My parents never paid attention to local government politics or land use,” said McGillicuddy. The irony is that according to McGillicuddy, her past didn’t prepare her for Supervisor position today. Prior to being appointed a member of the Township Board, McGillicuddy was Meridian’s Planning Commissioner and a member of Meridian’s Zoning Board of Appeals. “I was into land use and urban planning.” “I entered politics back in 1992,” said McGillicuddy. Township Supervisor Susan McGillicuddy credits her passion for politics on the environment. “I don’t know how this happened, but I will say it has something to do with the fact that women have an equal interest in politics as men.”
Helmbrecht doesn’t understand how this phenomenon occurred, but feels it was necessary because women needed a voice in politics too. The township’s Supervisor, Clerk and two of its Trustees are women.
The Meridian Township Board, which makes all the policy and legislative decisions for the municipality, is 4-3 majority female. Given the people who run the township today, it is hard to imagine men dominated Meridian Township politics. “I’ve been here 40 years, and for most of those years, the township board was 100 percent male until Virginia White broke the glass ceiling in 1974.” There was only a gas station on Grand River,” said Helmbrecht. “When I first came, there was nothing here. This was the place Mary Helmbrecht, the township’s Clerk, remembered. There were no malls or major businesses and definitely no female politicians. Meridian Township has changed a lot in 30 years.
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