By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star

CASSOPOLIS — It’s been a busy first two weeks for new Cassopolis Village Manager Meg Mullendore-Cluckey.

Besides the usual tasks of meeting village employees, talking with council members and introducing herself to local business owners, Mullendore-Cluckey, the first female manager in the village’s history, also has been working on finalizing the budget and preparing to negotiate the police contract.
But the whirlwind of adjusting to the new job isn’t phasing Mullendore-Cluckey, who worked as the Buchanan city manager for five years before resigning last summer.
Her previous experience as a city manager has helped her make a quick transition, she said.
“Really this first 90 days, it’s not like a typical new manager coming in who doesn’t know their way around, because I came in with experience and I kind of came in hitting the ground running,” she said, adding that she was already familiar with Cassopolis since it is so close to Buchanan.
Mullendore-Cluckey will set up a work session with the village council in the near future to discuss more long-term goals.
“I am really at their beck and call and need them to tell me what they want to see as a priority,” she said.
The council has been discussing the idea of transitioning from a village to a city for years, which is something that Mullendore-Cluckey says could have some advantages.
“There are more opportunities for grants as a city, because you have a different standing with the state,” she said.
One of Mullendore-Cluckey’s “personal priorities” is downtown development. As manager in Buchanan, she helped revitalize the downtown. It went from 50 percent vacant to 10 percent vacant during her tenure.
“It’s something I want to happen here,” she said. “You have two highways that go through — a great opportunity to capitalize on traffic. It’s about getting a buzz going and getting people to want to get on a train of momentum.”
She said developing positive relationships with local business owners and with members of the Chamber of Commerce will help her get a vision for the future of the downtown.
Mullendore-Cluckey also said she would look into “different mechanisms that may be available where you can actually financially assist people to improve buildings or to offer low interest loan programs through banks so they can acquire property and merchandise.”
The community could also capitalize more on the community’s “great architecture” and rich history, Mullendore-Cluckey said.
Mullendore-Cluckey said part of what drew her to Cassopolis was its small town vibe.
“I love small communities. I think you have a much greater impact,” she said. “As it stands now, I can drive through town and have people waving at me, and I have no clue who they are. They already know my vehicle.”
Mullendore-Cluckey resigned from her position in Buchanan in July 2010 because she wanted to prepare for an upcoming marriage and possible career change.
“I really was planning on going to law school,” she said. “It was some soul searching. It made me re-evaluate that I have a love for local government and public service.”
Mullendore-Cluckey said she’s “excited” to be in Cassopolis and despite budgetary constraints and the threat of revenue from the state being reduced, she feels the village is ready to move forward.
“I think this community has a ton of potential just waiting to be realized,” she said. “I think the community itself needs to buy into that and recognize Cassopolis is the county seat and has a lot to offer. It’s just a matter of embracing that.”