Michigan Municipal League Convention 2023 Program

2023 Award Winners

Honorary Life Member Award Honorary Life Membership, first awarded in 1932, is the League’s highest honor, reserved for the most active and inspiring leaders dedicated to the League and its mission.

Recipient: Rosalynn Bliss

Rosalynn Bliss became the City of Grand Rapids’ first female mayor when she took office on January 1, 2016. She previously served as a Second Ward City Commissioner for 10 years. Mayor Bliss also is serving as the Frederik Meijer Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Grand Valley’s Frederik Meijer Honors College, where she teaches a junior

seminar. She earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and criminal justice from the University of South Alabama and a master’s in social work from Michigan State University. Mayor Bliss served as President of the Michigan Municipal League from 2016 to 2017 and currently serves on the boards of the Downtown Development Authority, Experience Grand Rapids, Convention Arena Authority, Grand Rapids Promise Zone Authority, Housing Kent, National League of Cities Council on Youth, Education, and Families, Urban Core Mayors, City Business Collaborative, The Economic Club of Grand Rapids, and the Interurban Transit Partnership. Mayor Bliss has been recognized and honored locally as well as statewide for her commitment, dedication, and work in the field of child abuse and neglect and for her leadership in the community. As mayor, she has been committed to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, working to create a cleaner, healthier, and safer community, and addressing disparities in Grand Rapids.

What does the Honorary Life Member Award mean to you? “Receiving this award is truly an honor and it means a lot to me. It is particularly touching because it is being given by the Michigan Municipal League, an organization comprised of individuals who have a heart for public service and who appreciate the dedication and sacrifice it takes to serve. I am deeply grateful for and honored by this incredible recognition.”

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