Barry County Commissioners ended their meeting this week with a Resolution to honor Michael C. Brown, Barry County Administrator, upon his retirement after 30 years of service to the county. He steps down as of the end of August.

Brown was hired in January of 1995, as the first County Administrator for Barry County at a time when the county was facing budget challenges. The resolution acknowledges that Brown “applied conservative and sound budgeting principles to developing the county budget throughout his tenure as County Administrator, earning the county a Double-A bond rating from Standard and Poor’s for many consecutive years.”

Brown worked for over 40 county commissioners providing information, guidance and support, and was always ready to listen and offer wise counsel to commissioners, elected officials, department heads, staff and the public. He shared and improved his leadership skills by serving in various positions on the Michigan Association of County Administrative Officers board, including President; serving on the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System Board for over 16 years, including serving as Board Chair for over 11 years, and serving on the Barry County United Way Board and Executive Committee for 13 years, including serving in the positions of Vice President and President, and serving on the Finance and Audit Committee for 10 years.

The Commission has hired Eric Zuzga as the new County Administrator, succeeding Brown. Zuzga is a resident of Barry County and has been serving as Director of Community Services for the City of Marshall.