Courtesy of Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG)
Michael Schostak, Treasurer, Bloomfield Township, and Sheila Tomkowiak, Mayor, City of Grosse Pointe, have been named Taubman Fellows. As Fellows, each will attend the prestigious program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University this summer.
Administered through SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, the Taubman Fellowship for Executive Excellence provides local public officials with demonstrated leadership an opportunity to broaden their awareness of effective approaches to public-sector problems.
“For more than 30 years, Taubman has supported SEMCOG’s Taubman Fellows program and its mission to provide Southeast Michigan leaders with access to the very best practices and people from around the world,” said Robert S. Taubman, Chairman and CEO of Taubman. “With the knowledge gained from this substantial program, our representatives become even more well equipped to serve our region, our State, and its people.”
“Taubman has faithfully supported regional leadership by sending dozens of worthy local leaders to attend the Kennedy Program at Harvard," said Amy O’Leary, Executive Director of SEMCOG. "Taubman scholars gain invaluable lessons and relationships, which they bring home to the benefit of Southeast Michigan. We are truly grateful for the company’s commitment to regional excellence.”
Michael Schostak served seven years on Bloomfield Township's Board of Trustees before becoming Treasurer in 2023, the office he was re-elected to in 2024.
"I am honored to be selected as a Taubman Fellow by SEMCOG and to have the opportunity to engage with world-class faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government," Schostak said. "Even more exciting is the chance to collaborate with a diverse and inspiring cohort of leaders in local government from around the world, as we work to find innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing our communities. Building these relationships will not only broaden my perspective but also strengthen my ability to serve Bloomfield Township more effectively. I am truly grateful for this experience and the opportunity to contribute to a stronger future for our region," said Schostak.
Additional leadership experiences include:
- Member of General Assembly for SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
- Bloomfield Township Design Review Board
- Bloomfield Township Financial Sustainability Committee
- Township’s representative on the Bloomfield Historical Society Board of Directors
- Principal of Schostak Capital Advisors since 2014, working with small and medium-sized businesses around the country and across a wide range of industries in the areas of business strategy and corporate finance
- Previously, Lecturer of Finance in the Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University, where he taught courses in corporate valuation and financial modeling and analysis
- Boards of several non-profit organizations, including Jewish Community Security Inc., the metro Detroit Jewish community’s physical security apparatus
Sheila Tomkowiak was first elected to Grosse Pointe City Council in 2017 and Mayor in 2019.
"I am honored to have been selected and am grateful to the Taubman Company for investing in and supporting local elected leaders," said Tomkowiak. "I am eager to broaden my perspectives and enhance my knowledge and abilities to better serve my community and the wider region," Tomkowiak said.
Additional leadership experiences include:
- Co-Chairperson of Healthy Climate Task Force for Southeast Michigan
- Member of Executive Committee for SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
- Member of General Assembly for SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
- Member of Water Infrastructure Task Force for Southeast Michigan
- Adjunct Instructor of Journalism at Wayne State University
- Principal / Creative Director of Grayton Integrated Publishing
Previously Design Director for TPC- The Publications Company