Who's Who

City Manager

Melissa Marsh, was hired in April 2005 as the Finance Director/Treasurer and was promoted to Director of Administrative Services in March 2006. Melissa served as Human Resource Director and Webmaster as well as overseeing several other departments such as IT, City Clerk's Office, Library and Finance. In July, 2009 she returned to the Finance Director in the capacity of Director of Administrative Services, still overseeing IT, Clerk, Library and Finance.

She was promoted to Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services in 2012, and to Deputy City Manager for Administrative Services in 2013. She was appointed City Manager by City Council in 2018.

Melissa received the Master of Accountancy degree from Walsh College in Troy Michigan in 2004. She also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resources from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business/Finance from Tusculum College, in Tennessee. Melissa is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Michigan Public Employer Labor Relations Association (MPELRA) and the Michigan Government Finance Officers Association (MGFOA). Prior to coming to Madison Heights, she served as the Finance/Human Resource Director for Harrison Township, Michigan.

City Clerk/Deputy City Manager

Cheryl E Rottmann was appointed City Clerk in April 2014. Prior to joining Madison Heights, Cheryl was the City Clerk for Berkley, and was formerly Director of Elections for Macomb County. Cheryl holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Wayne State University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Cheryl is recognized by the State of Michigan as a Certified Municipal Clerk, and brings nearly twenty years of municipal experience to the City.

Cheryl was appointed City Clerk/Deputy City Manager in 2023.

City Attorney

Larry H. Sherman has served as the Madison Heights City Attorney since January, 1987. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Harvard College in 1974 and his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Michigan in 1977. He is a Principal in the Law Firm of Sherman and Sherman, P.C.

As City Attorney, Larry is the chief legal advisor to the City Council, City Manager and all Department Heads. He represents the City in most civil and criminal matters. During his career, Larry has performed municipal legal work for the following communities: Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, Walled Lake, Sylvan Lake and Taylor. In addition to municipal law, his practice concentrates on real estate, general civil litigation, and criminal and traffic defense matters. Larry is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Michigan Trial Lawyers Association and is licensed to practice law in all State and Federal Courts.

City Engineer

Brad W. Brickel, P.E. began his career as an engineer at Nowak & Fraus Engineers in 2002. After several promotions, he currently serves as Managing Partner for the firm and has over 20 years of civil engineering experience. He oversees design and construction engineering services for several municipal engineering accounts and private land development projects, including residential, retail, office, and industrial developments.

Brad oversees the team that provides engineering consulting services to the cities of Royal Oak, Madison Heights, and Huntington Woods in the role of Consulting City Engineer. He is responsible for the design, management, and construction administration of municipal roadway and utility systems (water main, sanitary sewer, and storm drain) projects. Brad has also served as MDOT construction engineer on various 3R and 4R construction projects funded by FHWA/MDOT sources. Brad received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. He also holds a professional engineer license in the State of Michigan.

Community & Economic Development

Giles Tucker was appointed as Community & Economic Development Director in March 2021 after joining Madison Heights as the Economic Development Supervisor in September 2019. Prior to joining Madison Heights, Giles serves as the Executive Director of the City of Lincoln Park’s Downtown Development Authority.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Wayne State University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Eastern Michigan University. In 2019, he received the Outstanding Public Service Award from the American Society for Public Administration - Detroit Metropolitan Chapter in 2019 in the early career public service professional category.

Department of Public Services

Sean P. Ballantine is the Director of Public Services. Sean was hired as a seasonal parks laborer in 2002, and a full-time Equipment Operator I in 2007. He was further promoted to Equipment Operator II in 2012, Analyst/Planner in 2015, Public Works Supervisor in 2021, Deputy Director/Interim Director of Public Services in March of 2023, and appointed to his current position a month later. Prior to the start of his full-time career with the City, Sean was pursuing a career in culinary arts, which remains a favorite hobby.

Sean has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, an S-3 Waterworks System Operator license, and holds a commercial drivers license class B with air brake and tanker endorsements. He has attended multiple multi-day management and public works training seminars, including the three-year Michigan Public Service Institute and the basic and advanced Management and Supervisory Leadership Training Program through the Public Utilities and Waterworks Management Institute. As he moved up through the ranks, Sean has worked in every division of the DPS, physically performing every task the DPS is responsible for.

Sean is a Madison Heights lifer and has an extremely high level of personal pride in his work and City.

Finance and Treasury

Linda A. Kunath was hired as the City of Madison Heights Finance Director/Treasurer in February 2019. Prior to joining the Madison Heights team, she was the Finance Director/Treasurer for the City of Mount Clemens, Interim Finance Director/Treasurer for the City of Grosse Pointe Woods, Assistant City Manager/HR Director for the City of St. Clair Shores, and a Senior Accountant for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Linda holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Central Michigan University, a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from Walsh College, and an Associate of Business Administration degree from Macomb Community College. Linda is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and MGFOA.

Fire Department

Greg Lelito, was appointed as Fire Chief on January 1, 2012. Fire Chief Greg Lelito has been a member of the Madison Heights Fire Department since 1997. Prior to joining the department, he started his career with the City of Utica in 1991, as a paid-on-call firefighter. In 1996, he was hired as a full-time firefighter with the City of Atlanta, Georgia.

Greg has a Certificate in Fire Science from Macomb Community College. He has his paramedic license, Haz-Mat Technician and Tech Rescue Technician certifications. He is a member of the Oakway Hazardous Material Team, Oakway Tech Rescue Team. Greg was promoted to Sergeant in 2007, and on January 1, 2012 he was promoted to Fire Chief. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University Staff and Command school.

Library

Vanessa Verdun-Morris, Library Director, was appointed to the position of Library Director with the City of Madison Heights in March 2022. She received her bachelor's degree in English from Michigan State University in 2000 and her master's degree in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University in 2002.

Previous to her appointment in Madison Heights, Verdun-Morris directed Taylor Community Library, Wayne County Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and River Rouge Public Library. She is a member of the American Library Association and an active participant in the Michigan Library Association, where she chaired the 2016 Annual Conference Committee. She holds a Level 1 Permanent Professional Certificate from the Library of Michigan

Police Chief

Chief of Police Brent LeMerise has been a law enforcement officer for 22 years and was appointed to the Police Chief on July 1, 2023. As he worked his way up the ranks, he held specialized positions such as Detective, Hostage Negotiator, FTO Commander, and Accreditation Manager. As the first Accreditation Manager in police department history, Chief LeMerise was proud to lead the department through the process of holding itself to the highest professional standards.

Chief LeMerise graduated from Northwestern Staff & Command School in May 2024. He holds an associate degree from Macomb Community College and currently is seeking his bachelor’s degree through Ferris State university. He is a member of the Oakland County Association of Chiefs of Police, the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Under his leadership, the department will continue to serve the public, build trust, and remain united with our community.