The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Finding her niche
Courtney Nicholls feeling right at home in Dexter
By Dave Gorgon, Heritage Newspapers
PUBLISHED: February 7, 2008
Courtney Nicholls' co-workers at Allen Park City Hall knew she would go on to bigger and better things.
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Nicholls, who grew up in Allen Park and worked in the city clerk's office until last fall, seems to have found her niche as assistant village manager in Dexter.
In her new role, Nicholls serves as the assistant to seven-year Village Manager Donna Dettling, who was seeking a key employee to take over a variety of duties in the village's small government offices.
In fact, because there are significantly fewer employees in Dexter (population 3,500) than Allen Park (27,580), Nicholls is charged with a number of jobs that are done by several different departments in her former hometown.
She is reorganizing personnel files, preparing for contract negotiations, getting the village ready for the 2010 Census, preparing bills for payment and tracking expenses. She still does "city clerk" work as well, including preparing the Village Council agenda packet and preparing and publishing a synopsis of meeting minutes.
"Things have been going really well for me here," Nicholls said. "I have a great boss who lets me get involved in whatever I want. She is really good about including me in all her meetings, so I can find out about all of her current projects. We have many exciting projects going on."
Nicholls is right in the thick of working through the process that could one day make Dexter a city, the bridge replacement on Main Street and the removal of the Mill Pond dam. She will be involved in the village disaster preparedness operations and will be involved this summer in Dexter's Farmers Market.
Nicholls, 26, is no stranger to large events. In Allen Park, she was deputy clerk in charge of elections and she worked with commissioners to coordinate the Allen Park Street Art Fair.
Nicholls, who lives in Taylor, worked in Allen Park government for 11 years. She started in 1996 at the library, moved to the Police Department records bureau in 2001 and the clerk's office the next year. She earned a bachelor's degree in public affairs from Wayne State University in 2002, followed by a master's degree in public administration in 2005. She set her sights on the next step in her career.
"I grew up in Allen Park, and worked there since I was 15, but it was a good time to take off the training wheels and get out there," Nicholls said.
Her last day in Allen Park was Sept. 7. Three days later, she started in Dexter.
At the time, then Mayor Richard Huebler called Nicholls "an efficient, dedicated employee" and said the city would miss her "innovative thinking." Her boss, then-Allen Park City Clerk John Weise, predicted she would succeed.
"She's an exceptional woman," Weise said. "She's talented. She had untapped talents. She had been confined to the clerk's office job descriptions for many years as she was there. She had the potential for doing more."
Weise chose not to run for re-election in the November election. He was succeeded by Michael Mizzi. Huebler was defeated by Councilman Gary Burtka.
Nicholls' new boss, Dettling, gave her rave reviews.
"I'm very, very happy with Courtney," Dettling said. "It's been a great experience for me. She's challenged me to become a better manager. I appreciate that. I've become a better delegator because I trust her so much. She knows what to do and keeps me in the loop. It's so refreshing."
Dettling said Nicholls arrived in Dexter with much knowledge, experience and ambition.
"The thing that attracted me to Courtney was what she brought to the table," Dettling said. "She had so many of these skills that were tried and true. She was doing it every day in Allen Park and we needed them here. It was a natural fit for her to come in and be successful right away."
Dettling said "cross training" Nicholls on so many matters in village government has made her a valuable asset.
"If something happened to me, she knows what to do on a routine nature," Dettling said. "Everyone needs that cross training and that safety net. I've been here seven years and we've got stability. If I decided to move on, the stability would be there and you're not starting over."
Dettling hopes Nicholls stays for awhile.
"Although Courtney doesn't say it very often, I think she enjoys being here," she said. "I think it's been a very positive experience for her and I know it's been a very positive experience for me."
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