Position Sought

Troy City Council Member

Party Affiliation

Nonpartisan

Family

My husband Mike and I married and moved into our home here in Troy 32 years ago, recognizing that Troy was the perfect place for us. We raised our two children here, and greatly enjoyed being part of the Troy School District family. Mike is a retired GM engineer. We enjoy and are so proud of our son, daughter, son-in-law, and grandson.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA Journalism, Michigan State University

Occupation

Retired/Communications Professional:

• 13-year career (1985-1998) with GM Corporate Communications that included advancement through numerous positions, including employee communication, media relations, executive speech writing, and strategic communications. Career path at GM also included a cross-functional assignment with the North American Operation (NAO) Business Planning Staff.
• Four years (1998-2002) as Manager of Community and Government Relations at Delphi Corporation in Troy with responsibility for oversight of the Delphi Foundation as well as strategizing and implementing community outreach initiatives, including those in Troy. Also contributed to various communication activities of the Delphi Corporate Affairs Staff, including Leadership Conferences and special events.
• Four years (2006-2010) as a staff assistant for the City of Troy Community Affairs Department, responsible for writing press releases, editorial support for the Troy Today quarterly newsletter, and assisting current and potential residents with inquiries.
• Seven years (2012-2019) as an Investigative Analyst supporting the FCA Corporate Investigations team in matters including disability fraud and time theft.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Two-term (8 years) Troy City Council Member, including 1 year as Mayor Pro Tem

Campaign website

EllenforTroy.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

To continue to be an effective steward of our tax dollars and the city’s many amazing assets, including our public safety, infrastructure, AAA bond rating, civic center and green space. I will continue to bring a nonpartisan, independent voice to the City Council and listen to all perspectives on each issue.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Troy’s Master Plan is undergoing, as required by law, a five-year review; this review comes at a transformational time as the City proceeds through the changes brought about by the pandemic. It also comes at a time our residents are asking us to protect green space and review the nodes identified in the plan to better ensure a fitting density plan for those areas. I plan to bring private sector strategic planning experience to the effort, working with council and city management to comprehend the Master Plan updates with the overall budget/strategic planning for the city so we can continue to keep the city strong. We must be intentional about what it will take to keep Troy a great place to live in, work in, play in, and learn in.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a 32-year-resident who has volunteered throughout the community and has followed council meetings, budget study sessions, and city issues closely since 2005, I am uniquely qualified to bring valuable institutional knowledge and a wide range of resident perspectives to this policy setting role.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

N/A

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

We responded quickly and efficiently as a team in our respective roles, following the mandates set forth at the state and county level and supporting Troy’s Emergency Operation Center in its work. Public safety — including the safety of our employees — was the priority and all decisions were made collaboratively and seamlessly to be sure the city was in compliance with the data and directives issued by the county health department. The work of the city continued, and meetings proceeded remotely as long as was necessary to follow safety protocols, mindful of hospital capacity data when the virus surged. We adjusted ordinances — such as temporary signage and dining out capacity increases at restaurants — in the effort to help businesses. Our Community Center was made available for a vaccination event. Importantly, we remembered each member of the community who lost their lives to the pandemic with white flags placed in front of City Hall. Hindsight always reveals learnings, but overall we did our best in our respective roles, and it is the city staff who are to be commended for working through it all as effectively as possible.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My goals are to work collaboratively to safeguard our much-lauded AAA bond rating, low millage rate, “safe city” reputation, infrastructure, parks/trails, and recreation. I saw firsthand the harm hyper-partisanship can cause to our city, so I will continue to strive — as is called for in our city charter — to bring a politically independent voice to the role.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My campaign website includes details of my over 20 years of corporate experience as well as my volunteerism in Troy, all efforts and accomplishments that prepared me for this role. A key accomplishment I would briefly highlight was locking arms with like-minded council colleagues to ensure a city manager was appointed with the professional and institutional knowledge necessary to restore and protect the integrity and high ethical standards Troy had long been known for. Working as a team, we navigated a way forward out of a difficult era to the best of our ability, making sure we reflected on lessons learned as we did so.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and the pig likes it.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

With every decision I make, the overriding question I ask myself is: “What is best for Troy overall to protect this amazingly diverse, family-friendly community?” As Oakland County’s largest city, I am ever mindful of Troy’s role and reputation in the metro Detroit area overall, and the importance of the city remaining strong and vital in relationship to surrounding communities. I believe this requires common sense, nonpartisan, logical, well-informed decision making, and that is what I always strive for as a council member.