Board of Trustees

Mike McCready is a lifelong resident of the Birmingham/Bloomfield community. He attended Bloomfield Village Elementary, Covington Junior High School, and graduated from Seaholm High School. McCready earned a degree in Communications and Business Administration from Western Michigan University (after transferring from Oakland Community College).

McCready started his career by running a successful, small business in Birmingham and becoming the mayor and mayor pro tempore of Bloomfield Hills. He went on to serve three terms in the Michigan House as the Representative of Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, and West Bloomfield. During his six-year tenure, McCready sponsored dynamic legislation that generated revenue to fix Michigan roads, negotiated a $46 million increase in university operations budgets, and supported over $115 million in business development grants and loans through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

In 2018, L. Brooks Patterson called on McCready to serve as the Acting Director of the Department of Economic Development and Community Affairs. McCready led retention and recruitment efforts while overseeing 85 employees across seven divisions. This was followed by successful campaigns to attract Tier One auto suppliers, health care, and high-tech companies to southeast Michigan. He also served as Senior Business Advisor to Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter.

Most recently, McCready served the City of Novi by leading economic development efforts as an experienced business and community leader.

Martin was elected to a four-year term as Clerk in 2020.
 
Martin and his wife, Cathleen, moved their family to Bloomfield Township in 2003. Their two sons attended Bloomfield public schools and graduated from Bloomfield Hills High School. Martin graduated from Michigan State with a bachelor’s degree from James Madison College in 1987 and received his master’s degree in Labor and Industrial Relations the following year. After working for a while in industry, he went on to earn his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1996. Martin worked in private practice for 25 years handling employment and labor law matters. During that time, he was elected to the Bloomfield Hills School Board and served from 2005 through 2010. He was chair of the Finance Facilities and Legal Affairs Committee and Board Vice President.  In 2009 he was selected to be Board President. Martin's additional community involvement includes board member for the Friends of the E.L. Johnson Nature Center and Judge/Coach for the Bloomfield Hills Schools Forensics team.

Michael Schostak was appointed Bloomfield Township Treasurer in August 2023 after serving for seven years as a Township Trustee. As Treasurer, Michael serves as the Chief Investment Officer for almost $400 million of township funds while overseeing the collection of real property taxes and water bills for the township’s approximately 16,000 parcels and utility accounts.

Michael was elected to the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees in November 2016 and overwhelmingly re-elected in November 2020. In his capacity as Treasurer, Michael serves on the Financial Sustainability Committee and is a trustee of the Retired Employees’ Healthcare Trust. He also is the Township’s representative on the Bloomfield Historical Society board of directors.

Michael has been principal of Schostak Capital Advisors since 2014, working with small and medium-sized businesses around the country and across a wide span of industries in the areas of business strategy and corporate finance.

Previously, Michael was also Lecturer of Finance in the Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University, where he taught courses in financial analysis and corporate valuation.

Michael’s prior professional experience spans a wide variety of financial roles, including capital markets and mergers & acquisitions on Wall Street, corporate financial planning & analysis, and investor relations. Michael began his career at Booz Allen Hamilton consulting for the U.S. military and intelligence communities on matters of economic policy, financial analysis, resource planning, and capital budgeting.

Michael Schostak is a proud alumnus of both Hillel Day School and Cranbrook Schools. He earned his B.S. in Economics with concentrations in Finance, Management, and Real Estate from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and his M.B.A. at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Michael serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including Jewish Community Security Inc., the umbrella organization for the metro Detroit Jewish community’s physical security apparatus.

Most importantly, Michael is the proud father of two children.

Neal J. Barnett was appointed to the Board of Trustees in February 2004 to fill the vacancy created by the death of Jerry Tobias. He was elected to the position in November 2004 and reelected in 2008 and 2012.

Neal was a member and vice-chair of the Bloomfield Township Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and is currently a member of the Planning Commission and the Election Commission. He represents the Township on the Executive Committee of the Bloomfield Youth Guidance Board and serves as its Chair. He also represents the Township in joint activities with Bloomfield Hills Schools. He also serves on the Gilbert Lake Board. Neal has served as President of the Oakland Hills Country Club Subdivision Association Board since 2000 and was a member of that Board for eight years.

He grew up in Bloomfield Township and graduated from Groves High School. He has a law degree from Wayne State University Law School, a master's degree in clinical psychology from Oakland University and an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University. He is Managing Partner in the law firm of Sills, Charboneau & Barnett, P.C. Neal and his wife have three children; twin daughters and a son.

A Township resident since 1985, Valerie raised three sons here in beautiful Bloomfield Township. She decided to run as a Trustee because of a desire to help create a more transparent, and fiscally responsible government.

Valerie attended MSU and earned a degree in communication, majoring in advertising in 1981. She worked for local ad firms as a media buyer/planner in the Bloomfield Hills/Birmingham area. In the 1980s, in an economic recession, she volunteered her evenings to learn bookkeeping skills in order to cover for a loss in staffing. Most of her advertising years were spent working in a Bloomfield Hills agency, eventually serving as their operations manager. After having three children, she transitioned to become a media technician in Birmingham, and later, Bloomfield Hills School Districts. As a technology operational assistant, she attended regular educational seminars and learned the constantly changing IT world. In 20+ years in education, she provided tech support for the staff and students at the elementary level.

Val also served several terms on her subdivision board, starting in 1987, alongside fellow neighbor & former Supervisor, David Payne. Valerie held many positions, including chairing the subdivision road paving SAD project. Since 2010, along with her husband, she “owns” a mile of Township road, as part of the Adopt-a-Road program. In 2014 she became a volunteer foster for a rescue kitten. Currently with Michigan Animal Rescue League in Pontiac, she has an adorable foster litter in her home today, and has fostered 119 animals.

Chris was appointed to the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees in September 2023.  He also serves as a trustee on the Retired Employees Healthcare Benefits Trust Committee.  Prior to his appointment, Chris served as Chairman on Board of Review and was a member of the Financial Sustainability Committee.

Chris grew up in Oakland Township and attended Rochester Community Schools.  He graduated from Oakland University where he majored in Finance with a minor in Applied Technology in Business. 

After graduating from college, Chris worked for Ernst & Young where he specialized in data analytics and process improvement.  After approximately three years, Chris followed in his father’s footsteps and became a full-time Firefighter.  In 2018, Chris and his wife started a small property development company where they build single family homes.

Chris and his wife have resided in Bloomfield Township since 2013.  They have two children who currently attend Bloomfield Hills Public Schools.