The Washtenaw 100’s new board chair for 2021 – our 50th year – is Amy Reiser, the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney of Washtenaw County.
Amy succeeds Howard S. Holmes II of Chelsea Milling Company (Jiffy Mix), who served as board chair for the past two years, and remains on our board today. W100 has been exceptionally fortunate to have these steady hands at the helm during this time made so challenging by Covid.
Amy has served on W100’s board since January 2017. She’ll be board chair until the end of next year. Amy recently made time for this quick Q&A about her W100 service:
Amy, how did you get involved with The Washtenaw 100?
“I’ve wanted to support the county’s law enforcement officers and firefighters and give back to the community. This has been a continuation of working with and supporting many of the agencies that I’ve worked with throughout my career at the Prosecutor’s Office. Our first responders put their lives on the line every day to protect our community. An organization that recognizes this is an organization of value.”
What do you plan to focus on as The Washtenaw 100’s board chair?
“Our biggest goals and challenges right now are to grow our membership, get through this pandemic, and make sure that the firefighters and law enforcement officers in Washtenaw County are aware of our organization and how we support them.”
What will these efforts entail?
“Over the last few years, the board has been working on a marketing plan to make the organization more visible in the community, while we also do more to reach our membership, especially during the pandemic. We’re rolling out the marketing plan this year. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be something special.”
Why is The Washtenaw 100 so important to you?
“I’m very honored to be a part of such an amazing non-profit organization that recognizes the hard work and dedication of our first responders. We appreciate the hard work they do every day, and we want that message to be shared with the community. Just think of what The Washtenaw 100 does. We offer death benefits to officers or firefighters in the county who are killed in the line of duty. Each year we give scholarships to children of law enforcement officers and firefighters in the county. Recently we’ve begun to award grants to eligible departments for equipment.”
Any thoughts you’d like to extend to our police and fire departments?
“For the last 18 years of my career, I have witnessed first hand the dedication of the departments across Washtenaw County and what their officers and firefighters face every day while protecting the community. We appreciate them, we support them, and we’re grateful for their service to the citizens of Washtenaw County.”