Westland • Michigan
Compassionate City
The Man Behind it
Mayor William R . Wild City of Westland , Michigan
Through his dedicated public and private sector experience , Mayor William R . Wild has earned a reputation for effective , responsive and visionary leadership .
From the first day of his administration , Mayor Wild made a commitment to the citizens of Westland — to make one of Michigan ’ s great cities even better . He continues to follow through on that promise by strengthening core priorities such as : public safety , clean and safe neighborhoods , finding efficiencies within government , exercising sound fiscal management , protecting the environment , and creating a healthier and more vibrant community . Recently , Westland was recognized as one of America ’ s top 50 places to live , work and play by Wall Street 24 / 7 .
As the city ’ s CEO , Mayor Wild provides oversight over the city ’ s balanced operating budget of $ 60 million and all city departments . Under his leadership , Westland has successfully attracted more than $ 200 million in new investment to Westland ’ s business district .
Throughout his exemplary career in public service , Mayor Wild has been known for his ability to work in a bipartisan fashion to create real solutions for his constituency and the region . As a small business owner , and mayor of one of the fastest growing communities in Wayne County , Mayor Wild considers himself an entrepreneur — not a politician — and has created a business friendly environment for economic development , all while stressing superior customer service for Westland ’ s 85,000 residents .
Under Mayor Wild ’ s leadership , the city has focused on three key initiatives : creating an environmentally sustainable city , improving the health and well-being of Westland residents , and making Westland an even more compassionate city . These initiatives are best demonstrated by multiple city programs such as :
• “ Passport to a Healthy City ” is a program implemented by the mayor ’ s administration focused on advancing innovative programs to empower citizens to lead healthy , fulfilling lives . This program has quickly gained notoriety , making Westland one of the most progressive communities in the state of Michigan .
• The “ Westland Mission : Green !” initiative is a local program designed to promote sustainable living while also encouraging citizens to incorporate environmental best practices into their daily lives . To date , the city ’ s curbside recycling program boasts one of the nation ’ s highest participation rates and has saved Westland thousands of dollars each year on landfill costs by recycling approximately one million pounds of trash monthly .
• “ Compassionate City ” is a program Mayor Wild launched in an effort to make the city not only a healthy and environmentally sustainable place to live , but a humane , friendly one as well . Mayor Wild launched a citywide compassion journey by becoming Michigan ’ s first city to take the “ charter for compassion ” pledge , with the goal of becoming Michigan ’ s most compassionate city .
Mayor Wild serves as the Michigan Ambassador , a member of the Transportation and Communications Committee , and as a member of the United States Conference of Mayors . He serves on the Legislative Governance Committee for the Michigan Municipal League , is the current chairman of the Conference of Western Wayne , current co-chair of the SEMCOG Economic Development Task Force , and is currently serving his second term on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority ( MMRMA ).
Prior to becoming Westland ’ s mayor in 2007 , Wild served on the Westland Planning Commission from 1999 to 2001 , and on the City Council from 2001 to 2007 , acting as council president for two of those years .
In 2016 , Mayor Wild began hosting the show In the W where he looks at national , statewide and regional issues from a city ’ s perspective . He has focused on economic development , entrepreneurs and business attraction among other topics . The show airs on WLND and can be seen on Vimeo .
Mayor Wild and his wife , Sherri , a 6 th grade science teacher , are longtime residents of Westland and the proud parents of three children : Luke , 14 ; Lily , 11 ; and Payton , 9 . In his spare time , Mayor Wild , a self-proclaimed ‘ West Wing junkie ,’ enjoys playing hockey , cooking , reading , and attending his children ’ s after-school activities .
Mayor William R . Wild of Westland , Michigan , wants everyone who lives , works , visits or worships in it to know it is a compassionate city . His inspiration on creating a compassionate city comes from having met the worldrenowned spiritual leader the Dalai Lama , who started the Compassionate Cities movement on two special occasions over the last decade since Wild has been mayor .
“ We all have a responsibility to pay it forward ,” said Mayor Wild . “ I want the city of Westland to be an example of that message and show compassion in all that we do .”
The most recent visit was when the Dalai Lama addressed an audience of select U . S . mayors in Indianapolis about how mayors have the ability and responsibility to instill compassion in their cities . His 2016 speech came in the wake of violent outbreaks focused on police officers around the country .
“ This was a unique opportunity to share ideas with other mayors and discuss how progressive cities were working to build better community relations across the country ,” said Wild , “ but interacting with the Dalai Lama during this important time in our history , and learning from him the role that compassion can play in building social innovation , was life-changing for most of us .”
The Dalai Lama ’ s keynote remarks focused on the global significance of building kind and compassionate cities through mayors ’ actions at the local level . The Dalai Lama was also joined by singer / songwriter Lady Gaga for an interactive discussion with mayors on engaging today ’ s youth in compassion through music and social media .
While Wild calls the meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2016 life-changing , it was after his first meeting in 2013 with the Dalai Lama in Louisville , during the city ’ s annual Festival of Faiths , that Mayor Wild was inspired to create Westland ’ s own Compassionate City Program . Shortly thereafter , Westland was the first city in Michigan to sign the Charter for Compassion .
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Innovative Health - Winter 2017