Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland Mayor William R. Wild Named Michigan Municipal League Vice President

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland Mayor William R. Wild Named Michigan Municipal League Vice President

Westland, MI (January 28, 2020) - Westland Mayor William R. Wild has been named as the Michigan Municipal League's (MML) 2019-20 Vice President.

Wild was named board vice president by the 18-member board on Friday, January 24, during the Michigan Municipal League's Board of Trustees meeting in Lansing. He will help lead the organization with Board President Brenda F. Moore, Saginaw Mayor Pro Tem. As vice president, Wild is in line to become League president in 2020-21.

The MML is dedicated to making Michigan's communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan's greatest centers of potential: its communities. The League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington, D.C., and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials; and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services.

"I've been active with the League for many years and it's an outstanding organization," commented Wild, who was appointed to the League board in 2017. "It's an honor to be selected as Vice President and I look forward to working with Board President Moore to best serve the members."

Wild has served as mayor of the City of Westland since 2007. He is dedicated to forward-thinking policy innovation, he has put Westland, a town of 85,000 residents, on the national map with recognition as one of "America's top 50 places to live, work and play" by Wall Street 24/7 magazine.

Under Wild's leadership, the City of Westland has benefited from initiatives like "Westland Mission: Green!" which promotes environmental best practices, the "Compassionate City Program," a goal to incorporate a friendly and humane lens into community planning and activities, and the "Passport to a Healthy City" program, designed to empower Westland residents to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

An active public servant since 1999, Wild began his service career as a member of Westland's Planning Commission and in 2001 he began a six-year tenure as member of the Westland City Council. He is a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, SEMCOG Economic Development Task Force, and serves as an advisor to the Thai Initiative, a Seattle-based nonprofit that leads the way in creating subnational relationships between the United States and China

For additional information, contact Matt Bach, Michigan Municipal League communications director, at [email protected]

and (734) 669-6317.

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Westland Fire Department are licensed paramedics who responded to over 9,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.