About Sharlan Douglas
- 20-year resident of Royal Oak
- Owner of Douglas Communications Group, a Royal Oak public relations and social marketing firm
- Lives with husband in a 1918 Arts & Crafts home, joined by his mom and a rescue dog
Community Involvement
- Royal Oak Planning Commission for nine years
- Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce
- Secretary-treasurer of the Michigan Association of Planning
- Stagecrafters – Past board member and officer
- Royal Oak Public Library strategic planning committee
- Royal Oak Economic Development Corporation
- Steering committee, Fifth and Lafayette parking structure
- Facilitator for community visioning processes in cities of Eastpointe and Royal Oak
- Strategic planning leader for several nonprofits
- Community and Economic Development Advisory Council of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
- Panelist, Building Livable Communities Through Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation, Detroit, 1997
- Speaker and panel moderator, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
- Wingspread Conference on intergovernmental cooperation, 1994
Employment
- Founding executive director of the Eight Mile Boulevard Association
- President (CEO), Dearborn Chamber of Commerce
- Vice president, Metropolitan Center for High Technology, Michigan’s first business incubator
- Account supervisor at PR Associates, a leading public relations consulting firm
Education
- BA, Journalism, Michigan State University
- Graduate studies in urban planning, Wayne State University
Position Paper
Royal Oak has momentum! Housing prices are rebounding. People from all over southeast Michigan choose our downtown for dining and entertainment. The successful fall millage assured solid police, fire and EMS.
I think Royal Oak is going in the right direction and I want to keep us on that path. We must focus on our top priorities: Keep our neighborhoods safe, grow housing values and manage the city’s limited resources effectively, efficiently and transparently.
Keep our residents and neighborhoods safe
Find out what's happening in Royal Oakwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
How important is public safety? Well, 67 percent of Royal Oak voters approved last fall’s public safety millage. I donated my time as the communications director for the campaign. Royal Oak firefighters acknowledged my contribution, saying the millage will “…keep Royal Oak a stable community with quiet neighborhoods and solid property values, and will keep the citizens and patrons of our city safe to enjoy the beauty of their everyday lives.”
As a city commissioner, I will make sure we fulfill our obligation to provide the best public safety for everyone
Find out what's happening in Royal Oakwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Grow our home values
If you own a home, you may not be selling it today, but you still care about what it’s worth. We need to do whatever we can to help housing prices recover and grow. Our downtown brings young people to the city for dining and entertainment. They want to live in a city that is fair-minded and inclusive. Those young singles and families are perfect customers for our smaller homes. I support sensible growth downtown matched with strong support for our vibrant neighborhoods.
Manage the city’s resources effectively, efficiently and openly
You shouldn’t have to worry about how the city pays its bills. You should have access to information that helps you make decisions and you should have opportunities to share your ideas and opinions, if you choose. Commission members should focus on common objectives and work together collegially and civilly. I’ve served as the CEO of organizations of governments and businesses, building consensus and developing and sticking to budgets.
Website:Sharlandouglas.com
Email: sharlan@sharlandouglas.com
Phone: 248-548-5459
Facebook: facebook.com/SharlanDouglasForRoyalOak
