By: Charity Meier | Troy Times | Published September 2, 2025
TROY — After nearly 30 years as Troy’s community affairs director, Cindy Stewart has officially retired from the role.
Stewart graduated from Madonna University in Livonia and worked in other cities such as Dearborn and Novi before becoming Troy’s community affairs director in 1998.
“Here in Troy, it was a brand-new position. I was the first community affairs director,” Stewart said. “It was, you know, the PR and the marketing. That’s initially what the city manager — Jim Bacon, at the time — hired me to do.”
Since then, Stewart has worked under nearly a dozen different mayors and even more council members.
“The people I have met over 27 years — the department heads, the employees, City Council (members) and the mayors — I think Troy has the best team of people,” Stewart said, adding she lives in the city herself.
“There’s been people who have asked me, ‘Well, are you going to move?’ Absolutely not — I love the city of Troy,” she said. “I know the mayor says he’s Troy’s biggest cheerleader. Well, I was here first, so I think I’m the biggest cheerleader.”
Stewart started the quarterly magazine, “Troy Today,” for which she has just finished her 109th issue. She was also instrumental in starting Troy’s Farmers Market and the Troy Summer Sensation concert series, as well as helping to grow the city’s Holiday Tree Lighting event.
“They used to light the city tree, (and) it was a bunch of lights coming off of a pole in the lawn close to Big Beaver,” Stewart recalled. “I talked to a landscape company that is no longer there on Rochester Road, and I asked him if he would donate a Christmas tree. So, the Christmas tree that we light up now, I’m proud to say that I got that donated. It was like a 20-foot-tall tree, and now it’s really grown.”
Stewart also continues to be active with local nonprofits, including roles with the Boys and Girls Club Board, Troy Youth Assistance, Troy People Concerned, the Troy Historical Society and the Troy Community Coalition, among others.
“I’ve been a huge volunteer my whole career in Troy,” Stewart said. “We have the best nonprofit organizations that do so much for this community.”
With her retirement, Stewart still plans to volunteer in the community, although she is also interested in spending more time with her family, writing a book and traveling more.
“I have two sons and they’re both married, I have two great daughters-in-law, I have four grandchildren and my oldest grandson, who’s in the Air Force, he and his wife have given me my great-granddaughter,” Stewart said. “I want to be able to travel more. I love to paddle-board; I’m heading to France in September for a yoga retreat. … So, I’ll continue to do yoga, I’ll continue to travel and spend time with my family.”
She was honored during the City Council meeting Aug. 25 with a service commendation.
“Everybody in Troy pretty much knows who Cindy Stewart is, and you are making it hard for a lot of us (by leaving), but we’re so happy that you’re taking this important step in your life,” said Mayor Ethan Baker. “I know your family’s supportive of it and excited to have a little more of you.”