All five Superior Township, Michigan, leadership positions are on the Aug. 6 primary ballot, with several candidates vying for each position.
The candidates are all on the Democratic primary ballot. No Republicans are seeking their party's nomination during the primary. The list of candidates below was compiled using information from the Michigan and Washtenaw County website elections pages, and from information supplied to Ballotpedia and Vote411, two organizations that compile information on candidates for all elections, often through the use of self-reporting from the candidates, for public use. To view a sample ballot for Superior Township, visit the elections pages on the township's website.
Winners of the primary election are their party's nominees for the general election, which is Nov. 5. In addition to local offices (including townships and cities in Michigan) the general election ballot includes decisions for Washtenaw County offices, members of Congress from Michigan, and the president of the U.S.
The candidates in Superior Township include:
Office: Superior Township Clerk, four-year term, vote for no more than one
Candidates
• Landis Smith, Democrat
Currently serving as deputy clerk of Superior Township, Landis Smith has a master's degree in public administration. He has been working in township government for five years, starting with a role in the Superior Township utility department.
• Paula Jefferson, Democrat
For the past six years, Paula Jefferson has served as a deputy clerk in Plymouth Township. Previously, she worked two years as a deputy clerk in Superior Township. She served on the Superior Township Parks & Recreation Commission from 2016-20, serving as chair during her last year on the commission. She has been a resident of the township for 51 years.
• Angela Robinson, Democrat
Currently serving the township as deputy of elections, Angela Robinson has 27 years of experience in local government administration. She is a graduate of the former Willow Run High School and attended Cleary College. She has lived in Superior Township for 26 years.
Office: Superior Township Supervisor, four-year term, vote for no more than one
Candidates
• Irma Golden, Democrat
Currently serving as the deputy supervisor for Superior Township, Irma Golden earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at Eastern Michigan University. She also attended Central Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College. She has worked more than 20 years at the UAW-Chrysler national Training Center. She has lived in Superior Township for 28 years. She has operated Golden Real Estate for nine years.
• Emily Dabish Yahkind, Democrat
Founder and CEO of SolSummit, a sustainable wine company, Emily Dabish Yahkind earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at the University of Michigan. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in public management at Johns Hopkins University. She currently serves as a member of the Superior Township planning commission.
• Brian G. Clark, Democrat
The founder and owner of his own insurance company, Brian G. Clark has a bachelor's degree in business from Eastern Michigan University. He has taught personal development and public speaking courses in high schools and pioneered Reaching Higher classes in multiple jail facilities, partnering with Ignite, an initiative designed to reduce recidivism by educating inmates. He has lived in Superior Township for 20 years.
Office: Superior Township Treasurer, four-year term, vote for no more than one
Candidates
• Lisa Lewis, Democrat, incumbent
A member of the township board since 2000, Lisa Lewis is a graduate of Ypsilanti High School, Washtenaw Community College, Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan. She earned a bachelor's degree in social work and a master's in education administration leadership at Eastern. She earned a master's degree in social work at Michigan. She has served in various roles in Superior Township government for 25 years. She has served on the boards of the Ypsilanti Area Community Foundation and The Corner Health Center.
• Ramona Parker-Hayden, Democrat
A graduate of Hampton University, where she earned a degree in finance, Ramona Parker-Hayden has been a resident of Superior Township for 35 years. She works as the chief financial officer of the Neutral Zone Teen Center in Ann Arbor. She is a member of the Community Center Advisory Council.
Office: Superior Township Board of Trustees Member, four-year term, vote for no more than four
Candidates
• Brenda Baker, Democrat
A resident of the township for 37 years, Brenda Baker has served 12 years on the Superior Township Wetlands Board, six years on the Planning Commission and three years on the steering committee to update the township master plan. She is a founding member and current co-chair of the Superior Township Chapter of Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy.
