Who is Shirley Rodgers?

As president of the Lansing Board ofEducation and chairwoman of the Ingham County Board of RoadCommissioners, Shirley Rodgers is no stranger to tough times and harddecisions.

The focus of two organizationalcontroversies this year, Rodgers knows some of her views may rub peoplethe wrong way, but it’s a price she says she is willing to pay to standup for her beliefs.

“It’s tough, I’m not going to lie andsay it’s not,” Rodgers said in a three-hour interview Sunday afternoon.“You don’t like being the center of all this scrutiny, but you knowthat it comes with the territory and if you’re going to take verystrong positions on some issues, you know you’re going to meetresistance.” 

The commissioners of the five-memberRoad Commission board are appointed by the Ingham County commissioners.The board’s job is to set policy and oversee the Road Commission, whichis in charge of over 1,200 miles of local roads and has full-time staffof nearly 70 employees.

In February, the Road Commission at thebehest of four Republican Ingham County commissioners hired a localconsultant, Michael Goree, CEO of Growth Strategies Consulting Inc., toinvestigate claims of racial bias by employees at the Road Commission.The Road Commission paid $11,800 for the study and report. Afterinterviewing nearly all of the organization’s employees, Goreeconcluded that there were severe trust issues between employees andmanagement positions. Employees also identified Rodgers as someone whomicro-managed, the report said.

Budget negotiations at the LansingSchool District also drew scrutiny as Rodgers supported a number ofunpopular cost-saving measures, including firing two administrators,cutting the remaining administrator’s salary by 10 percent, increasingout-of-pocket health care costs and shortening the superintendent’scontract by one year.

Despite the scrutiny and calls to resign, Rodgers said she has no intention of stepping down from either position.

In an interview on Sunday afternoon atthe Great Lakes Chocolate & Coffee Co. in downtown, Rodgers spokeabout the views that have guided her decision-making. The interview,originally scheduled for one hour, lasted almost three as she graduallybegan to share stories about the organizations and herself.

Rodgers, 62, attended Michigan StateUniversity starting in 1966 intending to major in education. She didnot fulfill her degree requirements after four years and took time offto work when her parents would not pay for additional schooling. Shewas hired by the Lansing School District in 1972, where she worked in anumber of different positions for about 30 years before retiring. Shewent back to school in 1982 while she worked and graduated with adegree in humanities in 1984.

Growing up during the civil rights eracreated a strong sense of fairness in Rodgers. She is a firm believerof leading by example, being open to all ideas and listening toeveryone, she said. Because of this, she questions how organizationsfunction to ensure that policies are fair and equal to all, she said.

“I think those are legitimate questions for a board member to ask,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers said she feels “obligated” toask questions on issues of hiring or advancement. While some may seeher questions as micro-managing, Rodgers said they allow her to see ifa policy set by the board is being implemented, which is within herrole as a commissioner.

“For me, micro-managing is going intothe building, sitting down in the director’s office, what are you doingtoday and what is this — and I’ve never done that,” she said.

County Commissioner Don Vickers, whorequested the report, disagrees and thinks Rodgers’ actions contributedto the lack of trust within the Road Commission. He and CommissionerVince Dragonetti, both Republicans, are calling for Rodgers’resignation. Rodgers is a Democrat.

“You don’t circumvent the person incharge and take matters into your own hands,” Vickers said. “I reallyreally believe that Shirley has overstepped her bounds at this time.”

Board members who serve with Rodgers said she is dedicated to her job and it would be a mistake for her to resign.

“I’ve known her for a lot of years, andshe is someone who has a very high standard of ethics and believeseveryone else should have them too,” Board of Education Secretary MyraFord said. “I understand why some people take issue with some of thethings she does because she’s not an apologist … and I think peoplefind that offensive.”

Ford said Rodgers’ matter-of-fact natureoffended initially, but after working with her, she has come to respectRodgers’ convictions.

Milton Scales, who serves with Rodgerson the Road Commission, said he has seen nothing in Rodgers’ actions tosupport the report’s findings.

“She knows what her job is,” Scalessaid. “She sets the agenda and she runs the meetings. She doesn’tinterfere and allows the board members to discuss and debate theissues. She holds her opinion until last so that her opinion does notsway any board members. That’s a good chairperson.”

When Lansing School Districtadministrators suggesting cutting employee pay by 10 percent andraising health insurance co-pays, Rodgers’ first question was if thosesame administrators would be willing to take those cuts themselves.

“I think it’s fair that if you makethose kinds of recommendations about other employees in the district,well, you be the first one to step up to the plate,” she added. “That’sjust how I think.”

Rodgers said her feelings aboutindividual employees within the district could not overshadow her“larger responsibility for the students and the community,” and thesame principals applied at the Road Commission.

“I am advocating for policies and procedures that standthe test of fairness for everyone,” she said. “Somebody has to bewilling to step up and try to do the job, and somehow … I find myselfstruggling to say no.”