TRAVERSE CITY — Heidi Scheppe was happy to see another unanimous decision to make her Traverse City’s next city treasurer and finance director, this one from city commissioners.
Scheppe, the current Grand Traverse County Treasurer already had the nod from a four-person interview team, plus incoming city Manager Elizabeth Vogel, said city Clerk Benjamin Marentette.
He was part of that interview team, and he told city commissioners that Scheppe’s future department reacted with joy to hear of her impending hire.
“We know that she can step in on Day One and fill the role,” Marentette said.
Scheppe, having served as county treasurer since 2012, has experience in every area the city treasurer’s position touches, Marentette said — she’ll be reacquainting herself with payroll and accounts payable, but has experience in this from her time with the county’s finance department.
Scheppe said that’s one of the major differences between what she does now for Grand Traverse County and her upcoming role with the city, since the county has a separate finance director whereas the city combined the positions.
She’ll start on Jan. 15, becoming the fourth person to fill the role in nearly as many years.
Bill Twietmeyer retired from the position after a long stint in mid-2020, after which then-city Manager Marty Colburn hired Kelli Martin.
He fired her a little over a year later, then appointed James Henderson, who left at the end of 2022.
Since then, Jahna Robinson served as interim treasurer and finance director, with Twietmeyer helping out here and there.
Mayor Amy Shamroe thanked everyone in the department for the work they put in over the past few years. She also pointed out that Nate Geinzer, the outgoing interim city manager, made sure to involve Vogel in the hiring process.
“This is part of a seamless transition that Nate and Liz were able to work on as well,” she said.
Scheppe called Twietmeyer a mentor, and said she’s looking forward to “getting in and rolling up my sleeves.”
She’ll start out with an $130,691.50 annual salary, versus $100,475 as county treasurer, according to county and city figures.
State law puts it up to county Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg, county Probate Judge Jennifer Whitten and county Clerk Bonnie Scheele to fill the vacancy that Scheppe will leave.