HFC alumnus Paul Antolin appointed Grosse Pointe Woods City Clerk

In late April, Deputy City Clerk Paul Antolin, an HFC alumnus, was officially named City Clerk for the City of Grosse Pointe Woods. Since late December 2021, he has served as Interim City Clerk while he also fulfilled the duties of his previous position.

Because Antolin was a familiar face in GPW and because he had carried out the duties of the city clerk while still serving as the deputy clerk, GPW Mayor Arthur W. Bryant and the GPW City Council decided not to form a committee and launch a search for a permanent City Clerk. They appointed Antolin to the position based on his qualifications and previous service. He replaced Lisa Hathaway, who retired.

“It made sense to me to do it this way. Of course, I’m biased,” said Antolin, of Romulus. “The transition has been pretty smooth, especially with the staff being very supportive. The mayor and City Council support what I’m doing.”

First-generation American citizen

The youngest of three sons, Antolin’s parents immigrated from the Philippines. His mother was pregnant when his family came to the United States, settling in Macomb County, Michigan. Antolin was born in Warren and is a first-generation Filipino-American.

An alumnus of Woodhaven High School, Antolin began his college career at Michigan State University before transferring to HFC (then Henry Ford Community College). At HFC, he earned his associate degree in liberal arts.

Transferring to Wayne State University, he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration. Recently, he earned the Michigan Professional Municipal Clerk (MiPMC) designation through the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks.

“HFC really prepared me for Wayne State,” he said. “It acclimated me to college life. I really hunkered down and focused on my education.”

Taekwondo black belt

Antolin has a 5th degree black belt in Taekwondo. The teachings of this style of martial arts helped him as a youth. Taekwondo taught him many important attributes, such as respect, honesty, self-confidence, and patience that enhanced his career and his life outside of City Hall. He began a Taekwondo program through the City of Romulus Parks and Recreation Department in 2001 and eventually brought the program to the Romulus Athletic Center in 2010. The program has since been postponed due to COVID, but will continue next year.

“As a kid, the Bruce Lee movies got me into it. When I attended my first Taekwondo lesson, the structure, the discipline, the focus, and the physicality really appealed to me. So did achieving the next rank. Taekwondo puts your physical and mental attributes together. It gives you a solid foundation, making you well-rounded and grounded,” he said.

Practicing Taekwondo has helped Antolin in his positions in local government.

“Patience plays a lot into it, which has helped me with my work. When I deal with disgruntled residents, it’s best to patiently listen to what they have to say instead of escalating things.”

A career in local government

Antolin worked as records clerk at the City of Romulus for 17 years. He spoke about how he entered local government.

“It fell into my lap. After graduating from Wayne State, I was looking to get my foot in the door. I had a friend whom I met playing an online game. We learned both of us were from Romulus. He notified me about an opening at the city. I applied and got the job,” he recalled.

Antolin joked that he was an all-purpose clerk at the City of Romulus. He also worked at Romulus’ Department of Public Works, the Building Department, and Geographic Information Systems. Eventually, he returned to the City Clerk’s Office.

“I wore various hats. This came with being an all-purpose clerk,” he said, laughing.

He left Romulus for GPW in 2018, becoming the latter’s Deputy City Clerk.

“After 17 years, the dynamics of the clerk’s office in Romulus was going in a different direction than I was,” said Antolin. “I also wanted to utilize my degree more than what I was doing in Romulus. The deputy city clerk position gave me that opportunity, so I took it. I jumped in feet first. One thing led to another, and here I am.”

His duties as City Clerk include:

• Custodian of city records
• Writing agendas for city council meetings
• Recording the minutes of city council meetings
• Maintaining the various boards and commissions
• Administrating campaigns for local, state, and federal elections
• Serving as election committee chair
• Coordinating FOIA requests
• Providing notary service

Serving the public

There is no typical day for Antolin. That holds true even more with the 2022 election coming up.

“We’re in constant contact with the public at the counter, we’re dealing with the county and state, we’re making sure everything is in order with the election – there’s a big push for integrity,” said Antolin. “COVID has made it difficult to administer elections with all the scrutiny going on regarding the parties and election fraud accusations. I didn’t know where to begin with all that, especially since it’s been on the forefront in the media. It’s been a challenge, but I welcome challenges. That’s how we adapt and move forward.”

For Antolin, the best part of his job – cliché as it may sound – is serving the public.

“I enjoy helping residents and anyone else who comes here to City Hall,” he said. “The goal is to give everyone a great experience when they’re dealing with the city. Local government always gets a lashing just because it’s government. We try to create a positive perception. It’s very rewarding to be helping the public.”