Get to know Franklin’s new village clerk

By: Mary Genson | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published October 14, 2025

FRANKLIN — The village of Franklin has a new village clerk, Evan Milan. His first day as the village clerk was on Sept. 22.

Prior to this role, he was the deputy clerk in the city of Northville. He said this is the kind of work he has always aimed to do. In college, he studied history and political science. He said he appreciates that Franklin is a village with a lot of history.

When asked about his goals within his new role, he said, “first and foremost, just getting to know what the needs of the community are and doing everything in my power to put the community onto the path that they want to continue down. … (I am) letting the community lead me, and then I will see what I can do to make sure those goals are achieved.”

Village President David Goldberg said Milan was selected for his extensive content knowledge and experience, and for his general demeanor during the interview, which showed that he would mesh well with the community within this role.

Just a few weeks into the job, Goldberg shared that Milan was “picking up on everything way faster than we ever imagined.” In fact, the village had been planning on paying the acting clerk to stay on for a week to transition Milan into the role, but after the end of the second day, the acting clerk said that Milan had already picked up on everything he needed to know to make the transition smooth.

“He jumped on tasks, and by the end of his first week, he really made it as if he’d been here for years,” Goldberg said.

Goldberg added that they were particularly impressed with Milan’s writing and history knowledge, which he said are important for the position.

Goldberg said that he sees that Milan is already comfortable in the community. In Franklin, it is common for residents to walk into the Village Offices to ask staff questions. Since day one, Goldberg said, Milan has been comfortably chatting with the community and making valuable connections.

“His personality, we could tell, was going to be a real good fit for the unique job duties of the village of Franklin clerk that wouldn’t be in your everyday job description,” Goldberg said.

Milan said he enjoys getting involved with local history. Up until earlier this year, he was a board member at the Historical Society in Ypsilanti, and he worked on the bicentennial committee.

During his free time, Milan is an avid reader of history and literature. He is also a hobbyist musician, playing the piano.