By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published December 15, 2025
CLAWSON — Clawson held a special City Council meeting Dec. 8 to interview applicants for the vacant spot on the City Council previously held by now-Mayor Susan Moffitt, and when the time came for a decision, the council unanimously chose Alec Speshock.
The candidates up for consideration also included Scott Manning and Glenn Shepard. William Renshaw was supposed to be interviewed but did not show up to the Dec. 8 special meeting. All four candidates ran in the City Council election in November but were not elected.
Speshock has been a resident of Clawson for four years and has been working with the city for two years, according to his application.
Speshock has a background in accounting and banking, along with management and nonprofit work, according to his application. He is also an active board member with the Downtown Development Authority, the executive director of the Clawson Chamber of Commerce, a Clawson Lions Club board member and a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Speshock was asked how he would deal with decision-making when public opinion is divided on a controversial issue.
“I would want to make sure that I hear all sides. Obviously, I think public forums are important. So, any way that we can add to allow people to speak what they believe in is important for us to hear so we can make those tough decisions,” he said. “I know we are not always going to please everybody. I have witnessed it myself … but I think being as fair as possible is important in making sure that we listen to the public.”
Speshock was asked how he would maintain ethical conduct in his role if he were selected to serve on the council.
“Ethics are very important. Taking a step back and understanding, if I was chosen for the seat, that I am placing myself above, I am not somebody who is set aside, I am held to a higher standard than everybody else,” he said. “So, making sure to continue to hold myself to this higher standard across the board and understanding those guidelines.”
Speshock also said in the interview that to prepare for council meetings he would focus on researching the information scheduled for discussion.
“I would try to have conversations and try to provide myself with an open opportunity for anybody to reach out and learn their point of view,” he said.
Closing out his interview, Speshock said that he would hope to accomplish a few specific goals throughout his term.
“I really want to work within the city and find ways that we can improve our tax burden, find ways that we can improve the city as well,” he said. “Obviously, throughout the campaign a lot of people will always look for grants, but really I want to take a deeper dive and see ways that we can work with the communities around us, and within our own, and find those to continue to help us improve our city.”
Manning is a three-year Clawson resident who serves on the Clawson Fourth of July committee. Manning also served on a school board in the past.
Manning serves as the senior pastor of Clawson United Methodist Church and Rochester Hills St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, according to his application.
Manning was asked to name the top three issues currently facing the city.
“Trust, infrastructure and strategic planning, which deals with the first two. When we have water mains breaking and challenges with our infrastructure and how to deal with our roads, those pieces that Clawson, unfortunately like other governmental units, has deferred maintenance, that’s a huge challenge for us and the trust factor between the council and administration and within the community,” he said.
Manning addressed how he would make decisions when the public is divided on controversial issues.
“When there is a division in the community, you have to go back to what are the overarching goals of the community, what are the needs of the community all together,” he said. “Sometimes as an elected official, you’re going to go with the voices of people that come forward. Other times you have to look at what’s the state’s law, what’s the charter, and what is the long term need of the city.”
Glenn Shepard served on the City Council for four years and was not reelected in November.
Shepard has also served 12 years on the Planning Commission, two as the chairman, and was a former member of the Kenwood Elementary PTO.
Shepard was asked how he would approach decision-making when the public opinion is divided.
“First and foremost you have to develop your own opinion, and you have to develop your own opinion based on data and facts. As long as you have that, then you can speak to what your opinion is,” he said. “And certainly a lot of times it may be controversial just because people feel that that’s not the course of actions. But again, you have to have the long-term objective on what’s best for the community.”
In regard to Renshaw not attending the meeting, the council decided to move forward without his interview, and Moffitt made the motion to remove his application from the list of candidates.
The council decided that it was prepared to make the decision at the Dec. 8 meeting. Speshock was sworn in following the vote, and his first meeting will be the next scheduled City Council meeting on Dec. 16. His term will last until November of 2027.
For more information on the city of Clawson, visit cityofclawson.com.