Clay Pearson:
The Marathon Man

Interim City Manager Clay Pearson is affable, hard working and diligent. In fact in his spare time he trains for and competes in Marathons.

Running 26.2 miles is no easy feat. Neither is overseeing the City Manager position in Novi. The word ‘interim’ basically means “An interval of time between one process, event or period, an another.”

But Clay Pearson approaches his mission with anything but a temporary demeanor. In fact he describes his post as one that is helping to ‘re-design the ship while at sail.”

He arrived in Michigan in 2000 by way of Elgin, Illinois, where he’d started as a City Manager of Developmental Services and had also garnered 9 ½ years of Asst. City Manager experience.

A graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, he graduated with a BA in Economics. He then headed to the University of Kansas where he completed his graduate work, and earned a Masters degree in public administration, which is essentially an MBA for the public sector.

He considers himself unique in that, while he’s observed people that have vacated in Michigan for other opportunities, he came to Michigan specifically for the opportunity he was offered.

Coming from a cosmopolitan region like the Chicagoland area, he noticed immediately the opulence, high standard of living, and aesthetic quality of Oakland County and most notably, cities like Novi.

“I love living in Novi,” Pearson stated, “we’ve got great proximity to events, shopping, restaurants and the city has a real eclectic flavor”

To help keep it that way, Clay Pearson has spent the last six years devoting his time and energy in what he describes as an ‘exciting, frantic pace’ and he does a great job bullet-point exactly what he feels will keep the city burgeoning.

- Economic Development- Business retention, attraction and developing great relationships with the business community is important. The addition of Catholic Central High School in addition to the Rock Financial Showplace and of course Twelve Oaks Mall (A Taubman Property) are things to behold in Novi.

- Capital Improvements- Between roads, construction, utilities and maintenance, the City of Novi is always striving to provide the best. There has in fact, been a lot of roadwork in the past 5 years, thanks to the November 2000 bond issue. Improvements on Novi Rd, and of course the intersections at Novi/10 Mile and Novi/Grand River are just a couple of examples. The new onramp/offramp at 96/Beck rd is also a great addition.

- Growth Management- While the development in Novi has been sensational, the City is still only 2/3 built-out. Having said that, it’s important that all growth and new projects maintain and protect the beauty of Novi’s wetlands and woodlands. In addition, ‘Novi is a very safe community that offers clean, safe neighborhoods, great schools and is nestled in a great location,” Pearson reminded. We want to keep it that way.

But Clay Pearson would be the first to tell you, this endeavor is a marathon, not a sprint.

To that end, Clay Pearson offers experience and expertise in both areas. And along the way although he admits that such frenetic growth engenders a ‘pardon our dust while we grow’ environment, he acknowledges perhaps the most important posture while the quest is in progress.

“Our citizens are like our customers,” he noted, and “we promise a lot of hand holding and personal attention.”