Midland appoints first female mayor

MIDLAND (WJRT) -- (11/10/09)--Saginaw City Council elected a new mayor Monday night.

Greg Branch is the city's new leader. And it was an historic night in Midland, as the City Council there also chose a new mayor.

The first act of the new city council in Midland was to appoint a mayor, and that first act, was a first. Maureen Donker was nominated for the position of mayor, the first female mayor of Midland.

"I didn't know I was the first female mayor of Midland until Jon Lynch, the city manager, told me about that, you know?" she said. "I guess I'm very honored. I mean, I'm very excited about it."

The lone dissenting vote was from Bruce Johnson, the mayor for the past four years.

When we reached him by phone, he said he was a little surprised that his tenure as mayor ended so abruptly. Donker had a feeling she would be nominated.

"Everyone on the council has the opportunity, and I guess they just saw me as a good choice, and I'm grateful for that," she said.

Donker is the executive director of the Reece Community Living Endeavor, a nonprofit agency that provides affordable housing for individuals with disabilities.

Her husband is former Midland County Prosecutor Norm Donker, who now works for the state's attorney general's office.

"I have a collaborative leadership style," she said. "I think I'm more inclusive than exclusive."

While Michigan is going through a tough economic period, Donker believes Midland is showing signs of recovery.

"I think we are a bright spot in the state," she said.

Companies like Dow Chemical and Dow Corning are both building new facilities in the Midland area.

This is Donker's second term on the City Council.

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