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Missouri Municipal League elects new leadership

Wildwood Council Member Joe Garritano and Moline Acres Mayor Michele DeShay Elected to President, Vice President

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Municipal League elected city of Wildwood Council Member Joe Garritano as president and Moline Acres Mayor Michele DeShay as vice president during the organization’s annual conference last week. In addition, the League elected three new members to serve on the MML Board of Directors.

Joe Garritano is a city council member in Wildwood, Missouri, since 2015. In August 2018, he was selected by the city council to serve as the City’s mayor pro tem. During his tenure he has served in various leadership roles, such as chairman of the Crossings Improvement District and chairman of the Wildwood Administration & Public Works Council Committee.

In February 2019, he was elected to serve on the board of directors for the Missouri Municipal League and was elected MML Vice President in 2020.

Professionally, he is a senior project leader with a national financial firm, responsible for managing and coordinating strategic activities and projects.

Michele DeShay is a native of St. Louis. She has served as mayor of Moline Acres for 13 years. She previously served three terms (six years) as alderperson and president of the board. During her time in office, she has successfully campaigned for a ½-cent capital improvement sales tax, providing much-needed public works equipment and upgrades to city streets and buildings.

Michele serves with the Committee on Self-Development of People and the National Association of Professional Women. She has served on the MML Environment, Energy and Sustainable Development policy committee since 2010, presiding as chair of that committee from 2016-2019. She has served on the MML Board of Directors since 2018.

Michele is retired after 32 years with the Teamsters with Local 688, serving as chief shop steward. During her service, she became a member of both the Teamsters National Black Caucus and the Teamsters Women’s Caucus.

The three new MML Board of Directors members are:

  • Jerry Grimmer, Council Member, Bridgeton
  • Mike Roemerman, Mayor, Ellisville
  • Erin Seele, City Attorney (Fenton, Ladue, Manchester) with Cunningham, Vogel and Rost.

The Missouri Municipal League provides a united voice for municipalities across Missouri. Founded in 1934, MML now serves more than 640 municipalities with training, resources and legislative advocacy for local government success. Learn more at www.mocities.com.