Adam Duberstein to fill vacant Clawson City Council seat

CLAWSON — Adam Duberstein was appointed to fill the vacant Clawson City Council seat in a unanimous vote on May 5. His seat is set to expire at the November 2027 election.

The council members each voted for their preferred candidates out of the four who interviewed on May 4, which included Duberstein, Jennifer Burney, Glenn Shepard and Ethan Haan. 

At first vote, the council was at a tie, with Meredith Peltonen, Laura Slowinski and Alec Speschock voting for Duberstein, and Scott Tinlin, Aidan O’Rourke and Mayor Susan Moffitt voting for Haan. 

To settle the matter, Moffitt had the council members say what they favored about each of the candidates they voted for.

“I think Adam and Ethan were both incredibly great choices. … I really appreciated Adam. He mentioned building a wellness coalition, I really liked his background and knowledge on psychology," Peltonen said. “I think he would do a really good job balancing out and filling this seat.”

Rourke said that Haan and Duberstein were his top two candidates, and each brought a unique perspective to their interviews. 

“They would both bring very different attributes to the council. Adam is super passionate and understanding of people and mental health,” Rourke said. “But I picked Ethan because of his finance background; I think that could be a big asset up here. I think it would be a huge benefit to see his perspective, because he has been in a bunch of different cities managing their finances.”

Slowinski said that she also liked both candidates, but Duberstein stood out to her because he is an ethics professor and lives and works in the city of Clawson. 

“Ethan works all the way in Grosse Point Woods, and he has a 2-year-old, and as far as him being available more to come to special meetings, I thought that working and living in Clawson was a strength,” Slowinski said.

Speshock said that his draw to Duberstein was that he is already a very active member of the city of Clawson. 

“He’s already dedicated in the community; he comes out to council meetings, he comes out to other meetings and participates in different events,” Speshock said.

Tinlin said that he was drawn to Haan because of his financial background. 

“That’s really important right now, because we have the millage coming up. It would be nice to have that perspective,” Tinlin said. “Also, he has been in the arena and has worked on the administration side, so he knows both sides of the angles, so I think that would bring a good factor in. I think Ethan brings the skill set we need.”

Moffitt agreed that she also preferred Haan because of his financial background. 

“He has a lot of experience in the industry and a lot of financial experience … and when we move through and make some of those financial decisions, it almost feels like we would have an insider on the table to help guide us in some of the directions we need to go,” she said. 

After the discussion from each of the council members, the vote remained the same, so Moffitt decided to change her vote to Duberstein so that they could make a decision.

Duberstein has been a Clawson resident for 1 1/2 years, according to his application provided on the city of Clawson website. 

“My desire to serve the community comes directly from the people with whom I’ve worked. Their stories inspire me to make a positive difference for others. As a psychologist, I spend much of my time listening to people navigate real life challenges, ranging from financial stress to uncertainty about the future,” Duberstein’s application states. “That work has given me a deep appreciation for how local government decisions impact people’s daily lives. … A strong and steady city government is necessary for the health of residents and businesses in our community, and I would love to be a deeper part of improving Clawson.”

In Duberstein’s interview on May 4, he said that being a newer resident to Clawson gives him a unique perspective and “fresh eyes” to look at opportunities for the community. 

“My motivation for being here — this is my home. This is my permanent home. My business is getting ready to settle here; my family is coming here,” he said. “I love it because of the community feel. … I have lived in a lot of places, and I have never had that before. The reason I want to serve is to keep the community feeling going.”

Duberstein will be sworn in as soon as possible, and then at the next City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. May 19, there will be an official swearing-in ceremony.

For more information, visit cityofclawson.com.