• Tom Brennan, Democratic
A member of the township Planning commission since 2015, Tom Brennan currently serves as the commission's secretary. He also serves as the commission's liaison to the Zoning Board of Appeals and served on the master plan steering committee as well. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Bowling Green State University. He has been a township resident for 11 years.
• Dana L. Harris, Democratic
A resident of the township for 15 years, Dana L. Harris has served in leadership positions for several nonprofit organizations and union role.
• Rhonda Peatry McGill, Democrat, incumbent
A township resident for 21 years, Rhonda Peatry McGill has spent the past 15 years working in the financial services industry, focusing on compliance and consumer protections. She is completing her first term in the office and seeking re-election. She has a degree in occupational studies with a focus on management and leadership.
• Dana Greene Jr., Democrat
A native of Detroit, Dana Greene Jr., moved to Superior Township in 2020, after earning a bachelor's degree in sociology in 2016, and a master's in public health at the University of Michigan in 2019.
• Bernice Lindke, Democrat, incumbent
A township resident for 20 years, Bernice Lindke is a current member of the township board. She has a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor's in business and accounting. She served several years as vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Eastern Michigan University. After retiring from EMU, she consulted with Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., Mott Community College in Flint and Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills to assist with enrollment administration and planning.
• Brenda L. McKinney, Democrat
A former treasurer for the township, Brenda L. McKinney resigned that role in 2022 after serving for 26 years.
• Bernedia Word, Democrat
Township resident Bernedia Word ran unsuccessfully for a trustee role in 2020, receiving 15% of the primary vote. Previously she served on the township's Parks and Recreation Commission.
• Sarah Devereaux, Democrat
A leadership coach and strategic advisor, Sarah Devereaux lives on a 20-acre sustainable farm in Superior Township. She is a graduate of the University Michigan in Ann Arbor and earned her Leadership Coaching Certification from the International Coaching Federation. Previously, she was executive for Google.
• Ken Schwartz, Democrat
Currently serving as township supervisor, Ken Schwartz practiced law in Ypsilanti for 30 years. Along the way, he served on the Washtenaw County Road Commission, as a Washtenaw County commissioner and as a Superior Township trustee. In 2013, he was appointed township supervisor. He was elected to the job in 2014 and re-elected in 2016 and 2020. From 1971 to 1975, he served in the U.S. Air Force. He is a founding member of the Washtenaw County Veterans Affairs Commission.
Office: Superior Township Parks & Recreation Commission Member, four-year term, vote for no more than seven
Candidates
• Gregory Vessels, Democratic, incumbent
Gregory Vessels is currently serving as vice chairperson of the commission.
• Martha L. Kern-Boprie, Democratic, incumbent
Currently serving as secretary for the commission, Martha L. Kern-Boprie has been a township resident for 57 years, and a member of the parks commission for 16 years. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in public administration and served 12 years as the Superior Township treasurer. She also served 10 years as a Washtenaw County commissioner.
• Curtis Freeman, Democratic, incumbent
Curtis Freeman is currently serving as a parks commissioner.
• Nahid Sanii-Yahyai, Democrat
Nahid Sanii-Yahyai serves as the chairperson for the parks commission.
• Sharon Bryant-Phillips, Democrat
Sharon Bryant-Phillips is seeking a spot on the parks commission.
• Jack R. Smiley, Democratic, incumbent
Currently serving as a parks commissioner, Jack R. Smiley founded the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, and was the key organizer behind the preservation of natural areas in the township that were later named after him. He has a background in business, biology, political science, and urban planning from Henry Ford Community College, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University. For the past 35 years, he worked to establish several area nature preserves, including the LeFurge Woods, Cherry Hill, and Secrest nature preserves, and the Meyer, Kosch-Headwaters, Weatherbee Woods and Highland preserves.
A list of the candidates running for Washtenaw County and state positions, in addition to a list of the Washtenaw County proposals, can be accessed through the Washtenaw County website.
