MML Review Magazine Winter 2026

This year, he also began handing out cards downtown, thanking people for visiting parks or supporting local businesses. The cards are “something quick and easy you can do. [The recipients] might not even be voters, but it's not about that. It's about those little shows of gratitude.” Atwood’s perspective on his hometown has expanded dramatically. He has developed a profound appreciation for volunteers: “They're like the backbone of the community.” He credits business and building owners for their care of the building stock. New leadership at the Downtown Development Authority, including Director James Alt, who started the same year Atwood was elected, helped steer Lapeer into Michigan’s Main Street program. What about downtown, which Atwood was told a decade ago was an economic no-go zone? Today, downtown Lapeer has around 80–90 percent occupancy. The shift coincided with a wave of new businesses, including Detroit Burger Bar and Woodchips BBQ, as well as its iconic blue LAPEER sign. In 2023, with three new commissioners joining city council, Atwood was appointed mayor pro tem. He carefully prepared for the meetings he chaired, writing down the names of participants so as not to stumble over who motioned this or seconded that. He found it to be good practice for broader leadership roles, including chairing meetings as League president.

Atwood maintains that he is not a political person. “I didn't go into it with an agenda, and I still don't have an agenda... It doesn't mean I don't have goals or ambitions. I just make commonsense decisions.” As Board president, he hopes to attract more leaders to League events, as he believes that solutions to Michigan’s issues must come from the local level. “Michigan's been in a decline for years, which tells me it doesn't matter who's sitting in the governor's seat or who controls the House or the Senate,” he says. “It's putting more weight on local government.” If Lapeer today feels more alive, more walkable, more welcoming, Atwood sees it as the product of countless hands: volunteers, businesses, landlords, city staff—not to mention the teens and families who are now hanging out there. He views his role simply to help connect the pieces, build relationships, show gratitude, and remain open and accessible. “It’s that little stuff, I think, that makes a huge impact.”

Emily Pinsuwan is a content writer for the League. You may contact Emily at 734-669-6320 or epinsuwan@mml.org.

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