EAST LANSING, Mich. — Following five years of dedicated service to the City of East Lansing, East Lansing City Clerk Jennifer Shuster is moving on to a new job opportunity with the Michigan Senate. Shuster’s last day will be Friday, Feb. 10.
Marie Wicks will be appointed as the Interim City Clerk by Acting City Manager Kim Johnson upon Shuster’s departure date. Wicks served as the East Lansing City Clerk prior to Shuster and served for 12 years at the City of East Lansing prior to her departure in 2018 for a new job opportunity.
“Marie is the perfect person to serve as the Interim City Clerk,” Shuster said. “Her years of knowledge at the City and her sustained commitment to work in elections for this jurisdiction will allow her to continue the work we have started. She also has familiarity of the other services provided by the Clerk’s Office. I am confident with this succession plan as I advance in my career.”
Shuster has been a dedicated City of East Lansing employee, overseeing the award-winning City Clerk’s Office. In this important role, she has administered nine successful elections, implemented the City’s first-ever satellite Clerk’s offices, expanded voter accessibility throughout the community and worked closely with Michigan State University to engage and educate student voters. Additionally, she implemented an online Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) portal and published a monthly FOIA request log on the City’s website.
“Jennifer has been an integral part of the organization for the past five years and we want to thank her for the important work that she has done to ensure the success of East Lansing’s elections, while also working tirelessly to expand voter accessibility throughout the East Lansing-MSU community. We wish her all the best in her new job,” said Johnson. “We also appreciate former East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks for her willingness to come back and serve on an interim basis. We have the utmost confidence in her abilities to serve in this leadership position in the East Lansing City Clerk’s Office.”
Since Wicks’ departure in 2018, she has remained involved with the City of East Lansing as a precinct chairperson for elections and also as a temporary employee in the Clerk’s Office to assist with satellite office operations during elections. Additionally, Wicks has worked for the Michigan Bureau of Elections.
“I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to be part of Clerk Shuster’s top-notch team for the past six elections. I am honored to step in at this key transitional time to support my colleague and friend in this new chapter of her career, and to continue to move the office forward as seamlessly as possible,” said Wicks. “She leaves behind a truly amazing legacy of innovation and excellence in elections administration.”
After 18 years of service with the City of East Lansing and five years in her current role, East Lansing Deputy City Clerk Kathryn Gardner will also be moving on to pursue a new job opportunity. She has taken a job with Michigan State University.