Key Sterling city officials get new management roles

STERLING HEIGHTS — After 28 years in the Sterling Heights Police Department, Dale Dwojakowski is making a new career transition: from top cop to assistant city manager. 

At a Dec. 3 meeting, the Sterling Heights City Council voted unanimously to appoint Dwojakowski as the city’s first-ever second assistant city manager.

As a result, Dwojakowski officially entered that new role Dec. 9, thereby departing from his seven-year stint as Sterling Heights’ police chief. 

As part of Dwojakowski’s new job, he will “provide administrative leadership” over the city’s Police Department, Fire Department, and Department of Public Works, according to City Manager Mark Vanderpool. 

During the meeting, Vanderpool said the Michigan Municipal League helped facilitate a nationwide recruitment search for the position. But in the end, he said, “the internal candidate rose to the top.” 

Vanderpool credited Dwojakowski for keeping crime low; getting the Police Department through a successful accreditation process; helping form the city’s Visioning 2030 and Visioning 2040 plans; and much more. 

When City Council members spoke before the vote, Mayor Michael Taylor told Dwojakowski that “I think that you’re going to excel in this new role.” 

When it was Dwojakowski’s turn to speak, he said there is still more that the city can do to improve and implement best practices. And he remarked how he’ll need to start learning the intricacies of sewers, fire engines, rescue rigs and more. 

“There’s a lot to be learned,” Dwojakowski said. “I’m so excited.”

According to Sterling Heights Community Relations Director Melanie Davis, the new assistant city manager position has a salary range between $176,000 and $187,000.

Davis also explained that the other current assistant city manager, Jeff Bahorski, plans to vacate that position in January 2025. Davis said the recruiting process for his replacement is ongoing.

Davis also said, as a result of Dwojakowski’s job switch, the Sterling Heights Police Department’s interim police chief is now Kenneth Pappas, and Lt. Dave Allen has been named as acting deputy chief. A recruiting process is also underway for the police chief position, Davis said. 

In addition, at the same Dec. 3 meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to give Human Resources and Benefits Manager Kate Baldwin a promotion to human resources director, effective Dec. 9. 

Baldwin had been the HR and benefits manager since 2017. Vanderpool credited her for, among other things, a successful recruiting process for the police and fire departments, as well as her work on a strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusion. 

According to Davis, Bahorski previously oversaw human resources as part of his job. 

“But as part of the recent personnel changes, the HR Director role has been removed as a piece of the ACM position and has become an independent position,” Davis said via an email.

During the meeting, Taylor said he could see Baldwin “taking the department to even greater heights.” When Baldwin spoke, she gave credit to the HR team and thanked the council for supporting HR’s initiatives. 

“Truly, thank you for believing in HR and the value that we bring to the organization,” she said.

Davis said the human resources director role has a salary of $160,000.

Learn more about Sterling Heights by visiting sterlingheights.gov or by calling (586) 446-2489.