The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Joshua F. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Interview with Frank Brock Jr.
On the night of May 4th, 1940, in a hospital located in South Bend Indiana, Frank Brock Jr. was born. And on Monday, June 7th, 2010 I was given the opportunity to interview him. I'm happy to say that I learned a lot about how my city government works in the process.
During my interview I learned that Mayor Brock grew up in Niles, Indiana and attended Michigan State University after graduating from high school. Though growing up he had an interest in politics and later on became involved with campaigning, he did not major in anything related to the subject. He told me that people would ask him why he took an interest in such a ‘dirty' field. Even then, it was his belief that the only reason it was considered a ‘dirty' field, was because not enough good people were taking action concerning it.
In reality, Frank Brock Jr., the mayor of Lathrup Village, worked and was trained in landscaping. But he soon found he didn't enjoy it. He and his wife decided that if he did end his career in landscaping, they would return to Michigan and begin living in the Lansing area, so that Mr. Brock could receive more schooling from his former university. When they returned to Michigan Mayor Brock's wife, a trained nurse, found a job at a Providence Hospital, he soon found a job there as well. Though he had no formal training in hospital administration, he took a job as Assistant Director of Personnel. He continued to take positions of leadership in Providence Hospitals, and worked his way up the ranks.
Mr. Brock has been the mayor for over fifteen years, during ten of which, he was still employed by Providence Hospitals. It is interesting to note that his role as mayor is an unpaid position, and not a full time job. Due to Lathrup's system of government, called a council-administrative form of government, the Mayor's main duties are as lead policy maker, and CEO of sorts. His job entails the signing and approving of important documents and decisions. Another part of the Mayor's job is assisting the City Administrator, who is appointed by the Mayor and the rest of the City Council, and oversees the day-to-day aspects of the city.
In his own opinion, the greatest reward that Mayor Brock receives in his role as mayor is "The satisfaction you get seeing your city grow and prosper." The greatest challenges have come recently in maintaining city services during Michigan's financial crisis. Throughout the interview, Mr. Brock expressed his desire to give something back to the community he's lived in for so long. This desire was what motivated him to seek leadership positions in Lathrup Village in the first place.
Mayor Brock measures his service to the community every mayoral election, when the city re-elects him, showing him how well a job he's done that term. He called Election Day every politicians "report card".
When asked what abilities he thought he needed for his role as mayor, Mr. Brock's answers were "Integrity" and "Strong Values". Later when asked what role his faith played in his profession, his reply was that the underpinning Christian values that make him who he is, play a very important and critical role.
Mayor Brock was very receptive to me, and seems to have quite an open personality. This personality is reflected in the openness of the Lathrup Village city government. He not only took the time for the interview itself, but took extra time to talk and learn a bit more about me as well. He is in his own terms a "Born Again Believer" and I'm quite pleased that he is the mayor of the city I live in.
