COVER PHOTO: Gregg Guetschow

The Wayland City Council wasted no time Monday night in beginning the process of finding a successor to outgoing City Manager Josh Eggleston.

The council accepted Eggleston’s resignation and decided to conduct interviews of Gregg Guetschow of Charlotte, a veteran of more than 40 years in local government management in Michigan for interim city manager. He has served in three cities and a village and is chief executive officer of Gregg Guidance, LLC. He has served as interim manager in four Michigan communities and has assisted several others. 

Guetschow also has held positions on nonprofit boards of directors for organizations involved in business development, professional education and health care.

Guetschow is a past chairman of Charlotte Area Networking for Development and Opportunity and currently serves as its secretary.

Gregg earned a bachelor of arts, cum laude, in political science and sociology, a master of public administration and a Ph.D. in public affairs and administration, all from Western Michigan University.

He was an adjunct instructor at Baker College of Owosso from 2007 to 2011 teaching the class “American Political System.”

Guetschow spent 12 years as city manager at Charlotte.

Eggleston said he probably will remain as Wayland City Manager through July before he takes on the position of superintendent of the Township of Zeeland. The old saw that “he resigned to spend more time with his family” actually is true because he, his wife and children live in Zeeland Township.

 He told the council, “I’m here to help the transition as much as I can.”

He added that he jumped at the chance to serve in the community where he lives, saying, “It was a move “ couldn’t say no to.”

The council also voted to use the Michigan Municipal League as a consultant in its search for a new city manager.

In other business at Monday night’s meeting, the council:

• •Agreed to a resolution for a 20-year contract for the paving project for Church, Park, Mille and Cherry streets on the north end of the city.
• •Agreed to continue the three-year contract shared with the Wauland Union Schools for service reserve officer John Shafer.