![]() Chris Wren -Newaygo County’s New Administrator By Near North News Team Photo; Chris Wren settles into his new office When the Newaygo County Board of Commissioners culminated a 6 month search for a new administrator with the selection of Christopher Wren they ushered in a new era of leadership in the county seat. Wren, an Oakland University graduate who has been involved in public service for most of his career, brings a fresh look to the position and... an employee-based management style focused on giving his staff the resources and support they need to better serve the residents of the county.
Near North Now caught up with Wren this week to pose a few questions. N3- Why Newaygo County? CW - This area has always been our number one destination for vacations and recreational activities so the opportunity to live here and be a part of this community was a big draw. After meeting with the Board of Commissioners and talking to people I met while touring the county this felt like the right decision. There’s a bright future for Newaygo County and I’m excited to be a part of that future. N3 - What have you learned about our county so far? CW - In this short time I’ve been so impressed by the number of committed organizations and community members who work together to enrich the quality of life here. It takes a solid effort toward communication and collaboration to get things done and I see this as one of the many positives that exist here. N3 - Tell us about your management style. CW - My focus is to get the best out of our employees because they are the ones who make an organization great. To ensure we have the best staff throughout the county and to give them the best resources and support to carry out their jobs. I don’t buy into the ‘open door’ policy because that would mean I’m in my office all the time. I want to be part of every office and be involved in all aspects of the county’s work. To me transparency is key so there are no secrets or hidden agendas. N3 - How do you see your role with the Board? CW - To ensure they are informed so they can make the best decisions for the future of the county. The Board represents the people of the county and my job is to help them in their efforts to move the county forward. N3 - How about your role in the community? CW - I want to be involved and play an active role. To let people know Newaygo County government is here and we’re involved in helping to make our county great. If I’m invited to speak to a community group or organization I welcome the opportunity to share how we will continue to maintain and improve the services we deliver to residents. N3 - What do you do for fun? Anything outdoors. I love to fish and hunt and hike so this area is an ideal setting for those activities. N3 - What do you want people to know about you? I enjoy meeting people, talking to people, and letting them know what we’re doing. This organization is filled with extremely talented and dedicated people who really want the chance to shine and it is exciting to be working with this level of talent. The goal is to make Newaygo County the number one county in the state. In my opinion we’re already number one, so part of my task is letting the rest of the state know just how great of a place this is. I’m excited about the future of this county and feel really positive about being part of it. Comments are closed.
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February 2025
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