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GROSSE POINTE CITY — Grosse Pointe City Manager Pete Dame might have seemed driven and focused when it came to his job, but what people who don’t know him well might not have realized is how focused he was on his family too.
It’s because of the latter that he has left Grosse Pointe City after 17 years to accept a position in his hometown of Portage, Michigan — a suburb of Kalamazoo — where he’s been appointed chief development officer.
“My parents are getting older, and I need to be close to them to take care of them,” said Dame, 57, from the small conference room at Grosse Pointe City Hall.
Dame’s last day with the City was April 20. His first day of work in Portage was April 24.
Before coming to the City, Dame spent 12 years as the deputy village manager of Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Dame said Oak Park, while larger, was similar to Grosse Pointe City in a number of ways. He had been looking for a position as a city manager when the City job was posted, so he applied.
“Being from Michigan, I knew how prestigious Grosse Pointe was and it would be a great place to work,” Dame said. “Everything I thought about Grosse Pointe proved to be true. It was a great place to work in.”
The journey wasn’t without bumps in the road, though. When Dame arrived, The Village’s longtime anchor store, Jacobson’s, had been closed for a couple of years. He helped to bring in a new tenant, Trader Joe’s, and develop offices on the second floor of the mixed-use Kercheval Place that now occupies the former Jacobson’s location.
One of his proudest accomplishments is something that isn’t glamorous but certainly was needed. Dame said that, when he arrived, The Village parking garage was closed because it had deteriorated. In 2008, the City built a new one.
“It’s a beautiful parking structure,” Dame said. “It fits right in with the community.”
It’s so close to his heart that, when the Grosse Pointe City Council honored Dame during his final council meeting April 17, the council not only presented him with a resolution in his honor, but also with a framed image of The Village clock arch and photo of the plaque in the parking garage that bears Dame’s name and the names of the council members who steered this project.
Dame also led the City through the Great Recession and national housing market collapse of 2008.
“I never expected to have to deal with a financial crisis in Grosse Pointe, of all places,” Dame said. “But all of southeast Michigan (went through this).”
The taxable values of homes plummeted, and with them, the property tax revenue on which cities relied for their operations. Although housing values eventually rebounded, state property tax caps have kept municipalities from reaping the benefits; it’s only been in recent years that communities like the Pointes have seen their property tax revenues return to 2008 levels.
“I think we met that challenge well and minimized the negative impact on service levels the best we could,” Dame said.
Dame got a downtown development authority approved for The Village circa 2008 and shepherded the Kercheval Avenue business district through the process of becoming a Main Street downtown.
In addition, Dame led the City through the construction of new Public Safety Department and Department of Public Works buildings as well as a more secure and refurbished municipal court — which also functions as City Council chambers — in the historical former public safety building next to City Hall.
“I’m proud the community recognized the need and supported that (set of facilities projects) through a voter referendum,” Dame said. “We were able to complete it under budget — which was difficult because it was completed during COVID.”
The City has been on more solid financial ground of late, achieving a AAA bond rating — the highest possible — which means the community gets better interest rates when it needs to borrow money for major projects, a cost savings that benefits taxpayers.
City managers frequently find themselves moving, as new elected officials sometimes decide to select a different top administrator to run a municipality’s daily operations. While Dame acknowledged that the move from Illinois to Grosse Pointe was hard on his oldest child — his daughter Kelsey, then in fourth grade — he was happy he was able to avoid additional moves while his children were growing up.
“I’m proud that I was able to serve the community for so long, that I was able to raise my family mostly in one place,” Dame said. “It was important for me to keep my family stable.”
All three of his kids enjoyed sports — Kelsey played soccer, his son Brian enjoyed baseball and basketball, and his younger daughter Shannon played soccer, volleyball and softball — and Dame said he met a lot of people at his children’s sporting events. Shannon Dame, who was the valedictorian at Grosse Pointe South High School last year, is in her freshman year at the University of Michigan. Dame is also the stepdad to his second wife Kristen’s young adult children from her previous marriage, Amber and Michael Nevin.
“A big part of my life happened here,” Dame said, noting that he spent almost as much time in Grosse Pointe City — 17 years — as he did growing up in Portage for 18 years. “It’s hard to say goodbye to some of the dear friends I’ve made here.”
One of those dear friends is John Bruce, the former executive director of the Neighborhood Club. Dame’s input proved instrumental to the Neighborhood Club’s new building.
“I really admire Pete from the way he came in and was really open to new ideas,” said Bruce, noting that it was Dame’s suggestion to tear down the old Neighborhood Club and build a new one that launched the new facility, which is now more popular than ever with users of all ages. “It was very critical for the Neighborhood Club to have someone we could talk with and dream bigger dreams.”
Bruce said Dame “sets the bar high for himself and the people around him,” and his impact on the community is evident in many ways, including the vibrant Village business district. But Bruce also got to see another side of Dame when the two sat together for soccer games played by Bruce’s granddaughter and Dame’s younger daughter, who ended up on the same team.
“Part of what Pete is doing (in returning to Portage) is because of the wonderful man he is,” Bruce said. “Pete Dame is a fully formed, wonderful, kind human being. … I’m very proud we have Pete Dame in our lives.”
It was a side of Dame the community got to see at the April 17 meeting, as Dame fought tears while sharing how grateful he was for the support of Kristen, who was willing to relocate for him because she understood the need for him to be near his parents. Kristen Dame works remotely for an automaker, so she’ll be able to retain her job despite the move.
“I never expected to get divorced … and I never expected to meet someone else who was so supportive and loving,” Dame said of Kristen. “I appreciate her love and support.”
Grosse Pointe City officials spent time during their last meeting with Dame April 17, acknowledging his accomplishments.
“You’re not only the city manager — I consider you a friend,” City Councilman Donald Parthum Jr. said. “I don’t think we would have made it through the Great Recession without you. No one knows the hard work you’ve done.”
City Councilwoman Maureen Juip thanked Dame for all he had done for the City.
“You have been very gracious with your time and talents,” Juip said.
City Councilman Christopher Walsh said they would miss Dame and wished him and his family well.
“Thank you very much,” Walsh said. “You did a great job. … We’ve all been through a lot together. … We got a lot done (during your tenure).”
City Councilman Terence Thomas thanked Dame for his service and said he appreciated that Dame was open to feedback.
“I do not take for granted your level of diligence and creativity in finding ways to pay for (projects),” Thomas said.
Mayor Sheila Tomkowiak, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the City Council in 2016 and elected to the council in 2017, was elected mayor in 2019. She thanked Dame for his assistance.
“As a new mayor, I would not have been able to do it without a seasoned city manager,” Tomkowiak said. “I appreciate how well you set up the City. You set up a great team and excellent department heads. … You’ve set us up well.”
