Blue Water Woman--Fall 2020

“It is the basis for the quality of life in a community,” she said. “It
is the playbook for good in a community.”
Big Picture Vision
When the opportunity to apply for a seat on the county
commission arose, Baldwin decided to apply for a number of
reasons.
“I had started to get frustrated with things I had no control over,”
she said of her role as supervisor at the township. “I realized if I
ever wanted to effect some kind of change that will help the next
building official or zoning official, then I need to go to the next
level. The question becomes, ‘How do you get a township or city’s
voice to the state level?’
“I feel like I wanted to be at a different level of government to
affect that change.
“I felt like I’d peaked and this was a next good step to expand my
network. County government is focused mostly on revenue and
economic development. I felt that was a natural next step.”
Baldwin also understands that becoming a a true leader and not
just a politician means that politics actually need to be put aside so
the big picture can be better viewed.
“A lot of people get into politics due to one issue,” she said. “If you
can’t move past that issue, you’re never going to work as a team, and
if you can’t work as a team, you’re not going to get anything done.
“You learn that every relationship is about compromise.”
Women in Office
Baldwin encourages women who are interested in running for
office to move forward and do so.
“Sometimes women can be our own worst enemies with
overanalyzing everything,” she said. “I think you should just do it.
If you have a desire to serve, you should find a way to do it.”
She also noted that women sometimes face situations that men
do not, whether in public office, or just in the workplace, in
general.
“My mom always says to me, ‘You have a family to raise,’ and
nobody says that to a man,” she said. “I have an equal partner in
my husband, Scott. When I am at a meeting at night, people will
ask me, ‘Where’s Scott? Who’s with the kids?’ People do not run
into my husband and ask about his kids.”
All that said, she noted that it is important for women to take a
seat at the table.
“Women, in general, can bring a different perspective,” she said.
“We do see things differently, in general, and there’s a lot of good
in that. You need that diversity to represent the whole.”
Baldwin said things have changed a lot since she began working
for Fort Gratiot Township more than 20 years ago.
“I’m not the only girl in the room anymore, and I’m finding
some allies with the men in the room,” she said. “We have some
really impressive role models in women in St. Clair County and
that is something to be very proud of.”
Jessica McLarty, VP, Business Loan Officer; Jennifer Briolat, Branch Manager, Lakeport; Amanda Rose, Branch Manager, Marysville;
Emily Dehring, Branch Manager, Fort Gratiot; Kim Bowman, VP, Retail Banking Manager;
Christi Agostino-Erd, Mortgage Loan Officer; Kathy Wurmlinger, VP, Mortgage Manager
S
top by a branch today and let us
help you get into the driver's seat!
Call or visit one of these
convenient St. Clair County
locations today:
• 85% of our staff are women
• 67% of our bank officers are women
• 50% of our senior management are women
• 4 of our 9 directors are women
Member
FDIC
Fort Gratiot - 810.966.2281
Lakeport - 810.385.3211
Marysville - 810.364.4854
Port Huron - 810.987.9777
www.emb.bank
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